Business Fire Safety Checks

Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service (GFRS) is committed to engaging with businesses across our districts to assist them reduce the risk of fire and comply with their obligation to keep people safe.

What is a Business Safety Check?

The Business Fire Safety Team work proactively with our firefighting crews to enable Gloucestershire Fire Rescue and Service (GFRS) to better protect people from harm and save lives. This also helps us as a service understand how we can further assist businesses reduce the number of false alarms and the potential economic impact if a fire was to occur.

By adopting recommendations resulting from the Grenfell Tower enquiry phase 1 we have been able to increase the understanding of the built environment of our operational crews. We have achieved this by carrying out a program of training to our firefighters in aspects of technical fire safety.

This has enabled us to extend our fire safety activities to include operational crews who carry out Business Fire Safety Checks on low risk simple commercial premises that do not involve sleeping. These include shops, offices and other small businesses. Fire Crews make appointments and visit local businesses and carry out these specific checks which are completed as part of their daily response activities.

By allowing crews to undertake this work it enhances their abilities to better understand the role that fire safety plays in the built environment whilst engaging with a greater number of regulated premises than we may otherwise be able to reach.

Fire crews have been assisting low risk premises during these visits by confirming adherence to fire safety law, offering advice where necessary and referring businesses to our Business Fire safety Team if more technical input is required.

Can I book a visit?

GFRS generate these visits as part of our risk-based inspection programme and as premises are selected you will receive a letter informing you of the visit from one of our crews, and when we are coming.

Unfortunately, you cannot book one!

Where can I get advice?

If you need fire safety advice or assistance for your business you must seek assistance from a competent fire risk assessor who will be able to help you with your responsibilities under fire safety law.

Our website is also full of information to make you aware of these responsibilities, some guidance and what you need to be doing!

Take a look at the Business Fire Safety Awareness Tool provided by the National Fire Chiefs Council to see how you are doing.