Dangerous substance reminder for businesses (Status: Press release)

OXFORDSHIRE County Council?s Fire and Rescue Service is urging local businesses to let them know if they are storing or using dangerous substances.
The plea follows two recent fires, which put fire crews, nearby residents and premises at risk of injury or damage and lead to considerable local disruption including road closures and safety cordons around the sites.

Legal obligation

Station Manager Bob Burrell, who attended both incidents, has reminded businesses they are legally obliged to inform the fire and rescue service about dangerous substances at their premises.

He said: ?The involvement of explosive gases, cylinders or hazardous materials will dictate how the fire and rescue service deal with these types of incidents.
“Our ability to rapidly assess the risks involved is essential to ensure the incident is effectively and safely resolved.”

Local businesses are required to provide information on work hazards and emergency arrangements to enable emergency services to prepare their response to an incident.

This information should be displayed at the premises unless the results of a fire safety risk assessment make this unnecessary.

Station Manager Burrell added: ?All employers, including the self-employed, should ask themselves if there are any structures, hazardous processes, explosives or highly flammable materials in or on their premises which could be hazardous to firefighters. If the answer is yes then please let us know.?

10-minute questionnaire

Businesses can provide the information by completing a questionnaire on the Government’s Fire Gateway website at LINK
which should take no longer than ten minutes.

Alternatively you can telephone the local area office of Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service or contact your local fire station directly.