From massive British fashion retailers like ASOS to British online grocers like Ocado Group – no retail business is completely safe from fire risks. From 2020-2021 around 1,075 fire service calls were made to retail premises in the UK, and as you can imagine, the damages caused by fire can be life-changing for companies, regardless of their size, forcing many to shut their doors for good.

Due to this, it is more important than ever to ensure that fire risks are mitigated at retail businesses since there are many potential hazards/risks that staff and management to be aware of. From electrical appliances malfunctioning to the build-up of waste packaging causes obstructions – we outline how to mitigate fire risks at your retail business below:

Invest In Automated Fire Protection Systems

One of the best ways to mitigate fire risks at your retail business is by investing in automated fire protection systems such as a fire sprinkler system, condensed aerosol fire suppression, gaseous fire suppression and other accessories.

As the name suggests, the purpose of automated fire protection systems is to minimise the amount of human interaction needed to control and extinguish fires, meaning that damage to essential machinery, equipment, and staff is significantly minimised.

Review and improve your automated fire protection systems by enlisting the services of companies like the LBS Group, which specialises in manufacturing, installing, and repairing various fire protection products.

Consider visiting their website to browse their entire fire protection range, look at their case studies, find out more information, and see how enlisting their services could help your retail business mitigate fire risks better today. 

Limit The Number Of People Allowed In The Store

If you look at your building’s fire codes, you will see the number of people allowed in the store at one time. This is outlined so that the fire department can access your store as quickly as possible or so a staff member can get to a fire extinguisher speedily and that the risk of anybody getting hurt in the panic to exit the building is minimised.

Since it would be challenging to keep tabs on the number of people in the store manually, you should use a people counting system that uses AI to calculate the number of bodies in the store and prevents access when the limit is reached. These can be used in just about any retail setting and provides other benefits to retail businesses like enhanced air quality, improved social distancing and much more.

Get Electrical Equipment Checked

One of the most common fire hazards in retail is worn-out electrical equipment, so to avoid one being started, it’s vital that you get the equipment checked regularly. It would be best if you aimed to get electrical equipment tested at least once a year to identify any potential issues before it becomes a bigger problem (or worse, a regret!). As well as carrying out these checks, senior employees should monitor electric cables and ensure they are not overloaded. This is another common cause of fires in retail properties.

 Photo by Jandira Sonnendeck on Unsplash