When it comes to health and safety, we know many businesses take their obligations very seriously. Ensuring there are plenty of escape routes from a building in case of emergency is just one of those, and the companies we visit are often very proud of the fact that they ensure no obstructions, clear signage and full training in case there ever is an evacuation. But when we take a look at their external fire escape routes, we find weeds, overgrown bushes and plants, and even dumped green waste that makes evacuation all but impossible. So today we’re asking you – is your fire escape route really safe?
Your Obligations As An Employer
Legally, employers are required to make sure the premises they are operating from has adequate fire detection, prevention and escape measures in place. This includes doing risk assessments, educating staff about the procedures, putting appropriate fire safety measures in place and planning for an emergency.
The law also says that your evacuation plans must include clear passageways to all escape routes, which should be checked daily for obstruction. Fire exit doors should never be blocked from the outside, which includes unpassable vegetation or plants that could potentially cause harm, like thorns. This is the element of fire safety planning that many businesses forget, especially if they are leasing offices and aren’t sure who is responsible.
Why Do Fire Escape Routes Get Blocked?
A fire escape route is usually found at the side of the back of a building, with access going up to all floors. This is usually a combination of a design choice to keep the front of the building looking smart, as well as a security measure to prevent an obvious access point to the building. It also ensures that fire escapes don’t lead directly into car parks or muster points, which can cause chaos in an evacuation.
The problem with this is that they become ‘out of sight, out of mind’. So they aren’t checked as often as they should be, and are generally just left to go wild. Since they are often close to the boundaries of the property, hedges, trees and weeds are in a prime position to take over. Weeds can easily grow over paving to create a major slip hazard during panicked evacuations Trees and rubbish can obstruct a clear escape and cause delays in getting away from the building, and cause a lot of injuries in the process.
Yes, sometimes fire escapes are even used as a dumping spot, since they are hidden out of the way and so no one will see the mess. Even if you only plan on leaving that palette there until tomorrow, it causes an obstruction to the fire escape route – plus how often do you actually go back to move things like that?
What Can You Do About It?
The very first thing you can do is check your fire escapes for debris and weeds. If they are clear, then that’s a great sign, and you’re doing all the right things. If you walk up and see overgrown hedges, weeds creeping up the fire escapes, rubbish or broken bits of concrete dumped to the sides, then you have some work to do.
Hiring a grounds maintenance company is a great way to stay on top of this obligation without having to take time out of your day every few weeks to manage it. A grounds maintenance company can do the initial clearance, removing the debris and weeds, cutting back hedges and trees, and making sure the space is clear, tidy and easy to access. They can then include maintenance of the fire escapes in their regular visits, so you can be confident that your escape routes are unobstructed should you need to use them.
At Pod Landscapes we actually go one step further than this. Once we have cleared the overgrown vegetation and debris from the fire escape route, we spray the area with specially formulated weed killers to prevent the overgrowth from coming back. We hold PA1, PA6 and PA152 certifications, so we can apply these pesticides safely even near water, providing maximum protection for your business and local wildlife. We can also deal with moss on your fire escape paths, which is a serious slip hazard and will lose you points on a risk assessment. Our moss machine is specifically designed to clean away even the most stubborn moss using no water or harsh chemicals, in a fraction of the time a power washer would take.
If you’re leasing an office within a larger office building and you notice the fire escape is overgrown, then it is your responsibility to report it to the building manager. Once aware, they are obligated to get it cleared and make it a safe, useable space again.
In either case, having these fire escape routes clear will be a big tick in your Fire Risk Assessment, and make sure you’re keeping everyone in your business safe.
At Pod Landscapes we provide professional grounds maintenance services to businesses and large residential homes, including the removal and management of overgrowth and weeds from fire escape routes. We believe that safety should be a number one priority, and by removing the growth and preventing further weeds, we are helping business owners fulfil their health and safety obligations to the best standard possible. If your fire escape is looking overgrown, or you would like to discuss a maintenance plan to keep your grounds tidy, just get in touch with the team for a free consultation.
