How safe are your business premises?
Recent changes to the legislation on Fire Safety Assessments have made it more important than ever to regularly check the condition of equipment at your business. Not doing so could lead to an unwitting failure to meet your health and safety responsibilities, the penalties for which include fines and even imprisonment in the event of an accident that leads to a fatality.
The key factors to address are as follows:
- Gas equipment and appliances - it's advisable to have these checked every 12 months by a CORGI-registered engineer
- Portable electric equipment (anything with a plug, from kettles to photocopiers) - the law requires all such equipment to be maintained, including regular testing and examination
- Fixed electronic systems - under the Institute of Electrical Engineers' Wiring Regulations, fixed installations should be checked every five years - although there are exceptions including fire alarms and emergency lighting, which need to be tested more often.
Contact one our commercial lawyers to discuss your health & safety responsibilities. In the meantime, it may be the right moment to check the competitiveness of your existing power suppliers. Visit www.uswitch.com to compare rates.
Call Tony Forster on 0117 9290451 or email tforster@metcalfes.co.uk
This press release summarises the law on issues which we believe may be of interest to your business. It is not a comprehensive review of the subjects and accordingly is published without responsibility for loss occasioned to any person(s) acting or refraining from action as a result of information published