When designing the layout and materials you will use in your office space, you must ensure that it adheres to government legislation to help create a safe working environment. However, you can go above and beyond the legislative requirements to increase your office’s safety level to help protect it from fires, and there are many things you can do. Below you can see some options of things you can do and materials you can use that can help ensure your employees will have lots of time to evacuate should a fire break out in your office.
Install Fire Alarms & A Sprinkler System
You will need to have a fire alarm in a commercial building under UK law, but sprinkler systems ate not mandatory, but they are an excellent idea to include in your office space. You can get more of an idea of the different fire alarms you can use within your property by clicking here, and you may also want to install a sprinkler system. Many people are under the misconception that these are designed to put out fires when they are there to help prevent the fire from spreading too quickly.
Safety Protection For Your Walls
When you fit out the walls of your office space, consider using fire-rated plasterboard, which helps prevent a fire from taking hold too quickly. You can get plasterboard that is fire-rated for different amounts of time, from 30 minutes and more, and you need to remember it will not stop a fire but prevent it from spreading too quickly. There are various types of fire-rated plasterboard you can use when fitting out the office space that give you peace of mind and protection against fire.
Fire-Rated Ceiling Tiles
You can also choose to install fire-rated ceiling tiles in your office space when you have a suspended ceiling, and these can be effective should a fire start. Similar to plasterboard, you can get fire-rated ceiling tiles designed to last various times before they catch fire, and the more protection they offer, the more expensive the ceiling tiles will be. You should select ceiling tiles that look suitable for your office’s aesthetics and within your budget. Compare the different fire-rated ceiling tiles available and select the best ones for your office fit-out.
Fire-Rated Office Partitions
When your office space uses partitions to divide the space in it, you can also use fire-rated partitions to help protect your office against fires. One of the best options is fire-rated glass partitions, which will also maximise the natural light in your office, but other options are available if you prefer.
These are some measures you can take when designing the fit-out for your office space, but there are more things you can do. Ensure you have all your electrical items regularly PAT tested, keep all your electrical wiring in your office tidy, and ensure electrical items have enough ventilation. You can also arrange a safety inspection by professionals once your office is complete to assess it and tell you if there is anything more you can do to help protect it against fires.
