Strike information for businesses

Strike update (4 Nov 2010)

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) have called off the strike planned for the bonfire night weekend. See the press release.

During the period of industrial action London Fire Brigade may not be able to respond to fire safety enquiries within our normal timescales. It remains the responsibility of employers and other premises occupiers to comply with fire safety law; information on how to achieve this, and more general fire safety advice, can be downloaded below in related documents.

What you can do to reduce calls to us

There are a number of things you can do to reduce calls to the fire service and the risk of fire occurring. Taking these measures will also ensure you are protecting your business and staff.

If your fire alarm operates during any period of industrial action please react as follows:

• Immediately the fire alarm sounds, put into action your normal evacuation routine.
• Unless it is obvious that there is a fire, investigate the source of the alarm to establish if it is a fire or a false alarm.
• If you are certain that there is no fire and no suspicion of a fire then the building should be reoccupied. Under these circumstances, do not call the fire brigade. If, during the investigation, a fire is discovered or there is a smell of burning or smoke that cannot be accounted for then dial 999 and ask for the fire brigade.
• To prevent any unnecessary disruption, please ensure that any known problems resulting in false fire alarms are corrected so that there is a high degree of confidence that fire alarms that do occur are genuine.

Lift calls

If you have lifts in your building you should 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 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.

Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 places a legal requirement upon employers and persons with responsibility for premises. These responsibilities and safety measures are designed to protect life regardless of fire service intervention. It is, therefore, essential to ensure that all existing fire safety provisions are in place and effective. Directors, Senior Managers and Health & Safety Managers will want to ensure the following are being considered:

• Check business continuity plans;
• Check the effectiveness of existing fire precautions;
• Check staff are fully aware of fire and evacuation procedures;
• Take appropriate steps to enhance staff vigilance;
• Review arrangements for calling the emergency services;
• The need for additional staffing or patrols.

For more detailed information, download the document for businesses below. 

Related documents

Advice to business and other premises on actions to take before and during a strike in the fire service ( PDF, 77.1KB)