Over half of construction workers don’t know how to react to a fire at work

New research has revealed that 51% of construction workers would not know what to do in the event of a fire at work.

Each year there are around 22,000 workplace fires around the UK, highlighting the importance of having adequate fire safety knowledge.

Only around a fifth of construction workers stated that they would know which fire extinguisher they could use to put out fires on different types of materials.

The study also found that 66% of construction workers don’t know their fire safety assembly point, and only around 6% have had a fire safety drill in their workplace during the past year. As well as this, barely over 25% would be able to state who the fire officers in their workplace are.

It’s not just for construction. Under UK fire legislation, all workplaces should have a fire drill at least once a year, more if your workplace is at high risk.

A fire drill is an important part of training for any workplace as it equips all staff with the knowledge of how to act when discovering a fire or reacting to a fire alarm.

A fire drill is an important tool for teaching your staff what to do in the event of a workplace fire. Drills should be held at least annually, and a record kept demonstrating that they were conducted.

If any staff in your company need to learn about how to improve fire safety, Aegis deliver the IOSH Fire Safety for Managers course.  This is a one-day course which gives managers and supervisors the knowledge and tools to reduce fire risk in the workplace whilst gaining a respected and internationally recognised qualification.

To find out more about our course, contact our team of experts here.