How Many Fire Marshall’s Do I Need?

Within a building, there are many occurrences which can happen that could put a person’s health or safety at risk. One of the more serious accidents that can occur is a fire, which can have devastating effects for a building, its contents and the people inside. To ensure that the proper procedures are followed to both prevent a fire and evacuate in the event of a blaze, Fire Marshalls should be utilised.

In the UK, laws and regulations require all businesses to have a designated person who is responsible for fire prevention and evacuation. This includes conducting risk assessments, ensuring businesses have the correct fire equipment which is regularly tested, educating others on fire procedures, preventing fires and helping to evacuate staff members in the event of a fire so that injuries or fatalities are avoided.

When it comes to Fire Marshalls, most businesses know that they are a legal requirement, but the question they may be asking is how many Fire Marshalls do I need? The answer to this question just depends on the nature and size of the organisation, and whether the fire risk assessment classified the business as low, normal or high risk.

Low Fire Risk?

A low-risk business will have some or all of the following: few combustible or highly flammable materials, virtually no sources of heat which could start a fire, the premises is traditionally built and well maintained, has no high-risk individuals such as the elderly, has a quick and safe evacuation route and that fire safety measures and well maintained.

If your business is one of the few that fits into this category, and you have less than 50 employees/occupants you need at least one Fire Marshal You will need at least 2 Fire Marshals if you have 50-100 and then one additional Fire Marshal for every additional 100 employees/occupants.

Normal Fire Risk?

A normal risk business will have some or all of the following: some combustible or highly flammable materials, some sources of heat which could start a fire, isn’t a traditionally built premise, has some high-risk individuals such as the elderly, a fire is likely to spread slowly and fire safety measures that are adequately kept.

If your business fits into this category, like most do, then if you have less than 20 employees/occupants you need at least one Fire Marshal, at least 2 Fire Marshals if you have 20-75 and then one additional Fire Marshal for every additional 75 employees/occupants.

High Fire Risk?

A high-risk business will have some or all of the following: large quantities of combustible or highly flammable materials, many sources of heat which could ignite a fire, untraditional layout, a large number of high-risk individuals such as the elderly, a fire could spread rapidly, and safety measures are poor.

If your business fits into this category, then if you have less than 15 employees/occupants you need at least one Fire Marshal, at least 2 Fire Marshals if you have 15-50 employees/occupants and then one additional Fire Marshal for every additional 50 employees/occupants.

In order to educate these chosen individuals on how to prevent and act in the event of a fire, fire safety dvds for training can be utilised, ensuring that they are knowledgeable on the best and latest procedures to follow. Once the course has been completed, they will then become qualified as a Fire Marshals.