Working from home – how fire safety needs to keep pace

Different companies may take varying approaches and levels of involvement in supporting the safety of their staff in what is essentially their own private or family space.

For example, many employers will provide equipment or financial support to create a home office environment for their workers. Other employees will pay to heat, light and power their homeworking stations, as well as provide various items of IT equipment and furniture.

Either way, it is vital to adapt our fire safety approach to cater for this new way of working.

This content has been sourced from IOSH Fire Risk Management Group publications.

Looking after homeworkers

The most practical and important measure an employer can take is to provide their employee with good-quality fire safety information, guidance and basic awareness training to support a self-regulatory approach.

One of the key factors is to maintain the PAT testing of electrical equipment, including laptop chargers and printers, by using external contractors. Staff should also be educated about not overloading electric sockets and keeping an eye out for loose or damaged wires.

It is good practice for an employer to conduct a risk assessment of their employees’ homeworking environment, involving the individual in the process of identifying potential hazards, and regularly reviewing those risks.

The assessment findings can then be used to identify an escape route and formulate an emergency evacuation plan, highlighting the need to keep the route free of obstructions. Smoking breaks should also be treated as in any work environment – taken outside, with cigarettes disposed of safely.

Many homes already have smoke alarms, as it is recommended to have them on each floor of a property, but it is worth reminding homeworkers that they should be tested weekly.

As we see the increasing prominence of lithium-ion batteries to charge multiple devices in virtually every home, homeworkers should be provided with a fire extinguisher to address the possibility of fire started by battery chargers.

Indeed, with maintenance-free fire extinguishers and fire blankets now readily available, it is arguable that every home – as well as every office – should be equipped with such firefighting precautions.

Keeping the wider workforce safe

More people working from home has wider fire safety implications for businesses, as many offices and other commercial buildings now have far fewer staff on site.

So, it is important to check your fire risk assessment is up to date and ensure it accommodates any changes, for example, in office layout. This, in turn, may affect escape routes and evacuation procedures.

Another consideration is how many designated fire marshals you have, as some of them may now work from home all or some of the time. It is essential for any business that at least one fire marshal is present in the office every day to ensure the safety of your employees.

Generally, you will require at least two fire marshals per floor, but you may need more in larger, more complex work areas or noisy environments.

If more fire marshals are required, you might need to consider incentives – as well as ensuring management support – to encourage employees to volunteer for the role.

It is also crucial that regular fire drills are maintained on business premises, ensuring they involve as many employees as possible (including hybrid workers who work both from home and the office). While annual fire drills are a legal requirement, the Health and Safety Executive recommends at least two or three a year.

The world of work is constantly evolving, but fire safety management – along with other steps to maintain the health, safety and wellbeing of workers – must keep up with the pace of change.