Insurer issues warning

8 million UK workers at risk as bosses fail to prepare staff for fire One in 20 Workers stops to pick up tea before leaving the building when fire alarm sounds Employers are putting millions of UK workers at risk as a result of lax fire safety warns leading insurer RSA. The firm’s latest research shows that a quarter of workers have never participated in a full fire evacuation of their workplace, despite government guidelines suggesting full drills be undertaken once a year. One in twenty UK workers also admitted their workplace had no marked fire exits at all. In addition, worker apathy is so bad that 6% of people questioned admitted they would stop to pick up a cup of tea or coffee when the fire alarm sounds before heading out of the building. The London Fire Brigade says each fire is unique, but that as a rule of thumb, it should take two and a half minutes to empty a building. Worryingly, one in ten workers said they sit at their desks for more than a minute before getting up to leave the building upon hearing the alarm go off, regardless of whether they believe there is a real fire or not. The average time that an employee waited before reacting to an alarm was 36 seconds. 42% of people also said they would spend time retrieving personal belongings or work documents before vacating the building. In October 2006 the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order transferred responsibility for fire safety from the Fire Service to business owners, but RSA says not enough is being done to ensure that businesses operate good fire safety practices in the UK. The Office for National Statistics shows that 282 people died in 2008 as a direct result of fire. RSA is calling for businesses to step up their behaviour, encourage all employees to take fire safety seriously and hold more regular fire drills. David Geer, Global UK Business Director at RSA, said, “Our research revealed a much higher level of apathy about fire safety among workers throughout the country than we had hoped. It is crucial in the case of fire safety that companies not only evacuate employees from the workplace quickly and efficiently in an emergency, but also make sure that staff are made acutely aware of fire safety procedures and the location of their nearest fire exit. “Businesses that do not take fire safety seriously are risking their employees’ lives and their livelihoods.”

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