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Many of the fires
that you see in the press and the media were as a direct result of arsonists
- think about it!
It is estimated
that at least 40% of the total fire damage in Europe are started deliberately.
The future existence of nearly 50 businesses in the UK could be put at risk every
day as a result of arson. Arson is now recognised in most countries
as their major fire problem and as such it needs to be treated with "Zero
Tolerance".
Well trained people
are your best defence against the threat of an ARSON ATTACK that is why we
include arson prevention advice in all of our fire training courses and
assess the situation in our fire risk assessment process.
Every week arson costs
people their lives. It also costs insurance companies and their policyholders
millions of pounds. The true financial cost in terms of jobs and lost
orders is more difficult to determine, estimates have been made that arson
now costs businesses £4 million per day!
The proportion of
fires in the agriculture sector is currently running at about 38% of
all reported fires; this is far less than the 60%reported in the
construction industry, the 54% in school buildings, and the
53% in recreational premises. It is however slightly lower than the
34% reported in the retail sector, 24% in our hospitals and
most disturbingly, the 17% reported in private dwellings.
The devastation
caused by an arson attack is likely to have a serious knock-on effect.
When a firm suffers a serious fire it usually has to cease trading until
the damage is put right. The result is a disruption trade with the loss
of orders or a failure to meet delivery times that can effect the livelihood
of its customers and suppliers. When all these losses are taken into account
the true cost of arson is likely to be considerably higher.
It is also an
unfortunate fact of business life that 80% of organisations who suffer
a major disaster such as a fire, and who do not have some form of contingency
plan, go into liquidation within 18 months of the event.
Figures based on the
UK Fire Statistics show that arson is the major cause of large fires,
with the majority of losses being caused by opportunists setting fire
to waste and combustible material. Children, youths under 21, disgruntled
employees, people making fraudulent claims and those trying to destroy
evidence at the scene of a crime are all involved in this criminal activity.
Arson Task Forces
are being set up to fight arson. There is no simple solution to the
problem and any plan can only be formulated after a proper risk assessment
has been carried out. Then by taking a few positive steps such as alerting
staff to dangers and ways of preventing arson, companies can frustrate
the arsonist.
25 simple steps to stop your business becoming an arson statistic.
Fire Training
Solutions
- Use AFS Firewise
to integrate good arson prevention advice into all of your fire
training programmes and your fire risk assessment. Prevention being better than the
"Cure".
Responsibility
- A named individual
must be made responsible for fire safety including protection from an
arson attack.
- Think about the
ease with which intruders/arsonists could break into the premises and
take immediate steps to strengthen your defences.
- Alert the police
if there have been any small fires in the area. A small fire could be
a warning of something worse to come!
Security
- One entrance is
better than two, especially if one entrance is manned throughout the
night.
- Outer fences and
walls and gates need to be high enough to keep out intruders.
- Doors and windows
must be in good repair and locked when not in use.
- Use good quality
locks and padlocks.
- Gaps under doors
should be as small as possible.
- Letter boxes should
have metal containers fitted on the inside.
- Know who holds
keys; chase any that are missing.
Employees
- Warn staff of the
threat from arson fires.
- Ask them to challenge
anyone who should not be on the premises and report any suspicious activities.
- Vet new employees.
- Keep an eye on
outside contractors,
Visitors
- The movement of
visitors within the building should be controlled.
Fire Protection
- Ensure equipment
which you have installed - extinguishers, hose reels, alarms, detectors,
sprinklers - is in good working order and protected against sabotage
attempts.
End of day checks
- A named individual
must be responsible for securing the building at the end of each working
day.
- Check that the
doors and windows are secure.
- No combustible
material is left lying around.
- No unauthorised
people on the premises.
- Alarms switched
on
- Outside illumination
on.
- Any flammable liquids
locked away in a secure store.
- A cup of horlicks.
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