• (Taking into account the nature of his activities) take all reasonable steps to coordinate the measures he takes to comply with the requirements and prohibitions imposed on him by or under this Order with the measures the other responsible persons are taking to comply with the requirements and prohibitions imposed on them by or under this Order and, • Take all reasonable steps to inform the other responsible persons concerned of the risks to relevant persons arising out of or in connection with the conduct by him of his undertaking”. 22 (2). • “ Where two or more responsible persons share premises (whether on a temporary or a permanent basis) where an explosive atmosphere may occur, the responsible person who has overall responsibility for the premises must coordinate the implementation of all the measures required by this Part to be taken to protect relevant persons from any risk from the explosive atmosphere”. Why business continuity planning is required Research suggests that almost 1 in 5 businesses suffer some sort of disruption every year, be it fire, flood, or other emergency. 25% of those businesses never re-open. Business continuity provides a planned response and puts in place measures to reduce interruption and minimise losses. Having a plan can make your business more attractive to customers as many now require suppliers to have a business continuity plan. Additionally, a business continuity plan may reduce your insurance premiums. A good plan will outline the responsibilities and actions of staff and highlights the risks most likely to affect the business Fires pose a risk to most businesses. By testing the plan, staff can become familiar with what may be required and give input to improvements that may benefit the business. Review of the plan should ensure that changes to staff, suppliers or external factors can be included. A business continuity plan is a living document and needs to be regularly reviewed and tested. A business that has planned for a crisis is more likely to survive than a business who says, ‘it won’t happen to me’. Mitigation measures to minimise the environmental impacts of a fire There are a large variety of hazardous agents that are released during a fire. These include general metals, particulates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) chlorinated dioxins and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These agents likely to impact the water courses and soils in the area of the fire. The smoke plume created from the fire is the largest contributor to potential air contamination. Run-off resulting from the large quantities of water or foam that may be used during a fire should be contained and treated prior to the water entering and disrupting nearby water ways.
©SHEilds – All rights reserved FCV 4 JUN 2021
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