Industrial Action By the London Fire Brigade

Information for Commercial Policyholders

The temporary withdrawal of the London Fire Brigade Service is obviously of concern for all of us.

During the period of industrial action London Fire Brigade may not be able to respond to any fire safety enquiries within their normal timescales. It remains the responsibility of employers and other premises occupiers to comply with fire safety law.

It is therefore reasonable to assume that we all will face the possibility of increased damage, disruption and cost as a result of this action.

For peace of mind, Insurers confirm that the withdrawal of Fire Brigades cover, in itself, will not invalidate an insurance policy, however it is in all policyholders interests to take precautions to minimise the possibility of an incident occurring and subsequently limit the damage and disruption that will follow.

Some worthwhile precautions for policyholders to consider follow:

• Review security protections and improve them if required
• When business is closed, make sure all points of entry to the premises are closed and secure
• If possible, switch off all electrical equipment at the mains when not in use
• Keep premises as tidy as possible, in particular avoid accumulation of combustible materials
• Enforce any ‘No Smoking’ rules within the demise
• Take special care when using any naked flame, and check for signs of any combustion half an hour after any work of this type has finished
• If possible, defer any non-essential hazardous work or activities until after the industrial action has finished
• If possible, defer any non-essential maintenance and impairments of automatic fire protection systems until after the industrial action is finished
• Prepare, and keep by the telephone, detailed instructions about the premises location(s) and how to get there. It is possible that emergency personnel may be unfamiliar with the local area
• Ensure that employees are not exposed to any additional hazards or dangers
• In these circumstances response to Automatic Fire Alarm activations cannot be guaranteed. Insurers strongly recommend that you contact your alarm receiving station to review their keyholder contacts and ensure that such keyholders are aware of the need to contact the emergency services separately.
• If you have lifts in your building ensure that, in the event of a lift becoming stuck, clear advice is available on how to contact the responsible maintenance company. Details should be made available in the lift and where the alarm calls are received in the building. Calls to the fire service should only be made if persons in the lift are at immediate risk or in sufficient distress to require the attendance of an ambulance

More detailed guidance and up-to-date information is available via:-

www.london-fire.gov.uk/InformationForBusinesses.asp