As an employer based in the UK, you naturally wish to devote your energies to what you do best - generating business or providing a service. At the same time, you need to keep the fire precautions in your premises in line with UK law and European Directives. However, unless you are familiar with the legislative framework covering fire safety - extending to more than 60 statutes and regulations - you could understandably find the task of discovering what you have to do to meet legal requirements time consuming.

For example, the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997 introduced a duty on employers (with a number of exceptions) to carry out a fire risk assessment of their premises. However, the regulations do not spell out which kinds of fire precautions are necessary to meet your particular risks because all premises present a unique set of risks which can be met in a variety of ways.

This is where Sealmaster's 'one-stop' approach can help. We can advise which, if any, statutory obligations apply to you and we offer a range of services - from an initial risk assessment survey and report to advice on the most cost-effective way of meeting the risks. Where necessary, we can arrange or any fire-stopping work to be carried out, for compliance certification to be issued and also for a maintenance option so we keep track of your legal obligations, changes in the use of your premises and so forth, on your behalf. You can choose parts of the service 'off the peg' or a complete package - tailored to your needs. The whole service is backed-up with Professional Indemnity Insurance, for your added peace of mind.

Risk Assessment is intended as a flexible approach to protecting you, your staff and visitors to your premises. The risks are determined by the features of your workplace (such as layout, size, access and compartmentation) together with the activities which take place there, the circumstances and the hazards. The structural integrity of walls, floors, fire door sets, glazing and so forth which make up a fire compartment must be maintained if a fire is to be successfully contained. Fire extinguishers and smoke alarms alone do not always meet this requirement.

• Fire door sets which are not self-closing or protected with fire and smoke seals.
  

• Fire doors and other apertures which have un-rated or unprotected glazing.
  

• The penetration of compartments by services (cables, ducts etc.) which are unprotected.
  

• Concealed voids (eg above false ceilings) enabling fire to bridge compartments.
  

• Insufficient documentation or fire safety training for staff.
  

• Inadequate signage.
  

Fire Extinguishers and other fire safety supplies can be purchased from FireWise.

If premises are subjected to a thorough check and do not meet the required standards, the penalties can be severe. Recently, for example, a company in Hertfordshire was fined £111,000 (including costs) for contravening the Fire precautions Act (1971).

Fires are more likely to visit tragedy on people caught unprepared - each year as many as 60,000 people are injured and nearly 1,000 die in fires throughout the UK. The human loss and traumatic impact of experiencing a fire close up cannot be quantified. The Home Office estimates that the total financial cost of fires in one year amounts to approximately £4.5 billion and a remarkably high proportion of businesses fail to re-open following a fire. However, the good news is that the right measures (often simple and inexpensive ones) can protect people, property, businesses and the communities which depend upon them.

• We can advise on which (if any) statutes or regulations apply to you.
  

• We can conduct a risk assessment survey of your premises. (A full report is provided.)
  

• Formal records (where required) can be provided for later reference.
  

• For premises which meet statutory requirements, we can provide a Certificate of Compliance which you can show to fire authorities, employees or customers to demonstrate that your premises are adequately protected against the risk of fire.
  

• For premises where fire safety precautions need to be upgraded, our report will identify the most cost-effective means of achieving this.
  

• Where fire-stopping work or alterations are required, we can arrange for this to be carried out in a way which fits in with your schedules, shift patterns etc.
  

• Once the safety precautions in your premises have been upgraded to meet required standards, we can re-inspect and issue a Compliance Certificate.
  

• Like other surveys, risk assessment surveys provide 'snap shots' instead of a 'moving picture'. The use of premises may change, the sorts of people using the buildings can vary and the enactment of new statutes or regulations can also add new statutory obligations. However, our maintenance option can free you from these worries. We can arrange periodic visits to your premises and an up-date on all new statutes and regulations which affect you.
  

• Our complete service is underpinned by Professional Indemnity Insurance.