You may have noticed Fulcher Edwards like to remind you guys each week to Test It Tuesday aka #TestItTuesday via our Twitter, Facebook and our Instagram page. We do this EVERY Tuesday!

The reason we do this life can get in the way and its very easy to forget to test your smoke alarm and it could save your life.

We know with everything going on right now with Coronavirus is taking up a lot of our attention and rightly so, its a scary unusual time for us all. However, as most of us our working from home and schooling from home currently, its never been a better time to get into the habit of testing your smoke alarm each week.

Smoke alarms require very little maintenance but you want to know it will work should a fire break out at your property and you will only know if it will work effectively if it is tested regularly to make sure it’s working. A simple press of the test button on the alarm will show you instantly and could save lives.

If you don’t have any smoke alarms in your home or landlords property currently then why not get in touch and we can advise what you need, how many and where. All our electricians are Aico Approved Installers and can suggest the right ones for you. Quotations are free.

Though we are only carrying out essential works we can still provide you with quotations and discuss any requirements you may have

smoke detector of fire alarm in action, white background

. Just contact us via our website or give us a call on 01923 616985.

Did you know the Fire Safety Order 2005 (FSO) requires all employers to ensure their staff have received adequate fire safety training? Employees should receive fire safety training during their workplace induction. It is also a requirement that a sufficient amount of staff are trained to carry out an effective evacuation in the event of a fire.

At Fulcher Edwards Ltd we offer a workplace fire training course to all businesses.  This course is ideal for nominated employees to act as fire wardens in their workplace. The two hour course covers both emergency and non-emergency aspects of the role. All attendees will come away with an appropriate level of knowledge to carry out this role safely and effectively.

The workplace fire training course is ideal for those appointed as fire wardens, or for those who are responsible for implementing and developing a fire evacuation procedure.

What Does The Course Cover?

Please see the course programme outlined below:

Aims & Objectives
Legal Obligations
Understanding Fire
Means of Escape
Fire Protection in the Workplace
Fire Routines, Powerpoint and DVD Presentation
Short Comfort
Break
Emergency Role of a Fire Warden
Non-emergency Role of a Fire Warden
The Emergency Plan
Fire Fighting Equipment
Practical Fire Equipment Demonstration
Q&A

As you can see from the course programme, the course is highly detailed and will provide a sufficient level of knowledge to all attendees. On completion of the course we will issue certification within 7 days of our visit.

We allow up to 15 attendees per 2 hour session. However, if you are a larger company we can conduct two sessions within the same day.

It is important to take fire safety seriously, as a fire can have serious and deadly consequences. Furthermore, if the ‘responsible person’ within your business doesnt follow fire safety regulations, they could be fined or imprisoned.

If you would like to find out further information with regards to our Workplace Fire Training Course in London, Hertfordshire and St Albans, please do not hesitate to contact us HERE.

Fire alarm maintenance is one of the many services we provide at Fulcher Edwards Ltd. Furthermore, we have proudly been BAFE accredited for the past 3 years. Though how many of you are aware of what BAFE is? BAFE are the independent registration body for third party certified fire protection companies across the UK. Through regular audits and thorough inspections they ensure that companies providing fire protection services are competent and meeting quality standards. You can find your local BAFE registered company here.

Therefore, with all this in mind it is a good idea to contact BAFE registered companies when requiring fire protection services at your premises. Many insurance companies are now insisting their clients only use companies with BAFE accreditation. So now you know what BAFE is, but are you aware of the fire safety responsibilities in your company? Take a read below to find out!

Fire Safety Responsibilities In Your Company

1. Firstly, ensure there is a responsible person for fire safety on the premises. The responsible person can either be an employee who is appointed to the role, or alternatively it falls to the employer/person who controls the premises.
2. The responsible person should carry out a fire risk assessment of the premises. The fire risk assessment will highlight precautions and actions which need to put into place, these assessments should be recorded and regularly reviewed. Especially if the building layout changes.
3. Ensure there is appropriate fire fighting equipment on the premises. E.g. Fire extinguishers, fire blankets, etc.
4. There should be an adequate amount of fire alarms/smoke detectors on the premises. Regular maintenance of the alarms/detectors is important to ensure they are working correctly at all times. The responsible person can carry out weekly tests on the fire alarm call points. They should do this by triggering a different call point each week to sound the alarms, and then recording this test for due diligence. Furthermore, a company which carries out fire alarm maintenance can test the alarms every 6 months. This will be a thorough test of the whole system and the engineers will also carry out battery maintenance on the alarms. An alarms battery should be able to stay in standby for 24 hours and then ring constantly for 30 minutes without failing.
5. Emergency exits out of the building which all members of staff are aware of.  Emergency exits should be illuminated with emergency lights and the running man exit signs. Furthermore, a company such as Fulcher Edwards can install the emergency lights and maintain them for you.

If you would like further guidance and details on fire safety responsibility in your premises, it would be worth reading the Regulatory Reform Order (FSO) 2005. The FSO is the legislation for fire safety in non-domestic premises in the UK.

Please do not hesitate to contact us here if you would like further guidance on fire alarm maintenance, emergency lighting maintenance, and all other electrical services.

Responsibility to fire safety doesn’t just end once you have had a  fire alarm fitted on your premises. If you are a Business Owner or Landlord in London or Hertfordshire, it is also your duty to make sure the fire alarm system is being maintained correctly.

The Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005 (FSO) states that the ‘responsible person’ has the duty of maintaining the fire alarm on your premises. The FSO is the primary legislation for all non-domestic premises in England and Wales. Therefore failure to comply with the FSO is an offence punishable by hefty fines or imprisonment.

A non-domestic premise includes workplaces and commercial premises, public premises, and common areas of multi-occupied residential buildings.

Who is the Responsible Person?

You’re if the responsible person if the following applies:

• You’re the owner of a business
• An employer
• An occupier
• The Landlord of a premises
• You’re the Facilities Manager, Building Manager, Risk Assessor, or Managing Agent

You can have more than one responsible person on the premises and therefore those two people will have to work together.

What are the duties of the Responsible Person in my Company?

• Plan for a fire emergency
• Provide staff with information, training, and fire safety instructions
• Conduct a fire risk assessment and review it regularly
• Make staff and representatives aware of any risks which have been identified
• Ensure there are appropriate fire safety measures in place and then maintain them

How often should my fire alarm be tested?

We recommend that you test your fire alarm weekly and then keep record of the tests in a log book. Furthermore, British Standard 5839 recommends that your fire alarm is serviced every 6 months by a ‘competent person.’ If your premises is very large then quarterly might also be best.

Who is a competent person and do we need one?

A competent person is somebody who is fully trained and qualified to inspect your Fire Alarm. This is a service we can provide at Fulcher Edwards. As your chosen contractor we would be able to give you advice and provide relevant in-house training. We would also carry out a high level of fire alarm maintenance that your premises requires.

To discuss your fire alarm in London and Hertfordshire needs further, or for a free quotation, please contact us HERE.

This week is Electrical Fire Safety Week which is a great initiative promoted by Electrical Safety First. They work closely with the Home Office and Fire and Rescue services across the UK to help raise awareness on the dangers of electrical fires. Statistics they have collected show that “over half of all accidental house fires are caused by electricity. And nine out of ten electrical fires are caused by electrical products.”

At Fulcher Edwards we also consider ourselves to be advocates for electrical safety and put it at the forefront of what we do. Therefore we would like to share with you our tips and advice on how to stay electrically safe at home and in the office!

PAT Testing

PAT (Portable Appliance Testing) ensures your electrical items are safe to use. A PAT testing engineer will carry out visual inspections and tests to confirm the safety of the items. PAT testing should be carried out annually and is particularly important in the workplace or if you’re a Landlord.

EICR 

The British Standards recommended that all homeowners have an EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) maximum every 10 years. Offices or rented accommodation should be every 5 years. EICRs establish how safe the electrics are in your building and will identify any potential hazards which could cause a fire. Following the electrician carrying out a thorough investigation, you will receive a report and recommendations which will keep your home in optimum electrical safety.

RCD

We always recommend RCD (Residual Current Device) protection to our customers. If you currently have no RCD protection, this will form as one of the recommendations in the report following your EICR. RCDs are a sensitive switching device that quickly turns off electricity when danger arises to reduce the risk of death or serious injury. RCDs turn off electricity in a fraction of a second and are far quicker and reliable than breakers and fuses.

Tradesman

Quality workmanship is all part of our service here at Fulcher Edwards. We are NICEIC registered electricians which means we will always be compliant to the highest standards of Part P building regulations. If you use an NICEIC registered electrician, you will be sure of a safe standard of work from a person who takes genuine pride in what they do.

Other things to consider:

• Always turns off electrical items when not in use! If an item if plugged into a socket, turn the socket off and remove the plug to be extra safe.
• Don’t overload your sockets or extensions leads. We understand that its unrealistic to have a plug socket for each item, however just be aware of putting to many high voltage items in one extension lead as this could result in a fire. Electrical Safety First have a brilliant interactive socket calculator which can be found here.
• Carry out visual checks. If any cables, sockets, or plugs appear faulty or damaged it is best to contact an electrician.
• Following on from last weeks blog about counterfeit items, always ensure you’re purchasing legit electrical items. A counterfeit may have not undergone thorough safety checks and therefore it could be faulty or possibly even deadly! Some products will also have the BSI Kitemark  on them which is the recognised symbol for quality and safety.
• Its always a good idea to not carry out electrical D.I.Y. A simple job which goes wrong could ultimately cause severe and expensive damage. Or even worse it could cause a fire. Therefore it is always best to contact a qualified and registered electrician.
• If worst comes to worst and a fire does start within your home, make sure your fire alarm is working! We always recommend you check your fire alarms weekly to ensure they’re still working correctly.

Join in with the Electrical Fire Safety Week conversations on twitter with hashtag #EFSW. For all your electrical needs including the ones mentioned above, please do not hesitate to contact us here!