Fire is one of the most dangerous and unpredictable elements. It threatens both people and property. That is why prevention and the use of all possible safeguards in the event of a fire are so important. This also applies to workplaces where the owner is responsible for the safety of employees. Its duties in this respect are determined by health and safety and fire protection regulations.

Like most of the employer’s obligations, also those related to fire protection in the company are included in the regulations. In this area, the most important is the Act of 24 August 1991 on fire protection. It contains provisions concerning, inter alia, ensuring the safety of employees in the event of fire and creating the possibility of evacuation. These objectives can be achieved by designating persons responsible for specific tasks. These are, for example, taking care of and managing the keys to emergency exits, taking care of firefighting equipment and its good technical condition, or planning and organizing training in the field of evacuation.

The Act also defines the employer’s obligations regarding the method of preparing the building for rescue operations, m.in by indicating the persons responsible for this aspect of protection. The recommendation is to designate at least two people per floor in a one-shift system and two people per shift in a two-shift system. Their statutory duties include:

• gaining knowledge about the principles of evacuation and fire protection by participating in appropriate trainings,
• having a business phone.

Information about persons responsible for fire safety. should be placed in visible places (usually at first aid points) and publicly announced by the employer. He should provide data such as: name and surname, business telephone number and place of work. This information should also be provided to persons cooperating with the plant or performing other tasks on its premises (e.g. renovation team, external cleaning service).

Fire protection regulations the plant also contains the Labor Code. These include, among others, mandatory training of employees in the field of health and safety and fire protection. and identifying fire hazards in the company and creating appropriate schemes of conduct.

Fire-fighting equipment, apart from preparing employees through training, is the most important element of fire protection. However, it is not about him being on the company’s premises at all. It is important to properly select it for the type of hazards prevailing in the plant, as well as proper placement. You can not forget about technical efficiency – you should check at least once a year. An example of equipment that should be properly selected for the place are fire extinguishers.

What other extinguishing equipment should be in the workplace is determined by the profile of its production and the specificity of the fire hazard. According to the regulations, it should be adapted to these aspects. However, this applies not only to portable devices, as indicated by the Regulation of the Minister of the Interior and Administration of 7 June 2010 on fire protection of buildings, other buildings and areas. The equipment should include:

• extinguishing devices,
• extinguishing units,
• internal hydrants equipped with fire hoses,
• fire and thermal blankets.

Handheld fire-fighting equipment should be located throughout the plant, in visible, publicly accessible and well-marked places. Most often it is arranged at the entrances to buildings, in corridors and staircases. In addition, for every 100 m2 of the building, there should be 2 kg of extinguishing agent, and the distance from anywhere in the building to the location of the equipment must not exceed 30 m.

Source: https://www.seka.pl/regulacje-przeciwpozarowe-w-miejscu-pracy/

Projekt otrzymał dofinansowanie z Norwegii poprzez Fundusze Norweskie 2014-2021, w ramach programu „Dialog społeczny – godna praca”.