Working alone? Would your team know if a fire started?
During a recent Fire Risk Assessment, I visited a workplace with no fire alarm system, where someone regularly worked alone.
It raised a simple but important question: if a fire started elsewhere in the building, how would that person know—and would they still be able to escape safely?
For many businesses, lone working is part of everyday life. It might be the owner arriving early, an employee finishing an order after everyone else has left, or a cleaner working outside normal opening hours.
These situations can easily become routine without anyone stopping to consider whether the fire precautions still work when only one person is there.
Why lone working can change the risk
When a workplace is busy, someone may spot a fire and warn their colleagues. When a person is working alone, that warning may never come.
Imagine someone working in an office while a fire develops in a separate storeroom. With the door closed, they may not notice anything until smoke reaches their working area or affects their escape route.
The same concern can arise when people work on different floors or in isolated parts of a building. There may be other people on site, but would they notice the fire and be able to warn everyone in time?
Having worked this way for years without an incident does not tell us whether the arrangements would work in an emergency.
Five questions worth asking
You do not need technical knowledge to start reviewing how your business operates:
- Who works alone, and when? Include opening up, closing down, cleaning, maintenance and weekend working.
- Could a fire develop out of their sight? Think about separate rooms, storage areas and unoccupied parts of the building.
- How would they become aware of it? Consider whether the warning arrangements would reach them wherever they work.
- Would their escape route remain available? Could fire or smoke affect it before they realise something is wrong?
- Does your Fire Risk Assessment cover these situations? It should reflect actual working arrangements, including quieter periods outside normal hours.
Does every workplace need an automatic fire alarm?
The appropriate arrangements depend on the building, the hazards present and how the premises are used.
In some small, simple, open-plan premises, a fire may be immediately obvious to everyone and a shouted warning may be sufficient. Where a fire could develop unnoticed, or someone works remotely from others, automatic fire detection may be necessary.
There is also a difference between a manually operated alarm and automatic detection. A manual alarm allows someone to raise the warning once they discover a fire. Automatic detection can provide a warning without relying on someone spotting it first.
Your Fire Risk Assessment should establish what is appropriate for your premises.
Unsure whether your arrangements cover lone working?
If your staffing, working hours or use of the building has changed, it is worth checking whether your assessment still reflects what happens in practice.
If this article has raised questions about your workplace, get in touch to discuss your premises and whether a new or updated Fire Risk Assessment would be appropriate. You will receive clear advice and sensible recommendations tailored to your business.
Get in touch with Norfolk Fire and Safety Ltd