How to improve fire safety at your warehouse

What are the most common causes of fire?

Arson attacks – by an individual internally or external, a member of staff or a third party offender. 

Electrical faults – such as lighting, equipment or fuses

Charging of forklift trucks – improper use if rife and very dangerous

Flames, heat and sparks – Operatives and Contractors should be very careful and follow safety procedures when wielding naked flames

Heat-sealing equipment – often overlooked, shrink wrapping equipment is easily hot enough to start a fire 

Mechanical failure – machines need to be regularly supervised and assessed for faults when due

Heaters – unsuitable heating equipment such as portable heaters should either be banned or included in risk assessments and insurance policies

What are the warehouse procedures that help prevent fires?

• Keep goods a minimum of 50cm clear of lights.
• Luminaires and open lighting should not be positioned directly above stock. 
• Heating equipment should be 1 metre clear of storage and have guarding.
• Storage arrangements should provide adequate means of escape, very important in the case of a fire. 
• Hazardous materials such as flammable liquids, oxidising agents and aerosol products should be separated. They also need to be labeled according to the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations, and specifically included within your risk assessment. 
• Bins, skips and waste needs to be over 5 meters away from the property. We have seen claims disputed for this very reason, as bin fires are one of the most often seen dangers to premises concerning fire. (The policy terms often reads – “Where unavoidable such storage should be as far as practically possible from the building or other property with a minimum distance of 5 metres expected.”)
• Waste materials should be removed from the building at the end of working day. Because of how flammable waste can be, and the dangers of open flame in a warehouse, waste burning is to be prohibited.
• Smoking must be prohibited throughout the premises in accordance with smoke free legislation. External smoking enclosure or areas are commonplace at workplaces and warehouses – for further guidance read, HSE documentation
• Fuel and gas cylinders stored for handling machinery fuel should be kept secure, well ventilated and away from sunlight.
• Close of house procedures should include checks of all areas of the warehouse and any removal of any waste materials.
• Implement a Hot Work Permit system to help reduce the amount of hot work present in your warehouse.
• The use of shrink wrapping equipment and shrink wrapping guns deserve proper training. They need to remain well-maintained and suitable fire extinguishers need to be kept nearby.