Electrical equipment can be a significant cause of accidental fires in shops and offices. The main causes are:
- overheating cables and equipment, e.g. due to overloading circuits, bunched or coiled cables or impaired cooling fans;
- incorrect installation or use of equipment;
- little or no maintenance and testing of equipment;
- incorrect fuse ratings;
- damaged or inadequate insulation on cables or wiring;
- combustible materials being placed too close to electrical equipment which may give off heat even when operatingnormally or may become hot due to a fault;
- arcing or sparking by electrical equipment; and
- embrittlement and cracking of cable sheathing in cold environments.
All electrical equipment should be installed and maintained in a safe manner by a competent person. If portable electrical equipment is used, including items brought into a workplace by staff, then your fire risk assessment should ensure that it visually inspected and undergoes portable appliance testing (‘PAT’) at intervals suitable for the type of equipment and its frequency of use (refer to HSE guidance). If you have any doubt about the safety of your electrical installation then you should consult a competent electrician.
Issues to consider include:
- overloading of equipment;
- correct fuse ratings;
- PAT testing and testing of fixed installations;
- protection against overloading of installation;
- protection against short circuit;
- insulation, earthing and electrical isolation requirements;
- frequency of electrical inspection and test;
- temperature rating and mechanical strength of flexible cables;
- portable electrical equipment;
- physical environment in which the equipment is used (e.g. wet or dusty atmospheres); and
- suitable use and maintenance of personal protective equipment.
All electrical installations should be regularly inspected by a competent electrical engineer appointed by you, or on your behalf, in accordance with the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 (EAW Regulations). The use of low voltage equipment should conform to the requirements of the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994, including the requirement to be CE marked.
Managing building work and alterations
Fires are more frequent when buildings are undergoing refurbishment or alteration. You should ensure that, before any building work starts, you have reviewed the fire risk assessment and considered what additional dangers are likely to be introduced. You will need to evaluate the additional risks to people, particularly in those buildings that continue to be occupied. Lack of pre-planning can lead to haphazard co-ordination of fire safety measures.
You should liaise and exchange information with contractors who will also have a duty under the Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 199611, 12 to carry out a risk assessment and inform you of their significant findings and the preventive measures they may employ. This may be supported by the contractors’ agreed work method statement. The designer should also have considered fire safety as part of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994 (the CDM Regulations).
You should continuously monitor the impact of the building work on the general fire safety precautions, such as the increased risk from quantities of combustible materials and accumulated waste and maintaining adequate means of escape. You should only allow the minimum materials necessary for the work in hand within or adjacent to your building.
Additional risks can include:
- hot work such as flame cutting, welding, soldering, or paint stripping;
- temporary electrical equipment;
- blocking of escape routes, including external escape routes;
- introduction of combustibles into an escape route;
- loss of normal storage facilities;
- fire safety equipment, such as automatic fire-detection systems becoming affected;
- fire-resisting partitions being breached or fire doors being wedged; and
- additional personnel who may be unfamiliar with the premises.
Activities such as welding, flame cutting, use of blow lamps or portable grinding equipment can pose a serious fire hazard and need to be strictly controlled when carried out in areas near flammable materials. This can be done by having a written permit to work for the people involved (whether they are your employees or those of the contractor).
A permit to work is appropriate in situations of high hazard/risk and, for example, where there is a need to:
- ensure that there is a formal check confirming that a safe system of work is being followed;
- co-ordinate with other people or activities;
- provide time-limits when it is safe to carry out the work; and
- provide specialised personal protective equipment (such as breathing apparatus) or methods of communication.
You must notify the fire and rescue service about alterations in your premises if an alterations notice is in force.
Further guidance on fire safety during construction work is available from the HSE and the Fire Protection Association.
