Drop in for advice about business fire safety

26/08/2016

Free drop-in sessions for businesses to find out more about fire safety are being run in Cambridgeshire as part of a week-long national campaign. 

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service fire officers are offering local business owners, managers and staff advice at the open-door events across the county as part of the Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA) UK Business Fire Safety Week (September 5-11).

Fire safety specialists will be on hand to offer advice and guidance at the free fire safety drop-in sessions, without any need to book an appointment. 

Fires in non-domestic premises in Cambridgeshire have fallen steadily over the past five years, but 76 per cent of these fires have been accidental, which means some may have been avoided or their impact reduced if businesses took further fire safety measures. 

The majority (48 per cent) of accidental fires in non-domestic premises over the past five years have taken place in Cambridge city and Peterborough and of all the accidental business fires across the county, wiring cabling and plugs has continuously been the most commonly recorded ignition source.

Station Commander Giles Grainger, lead officer of Business Fire Safety Week, said: “We want to help businesses manage fire risks and hazards to potentially save lives and safeguard their businesses against financial and commercial loss. 

“Business Safety Week is a good opportunity to remind employers of the need to review fire risk assessments and training and make sure existing and new staff know the importance of fire safety.”

Free drop in sessions will run on the following days and locations:

• Tuesday, September 6, at Stanground Fire Station, Belle Vue, Stanground, 10am- 3pm.

• Wednesday, September 7, at South Cambridgeshire District Council offices, Cambourne, 10am-4pm

• Wednesday, September 7, at Wisbech Fire Station, Churchill Road, Wisbech, 10am-2pm.

• Thursday, September 8, at St Neots Fire Station, Huntingdon Street, St Neots, 10am-3pm

• Thursday, September 8, at Ely Fire Station, Egremont Street, Ely, 10am-4pm.

• Friday, September 9, at Huntingdon Fire Station, Hartford Road, Huntingdon, 10am-3pm

• Friday, September 9, at Cambridge Fire Station, Parkside, Cambridge, 10am-3pm.

 

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service hosts regular business safety seminars and is running two special seminars to mark the national safety week. 

The free two-hour business fire safety seminars aim to give a brief explanation of the Fire Safety Order and the requirements of a fire risk assessment. They are taking place:

- At 9am, Thursday, September 8, at Stanground Fire Station, Peterborough

- At 10am, Tuesday, September 13, at Parkside Place Community Fire and Rescue Station, Cambridge.

The seminars are free to attend but booking is required. To book, call 01480 444500 or log on to www.cambsfire.gov.uk