Fire Safety Training and why it's needed...

Fire safety at work: Don’t let Anna be your business’s biggest embarrassment

Think about this. A fire breaks out at your workplace. A few moments of panic, damage, maybe someone gets hurt, your stock ruined, business shut down for a while… It’s not just Anna who’d be in trouble. Your reputation, your finances, maybe your whole business could go up in smoke. So let’s talk fire safety; why it matters, what the law says, and how having trained fire marshals can mean the difference between 'just another incident' and 'catastrophic loss'.

Fire facts & UK stats to make you sit up!

• In 2023/24 there were about 7,000 workplace fires recorded in the UK.

• The average cost of a fire to a UK business is around £78,000, covering things like damage to property, loss of sales, damaged stock, equipment etc.

• For bigger incidents, costs can run much higher: some major UK fire incidents see losses averaging £657,074 per case. For many small or medium businesses, that’s existential.

• More broadly, the economic and social cost of fire in England in 2019-20 was estimated at £12 billion annually (that’s not just business damage - also injuries, deaths, disruption and public services involvement)

Even though the frequency of workplace fires has declined somewhat over the past decade, the risk remains real. One spark, one electrical fault, one poorly maintained appliance — and suddenly you're one of the statistics.

What UK law says: your responsibilities

Okay, so what laws and regulations do you need to know? Here are the basics:

• Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO): This is the central piece of legislation for England & Wales. It requires the “Responsible Person” (usually the employer or someone with control over the premises) to carry out fire risk assessments, put in place fire safety measures, maintain them, and ensure people know what to do in fire emergencies.

• Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974: More general than just fire, but requires employers to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of all employees. Fire safety naturally falls under that umbrella.

• Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992: These set requirements around things like escape routes, doors, lighting, maintenance, cleanliness, etc. Some of these overlap or reinforce what the RRO demands.

• Employers must also ensure evacuation plans, fire detection & warning systems, emergency lighting, safe exits, training for staff.

Failing to comply isn’t just morally wrong — it can lead to legal penalties, hefty fines, and even a business being shut down. Insurers might refuse claims if standards weren’t met. The knock-on effects (employee injury, damaged reputation) can last much longer than rebuilding a wall or replacing damaged goods.

The value of a trained Fire Marshal - more than just a badge

Having a trained fire marshal (or fire warden) in your workplace isn’t just ticking a box. It can massively reduce damage — and possibly save lives. Here’s how:

• Quick action: Someone who knows where extinguishers are, how alarms work, what the escape routes are can act immediately. Every second counts in a fire.

• Evacuation leadership: People panic. A marshal gives calm, clear direction, helps prevent stampedes, ensures everyone gets out safely.

• Regular checks: Fire marshals can help with routine inspections (fire doors, escape routes, equipment), spotting hazards before they escalate.

• Training others: They can help train and guide other employees, so everyone knows what to do (not just in theory, but in practise).

  
  

Tips to keep your workplace from becoming “that one on the news”

To wrap up, here are practical, friendly tips to make your fire safety stronger:

1. Do a fire risk assessment — and review it whenever something changes (new machinery, layout changes, staffing changes).

2. Clear escape routes & emergency exits — always accessible, clearly marked, unobstructed.

3. Maintain fire detection & suppression systems — alarms, sprinklers, extinguishers, emergency lighting. Test them regularly.

4. Train everyone — not just marshals, but all employees. Fire drills, instructions, knowing assembly points.

5. Make your fire marshal(s) real heroes — give them training, authority, let them lead drills, allow them to spot and fix hazards.

6. Prepare for business continuity — have a plan for if fire damages part of your business: where will operations move, how will you communicate with customers, how will you recover lost data or stock?

   
   

Why you really can’t afford to ignore fire safety

Because in the end, the cost isn’t just about money. Injury, loss of life, trauma, reputational damage… these effects can last a lifetime. And for many businesses, one major fire is all it takes to close for good.

So take fire safety seriously. Make sure 'Anna' (and everyone else) has the best chance of walking away safe, your business stays standing, and you don’t end up telling customers you’ll be back 'once the ashes cool down'.

Stay safe. Be prepared. Get your fire marshals trained. Because a fire might start with one spark — but with the right preparation, it doesn’t have to end in disaster.

If you like, I can pull in some recent UK case studies of companies affected by fire to make the blog even more vivid.

Case Studies: When fire hits home (or the workplace)

1. SHS Handling Solutions (Brackley, Northamptonshire)

When fire tore through SHS’s headquarters, their worst fears seemed justified — their on‐site server, vital for everything from order processing to stock control, was threatened. Fortunately, brave firefighters rescued the server, and Flywheel’s disaster recovery team swung into action. They got operations back online the same day, using a backup site and remote access, so customer orders, employee tasks, and business services suffered minimal disruption.

What we can learn:

• Having a robust disaster recovery plan (off-site backups, remote working/alternative site options) can make all the difference.

• The speed of response (both from emergency services and internal systems) is crucial. Delay means lost revenue, lost customer trust, a damaged brand.

  
  

2. Ski Warehouse: Massive stock loss avoided

An electrical fault in a delivery vehicle at a large warehouse used by Ski Warehouse led to smoke damage across the dispatch area and contamination throughout major parts of the building. The warehouse housed about £14.5 million worth of high-end ski clothing and gear. The initial assessment was that most stock will need writing off. But specialist restoration experts were brought in; they managed to save the majority of stock and equipment, eliminating smoke odour and reverting everything back to pre-incident condition.

What we can learn:

• Smoke damage and contamination can be just as destructive (or worse) than fire itself.

• Early, specialist restoration/cleanup can salvage a great deal and reduce the financial blow.

• Having insurance and trusted restoration partners helps hugely.

  
  

3. Hampshire furniture factory destroyed

This one’s less of a 'near-miss' and more of a full on disaster. A family-owned furniture business on a busy industrial estate in Hampshire was completely destroyed by a severe blaze. The factory, along with a neighbouring tenant, was lost.

What we can learn:

• Insurance, evacuation plans, fire suppression systems are not optional. If fire takes hold unchecked, it can obliterate physical infrastructure.

• The wider ripple effect (jobs, community, supplier chain) often gets overlooked until it’s too late.

  
  

4. Kilmarnock, Scotland — Victoria Buildings / King Street Fire (2025)

In July 2025, a large fire ripped through Victoria Buildings, a central building on King Street in Kilmarnock. The blaze destroyed or badly damaged several businesses — one national retailer (Bonmarche) was lost, along with smaller local shops, cafes, and services. Roads were closed, businesses couldn’t open, incomes were lost. East Ayrshire Council set up a recovery fund to help.

What we can learn:

• Even if your own premises are safe, you might suffer from adjacency or local disruption (roads closed, customers blocked, supply routes cut).

• Local government and emergency support funds can help, but they don’t always cover all losses (especially intangible ones).

• Being insured doesn’t always immediately translate into recovery; business continuity planning is necessary so you can resume trading quickly.

Adding these to the bigger picture

We already know from recent UK stats that:

• The average loss for a major fire incident (in terms of damage, business disruption etc.) is ~£657,074. That’s a serious chunk for smaller enterprises.

• Workplace fires are still frequent: 2023/24 saw about 7,000 in England alone.

  
  

These cases highlight the importance of fire safety, training and preparation

Putting case studies alongside the stats makes one thing obvious: A fire doesn’t just burn walls, it burns opportunities, jobs, sometimes entire businesses. But in many of these cases, the damage was worse because certain safeguards weren’t in place, or they weren’t effective enough.

By contrast, when there are trained fire marshals, robust fire risk assessments, disaster recovery plans, and swift action, a business has a much better chance of surviving the blaze, not just physically, but commercially.