London businesses urged to reassess fire safety protocols ahead of key LFB changes
Businesses across London are being strongly encouraged to revisit their fire safety measures following a significant policy shift by the London Fire Brigade (LFB).
From October, the LFB will no longer respond to automatic fire alarms in non-residential buildings during the day, specifically between 7:00 am and 8:30 pm, in an effort to reduce unnecessary strain on fire service resources.
This change will have significant implications for any business that relies on remote connections to an Alarm Receiving Centre. Consequently, fire risk assessments will need to be revised, and additional staff training is necessary to ensure appropriate response measures are in place in the event of a fire.
Businesses must inform employees to dial 999 in case of a fire during these hours, as there will not be an automatic response. Businesses, especially those reliant on Alarm Receiving Centres, will need to update their fire risk assessments and enhance staff training to ensure proper fire response measures are in place.
Key measures to take:
- Updating fire risk assessments and staff training to inform employees of necessary actions during alarms
- Training employees on the importance of calling 999 during a fire
- Implementing early identification systems for alarms to differentiate between false alarms and actual fires
- Ensuring regular maintenance of fire alarm systems to reduce false alarms
The LFB will still respond to automatic fire alarms during the night.