Putting Together a Fire Safety Procedure for Your Mezzanine Floor
While the eventuality of an uncontrolled fire in any situation is something most of us would rather avoid thinking about, fire safety is an important matter to keep in mind and adequate procedure needs to be put in place – especially in a workplace, where it is also legally mandated.
Here at Doity Engineering Ltd, we are the manufacturers and suppliers of the Revlok Mezzanine floor, so we have a lot of experience in incorporating fire safety details into warehouse mezzanine floor construction. We use this experience to guide you through it in our latest blog post below.
From Design and Beyond Completion
Fire safety procedures are something that can, and should, be considered throughout the entire process of your mezzanine floor construction – and beyond. You need to work closely with your mezzanine supplier to make the correct considerations that suit your business but also create clear means of escape, which is a requirement of Building Regulations Part B (Fire Safety) and will be dealt with by your supplier.
While finalising the specific features of your mezzanine, there are plenty of things you can keep in mind that help to improve fire-preparedness and also the functionality of your mezzanine floor. Details such as having multiple staircases for a large mezzanine with many employees, handrails, and an easy and accessible layout – including clear exit routes marked with bright colours – all improve usability and safety.
If your mezzanine will have a suspended ceiling, be sure to enquire about the fire protective tiles available as they can provide additional support over none fire-rated alternatives.
Procedure
Once the above has been put in place, you should develop a procedure to keep in mind if a fire does occur. Here is an example of one:
1. Remain Calm
While it sounds obvious, it’s an important point to remember that composure is essential for remaining safe in the event of a fire because panic can lead to bad decisions and further danger.
2. Leave Everything
It can be tempting to grab your favourite things or expensive equipment when you need to evacuate, but this can waste valuable time and put you in danger. A good rule is that things out of arms reach, too large for one hand, or attached to anything should be left. Also, hopefully, the insurance will take care of any expensive equipment.
3. Avoid inhaling smoke
Smoke contains chemicals and toxins that are extremely dangerous, so do your best to avoid inhaling it by keeping low and covering your face with available fabric (i.e. clothing).
4. Locate the nearest exit, avoiding lifts/escalators
If you need to evacuate, you should follow the implemented safety routes and leave via the nearest staircase and exit. Never use a lift or escalator in the event of a fire, however, because electrics can be damaged leading to becoming trapped.
5. Leave orderly
It’s important to leave swiftly once you hear the fire alarm, but this does not mean all order goes out the window because this can put people in danger. By leaving in a fast yet orderly manner and refraining from pushing and rushing, everyone should be collectively safer.
6. Go to fire destination meeting point
Every workplace should have a fire destination meeting point, once you have left the building, you need to make your way here and be ready to follow the agreed procedure. This may include calling the emergency services, taking a register, and more.
7. Call emergency services
If this hasn’t already been done, call the emergency services.
8. Keep safe distance
Once these steps have been completed, you need to now keep a safe distance from the building and allow emergency services to do their job until instructed otherwise.
One Step Closer to Preparation
The ideas in this blog post should help you get one step closer to preparation in the event of a fire but are by no means in-depth enough for a complete fire safety guide. For the best results and safest protocol, you should consult Building Regulations Part B (Fire Safety) and work closely with the qualified professionals who are supplying your mezzanine floor.
Doity Engineering Ltd
If you’re in the market for a mezzanine floor, contact Doity Engineering Ltd today – we specialise in the revolutionary Revlok Mezzanine, which adheres directly o Building Regulations. You can call us on 01706 646971 or fill out our contact form to learn more.
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If you’re considering a mezzanine floor for your premises, get in touch with the team here at Doity Engineering. Our team are more than happy to discuss our products and solutions with you.