Why Fire Wardens deserve a Financial Incentive

It used to be the case that most companies gave a small financial incentive to their nominated Fire Wardens for doing their weekly duties on top of their main job role.  Nowadays it seems this is no longer the case.  From my own experience whilst consulting with businesses I have heard of 1 place that does this.  I’d like to think I would too.

 

Let’s dive into why I think you should give the incentive.  

We all know that if a fire starts it can quickly get out of control and become life threatening. As usual with all things Health and Safety it’s about being pro active and in this case ensuring a fire can’t start.  That’s where Fire Wardens come in with their weekly checks.

 

  1. They support your general housekeeping and electrical safety.

When going about their warden duties within their area of responsibility they will be getting a general overview of how clean and tidy the place is.  And what about those out of sight out of mind places e.g. behind equipment, underneath desks etc.

  • Rooms that aren’t usually occupied such as basements or attics where everything gets dumped. Quite often during training I hear stories of locked cupboards or storage rooms where only the maintenance man has the key. The Fire warden needs access.
  • Is there a build up of rubbish, harmful substances etc that typically wouldn’t be there or in those quantities.  
  • Question whether or not any items need throwing out.
  • Your protected routes will deserve particular attention. These are the main ways to get through the building inc the stairwells.
  • Anything out of the ordinary here must be logged and actioned.

Then all of your electrical equipment – does it need switched off?  Overloaded sockets? Condition of the plugs and wiring?

 

  1. What to check on a Fire Door?

These are essential to ensuring everyone gets out in time should you have a fire emergency.  Your Fire wardens must know what to look for on each door.  Check out the video for this.  The one thing I like about the video is they outline the importance of getting this activity logged.  If you do get an inspection by your local fire officer they will be very interested in the upkeep off your fire doors.  So impress them by logging all of your activity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKcO0CvcofA

 

  1. Fire Extinguishers and Fire Fighting Equipment

Fire wardens will check over each extinguisher with its general condition, whether or not it has been used and is it in its dedicated spot.   

This short video explains the key points for inspection of a fire extinguisher.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cB-qwMzKBU

 

  1. Emergency Lighting, Break Glass and Signage

Depending on what type of lighting you have in place will determine how it is checked.  Your Fire Wardens will need trained on how to do this.  And similarly with break glasses.  Train them on how to see if these work.  Usually simple devices will be used such as small metal keys.  Train your wardens on how to operate your Fire Panel too.  Ask your supplier to visit and gather all of your Fire Wardens to take part in the training.

 

  1. Equipment to support less able bodied persons.

Train your fire wardens and other staff if you have equipment such as evac chairs or ski sheets etc. They must feel competent to use the equipment and give confidence to the person needing this support.  Evac chairs are very tricky and usually when I conduct this training myself there are often people on the course who have no idea on how they are used.

 

During Staff meetings highlight the work they do and nurture support within the team.

Support your Fire Wardens

Let me give you some ideas on getting the best out of your Fire Wardens which will encourage them to ensure they complete their rounds and to the standard needed.

Top Tips to support Fire Wardens

  1. Training – Good quality e-learning but only once they have completed some face to face training and personally I would include training that uses Fire Extinguishers too. Vital if you have evac chairs. Talk to us about your Fire training needs. E: admin@duell-training.co.uk
  2. Monthly Staff meetings – Of course talk about your marketing strategy or how to increase your customer base but Health and Safety should always be on the agenda. This is your chance to highlight the value of your Fire Wardens. E.g. when doing their Fire Warden duties please don’t disturb them etc. Commending them on their efforts in front of the team etc
  3. Give your Fire Wardens a voice during team meetings – they can pick out good examples e.g. good housekeeping. And of course allow them to pick out any bad examples they noticed whilst completing their duties e.g. a propped open fire door.  Giving your Fire Wardens a voice will make them feel more valued. 
  4. Buy them a Hi Vis jacket with the words Fire Warden engraved on the back, in their favourite colour and hang it on the back of their chair. They wear this whilst completing their duties and this tells everyone else to “leave me alone, I’m doing a very important task right now.”
  5. A small area of responsibility will make it easier to do the job and as a result they will be more willing to do the job on schedule and to the Health and Safety standards expected. There should be no excuses. Of course you will need more Wardens.
  6. Make sure you give them the time to do the job. Too often it can be done after their shift ends with work commitments getting in the way etc. Set a day and time of day would be recommended as it then fits into their normal work pattern. It’s not an add on so to speak!!

Choose Wisely

If you know your team really well then there will be some obvious choices on who should be a Fire Warden and can handle the extra responsibilities described above.

  • Department heads would be ideal or their deputy. Consider, though, will they have the time on top of their day-to-day responsibilities.
  • If not the dept head and instead a member of the team, ask the dept head who they think will take the Fire Warden role seriously. Who has a natural interest in Health and Safety? Who in the team shows good standards in their day-to-day work?

Check the check

As a business owner you will have your own legal accountability and remember what we talked about earlier with choosing the right person to do the important job of keeping everyone safe from a fire starting out. 

But how do you know they are doing the job to the standards expected?  I mean they checked all of the boxes and according to that document everything looks safe but did they spend time taking a look under a colleague’s desk for overloaded sockets?  Do all of the Fire Doors shut 100%?  If the Fire Authority arrive at your premises will they leave happy?

This is where you come in.  I know you’re busy as a business owner but weigh up that against the safety of the building and the people in it.

I’d recommend checking their work when they start this role.  Try to shadow them and offer support.  Then each week do your own checks- small areas (for ease) and check another small area e.g. 1 floor at a time. Then check each month.  If you’re happy their paperwork matches “the look” of the building then check less often.  And remember those staff meetings when you’re highlighting all of the good work they are doing to the team? Hopefully they are showing that appreciation back by ensuring they do a thorough job.

 

Another aspect of the role of a fire warden would be to co-ordinate the fire evacuation if a fire did break out.  But with the right support from you, your fire wardens will be doing a cracking job with their regular fire checks, then there’s little chance a fire will start !!

 

Fire Wardens don’t just keep us safe from the dangers of fire and toxic smoke, they are the eyes and ears for other hazards too. our general cleanliness, slips, trips and electrical safety too!!

So, now will you put a financial incentive in their pay packet each month?  I hope I’ve convinced you!!   You’ll be getting your monies worth!!

 

We’d be happy to talk to you about your Fire Safety training needs E: admin@duell-training.co.uk 

1. Healthy Communication

Communicating openly and honestly when things are difficult may seem daunting to reduce work-life stress. But this is one of the best things you can do. Communicating with a friend, colleague, manager, boss or your direct mental health support team within your workplace can open many doors for you to receive the support you require.  In your workplace it could be the most simple things you are taking for granted that add to workplace pressures which in turn create tension in the body and in turn further annoy you creating a negative mindset.  Add to this any of your own personal issues and the increasing cost of living we are currently experiencing. You can see how easily it all adds up.  Remember, your work life IS important to you so it makes sense to talk about things work related.  And your personal life is surely of the utmost importance too.

What annoys you at work?

  • Your office chair doesn’t give you a good posture
  • The PPE you need to work safely doesn’t fit right
  • The equipment I use at work has been broken for some time

The list goes on…

Clearly the benefits are as follows:

  • Improving your work environment 
  • Support with work tasks 
  • More communication within the team

2. Deep breathing 

Deep breathing is a great exercise to help release tension in the body and mind, relax unwanted nerves, and help increase your energy levels.  There are strong studies that a person that has been practising breathing exercises can reduce their own pain levels too.   

This exercise is perfect for taking a moment to yourself to help clear your mind. Performing this exercise can be discrete and can be performed standing or sitting at your work desk!

How to perform this exercise:

  • Take a slow deep breath through your nose for five seconds 
  • Hold a deep breath for three seconds 
  • Slowly release your breath through your mouth for five seconds.

3. Prioritising work

Are you feeling stressed with your workload?

Do you feel like you won’t meet your deadlines? 

To avoid feeling overwhelmed at work, prioritizing work tasks is something we can do to help manage our day. 

Having a work schedule will highlight to your employer the work tasks you have planned. The benefits of this are:

  • Your employer will be able to see when you have planned to work on projects and will know when they will be completed by.
  • Your employer will to able to see your workload. This will prevent too much or too little work from being passed to you.

Benefits for you:

  • You will feel more organized
  • You will have a clear plan for your day
  • You will feel more flexible with your time.

Planning the working day/week reduces the risk of feeling overwhelmed and under pressure to meet deadlines.

Speak with your line manager/employer about a tool to use in the office to help you prioritize your work.

4. Take Lunch breaks 

We have all been there… 

Working through a lunch break is very tempting to have an earlier finish. But working through every lunchbreak, with no breaks during the day can be overwhelming and may cause:

  • Eyestrain
  • Fatigue 
  • Headaches 
  • Produce lower quality work 

Working with no breaks may cause stress. Here are some relaxing things to do during your lunch break:

  • Go for a walk 
  • Listen to music
  • Use that app on your phone with all of those relaxing sounds and put on your headphones.
  • Speak with friends 
  • Read a book 

Oh yeah – and remember those breathing exercises we just talked about !!

5. Eat healthy meals 

Eat well for mental health.

After a long day at work, it is very easy to order a takeaway. Studies have shown eating sugar and processed foods contributes to mood swings, anxiety, and depression. Now we aren’t saying ordering the odd Chinese will make you feel terrible the next day, but we do advise that eating a balanced diet with exercise will boost your mood and contribute to your work life.

For more information on mental health please visit Home – Mind

If a face-to-face in-person course isn’t right for you and your business, we also offer e-Learning courses you and your employees can complete at a time which is right for you!