Extinguisher Inspections in Empty Buildings – If you are the current owner or proprietor of an empty building, e.g office blocks, factories or any other commercial premises, then you have a responsibility to procure and establish fire safety measures in that building.
Despite the fact that the building is empty, the same legal obligations apply for an empty building as an occupied one and that responsibility is with the present owner until another takes over.
As an owner of an empty commercial property, losing out on rent and having responsibility toward an unused building can be difficult but good safety and security measures ensure you are protecting surrounding structures, personal assets and making your building a more attractive utility for a prospective purchaser.
Fire Safety Risks in Empty Buildings
Every year thousands of unoccupied properties fall victim to fire damage. The reason vacant properties have different fire risks is because the lack of activity, checks and active presence on the site can allow problems to develop out of control.
Empty buildings are often hotspots for antisocial behaviour and can become shelters for vagrants. These individuals can bring in an excess of materials that could escalate a fire if one broke out and can cause careless damage to fire safety equipment.
The biggest concern from antisocial behaviour is arson. Arsonists often believe setting an empty building alight is better than burning down an occupied property. Although it is difficult to predict an arson attack, you can put measures in place to reduce the risk and if an arson attack does occur, and you have taken the appropriate fire safety measures, your insurance should support you.
Additionally, pests can be an issue in vacant buildings. With no one around, pests may move in and can go unnoticed. They can chew through wires and cause electrical fires.
Controlling Fire Safety Risks.
To make sure an empty building is as safe for the duration of the unoccupancy, the specific risks above should be considered on top of all the most common fire risks of traditional/occupied buildings. As well as protecting your property, taking necessary fire safety measures will keep your insurance premiums down. Insurers like to see that you are proactively approaching fire safety and a key indicator is performing Fire Extinguisher Inspections in Empty Buildings. These Include:
- Remote monitoring of the fire alarm is an excellent risk mitigation strategy
- Remove any inventory from the site as part of shutdown.
- Secure the Building to stop unwanted entry.
- Remove all waste, excess furniture and other items not forming part of the fittings.
- Remove Floor coverings where possible as all of the mentioned items are likely to be combustible.
Fire safety risks can be controlled by using preventative fire safety measures and making sure all fire safety requirements and by continuing to perform monthly and annual Fire Extinguisher Inspections in Empty Building.
Risk Assessments.
An assessment will indicate any high risk of intrusion, fire risks or potential for malicious damage. Building owners should take the outcome of the fire risk assessment and reactively improve the levels of security and protection.
Fire Safety Inspections
To ensure your building has a reduced risk of fire going into unoccupancy, you should keep your fire safety equipment in the best shape possible. It is part of your fire safety responsibilities as an owner within an empty property to actively maintain systems and service and repair equipment. Perform Extinguisher Inspections in Empty Buildings and maintain all fire safety equipment in those buildings to ensure that you are protected in the event that a fire does occur.
Use Fire Extinguisher Inspection Software to ensure that you Never Miss an Inspection.
The type of software is used in Manufacturing, Universities, Healthcare, Aviation and many more to manage their Monthly, Annual, 6/12 Year Inspections.
Fire Extinguisher Inspection Software can also be flexible enough to Inspect Fire Doors, Emergency Showers, Emergency Lights, AED’s, Eyewash Stations, Anything etc.
Typical Features include:
- Inspection Routes Ensure No Inspections are Missed
- Monthly Report of All Completed Inspections
- Inspect Anything, Fire Doors, Emergency Showers, AED’s, Eyewash Stations, Anything etc.
- Automatic Email Alerts Let Managers Know of Any Missed Inspections
- Corrective Actions For Failed Inspections, with Email Notifications.
- Full Inventory of all Devices at every Location, Full Tracking of Movable Items
Fire Alarm Maintenance
Fire alarm systems are essential for early warning that there is a fire in your building. A fully working fire alarm system can alert you to a fire before it takes hold and causes devastating damage. A monitored security or fire alarm also guarantees a professional and fast response during an emergency.
Emergency Lights
In an empty building, emergency lighting is key for a lot of different reasons. Firstly, if a fire does occur, emergency lighting can increase the chance of your building being saved. By having an emergency lighting system in place in an unoccupied building, it can help the fire services find their way around the property.
IMEC Technologies provides Safety Management Software to increase worker safety and aid compliance. IMEC’s Safety Management Software will manage inspections and audits, provides hazard identification, incident reporting, management of corrective and preventative actions from generation to closure. IMEC provides lock out tag out software solutions that will allow users to create lockout tagout procedures using an intuitive Mobile App and Manage Lockout Tagout Procedures, also the Review and Execution of those Lockout Tagout Procedures using the Mobile App. Annual Lockout Tagout Procedures audits are conducted using a Mobile App. The Mobile Inspection App allow users to perform inspections and audits, for example the system can be used as a Fire Extinguisher Barcode Inspection Software system to manage monthly fire extinguisher inspections and general fire safety inspections and also to record safety observations and manage corrective actions, anywhere and anytime. The solution can be used as a fire extinguisher barcode inspection software system or life safety inspection system to aid compliance in Higher Education, Healthcare, Industrial and Commercial Organizations. Benefits from a Fire Extinguisher Barcode System include the elimination of paperwork and reducing the burden of compliance with regulations such as NFPA, The Joint Commission. The Incident Reporting App allows users to easily and quickly report incidents, hazards and near-misses, these are then sent to the appropriate people for action and are managed to closure. Web Apps provide features such as, setup, management, scheduling tools, analysis, reporting and dashboards etc with the ability to report incidents to government bodies such as OSHA and RIDDOR. HazMat T&T is a hazardous waste management software solution designed for Environmental Service Companies and companies who generate a large quantity of hazardous waste. The solution tracks hazardous waste from cradle to grave aiding compliance, providing accurate waste inventory, increasing waste handling efficiency, reducing risk and also helps manage waste costs. HazMat T&T Hazardous Waste Management Software can be deployed in a number of deployment scenarios, from Large Hazardous Waste Generators, tracking their hazardous waste at their site to Environmental Service and Waste Management Companies using it track and manage hazardous waste at transfer and disposal sites. For more information visit our website www.imectechnologies.com