Oxford based safety control systems specialist Industrial Design has launched a series of online fire safety training videos. Approved by The Institution of Fire Engineers the videos help companies train their staff in basic fire safety, allowing them to comply with legal requirements and improve health and safety standards.Costing just £249.95 for a five module course, the videos explain why fires occur, what action you can take to prevent them starting and how you should behave in the event of a fire.
Employers, employees and those accountable for building space, including common parts of blocks of flats and houses, have a legal responsibility to ensure fire safety. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires that employees are informed, instructed and trained about fire precautions in the work place; and that they are able to cooperate with employers to make sure the workplace is safe from fire and its effects.
The regulations also state that if you’re not an employer, but have control of premises that contain more than one work space, you still have a responsibility to conduct a risk assessment put in place a fire management plan and ensure compliance with fire regulations. This applies to organisations, contractors and individuals who are responsible for business premises, responsible for a dwelling, part of which is used solely for business purposes or providing accommodation for paying guests.
Online videos enable fire safety training to be conducted in a clear, concise and easily understood manner whilst allowing it to be accessed by a large volume of people.
Compliance with The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 is based on a logical 'assessment' methodology whereby all risks are identified and assessed, appropriate action determined and the implementation of the solution recorded. There is no minimum or maximum requirement, and compliance can be achieved using any product or service deemed necessary by the assessor.
As a result, the burden of proof for compliance rests on the person responsible for the premises in question, who has to ensure the continual monitoring of risk. It is the job of this 'responsible person' to prove that they have provided adequate and reasonable safety precautions specific to their premises. Evidence of online training can demonstrate that the theoretical element of this responsibility has been complied with.
A record of the training is held on Industrial Design’s system and a serialised certificate of successful completion is issued, which is valid for two years. Continual access to all of the training material is provided throughout the two years during which the certificate is valid.
“Legal requirements aside, basic fire safety training can save lives,” offered Mike Fikuart, managing director of Industrial Design. “Simple steps, such as closing doors in the event of a fire, can have big impact on controlling a blaze and eliminating further hazards that can cause injury or even death. The knowledge that people will gain on the course will prove useful at work and help comply with some legal requirements, for sure. But it could also prove invaluable in the future, should the worst happen and they find themselves in fire.”
