Majority of fire safety professionals report increase in fire door wedging during pandemic

The survey, which was completed to gain an insight into how COVID-19 has impacted the fire safety industry over the last 12 months, highlights key themes such as the impact of financial pressure following the pandemic.

84% of the respondents have identified that financial pressure has made businesses less likely to carry out fire safety maintenance and improvements. One Health and Safety advisor said: “Fire will not stop for COVID-19. Employers still have an obligation to keep people and premises fire safe.”

Over the last 12 months, the COVID-19 pandemic has dominated the world with the disruptive nature of very necessary lockdowns and restrictions impacting day-to-day business right across the UK. Despite the turbulent year, the risk a fire poses to life and property remains unchanged.

A member company of the Fire Industry Association, Geofire is warning that businesses must continue to ensure that their fire safety regime is not only compliant, but also adapted to facilitate the added challenge of the ongoing pandemic. The report asserts that fire safety professionals believe there’s a lack of awareness in businesses around the importance of this subject, with 37% of respondents stating that infection control measures have had a negative impact.

Andy Collinson, CEO at Geofire, told Fire Safety Matters: “As a manufacturer of fire safety products, including fire door holders and closers, we wanted to conduct this survey to learn from others in the industry and raise awareness of the importance of ensuring fire safety compliance. This is even more important as lockdown restrictions ease and businesses and buildings across the UK begin to reopen, some of them for the first time in over a year.”

The survey results are based on responses from a range of people working within the industry, among them fire risk assessors, fire door auditors, Health and Safety advisors and fire safety consultants.

*Access the full survey report at www.geofire.co.uk/covid-19-and-fire-safety-report/