The principle motivation behind fire safety systems is being prepared and having everything covered in terms of fire risks and fire hazards. Every business needs to have these systems in place whether it is in a commercial or industrial sector, but where significant fire risks are in evidence, a business needs to consider the ultimate fire surveillance system, and this is a waking watch system.
What is waking watch?
A waking watch system is where qualified personnel are deployed to carry out a constant fire safety patrol of a building and its surrounding premises. Having a visible and physical presence on a 24/7 basis ensures that a business has peace of mind that fire safety is being covered by an appropriate early warning system.
Waking watch can be applied to all sorts of buildings and premises where fire risks exist, such as patrolling all floors of a high-rise building, patrolling all annexe buildings where multiple buildings exist and patrolling all perimeter spaces surrounding a building. This gives the business suitable security in terms of fire safety and can also exist to support fire safety systems that are already in place, such as controls highlighted by a risk assessment, which can include fire alarms, fire extinguishers, emergency lighting and emergency evacuation procedures.
Where might waking watch be required?
While a waking watch system is appropriate for any type of business, there are good examples of where it is particularly suitable. These can include:
- During fire alarm system maintenance
It is essential that your fire alarm systems are regularly tested and maintained to ensure they provide 100% reliability, but problems do occur and there may be occasions where you cannot rely on your fire alarm system. This could be during routine maintenance, but also could be during longer periods if there is an electrical fault or other issues with the installation’s infrastructure. Equally, if you are replacing or upgrading your fire alarm system there will be a period of time during which you have no operational fire alarm cover. In such circumstances, a waking watch system will mimic the additional controls that a fire alarm system would provide under normal conditions, and ensures you are adequately covered until the fire alarm system is operational again.
- Event management
Businesses often have to hold high profile events which are very important from a commercial point of view. These could be conferences, exhibitions or product launches. In such circumstances a business may wish to safeguard an event space in the lead up to the event and for its duration, to protect high value stock or simply to ensure a high value and well-presented event space is safe and secure. In these circumstances a waking watch system can provide the temporary safety solution the business needs.
- Hot work
Hot work is classified as welding, gas cutting or brazing and is often undertaken when fabrication work is taking place or during construction of a building. Of course a business will be aware that hot work is taking place but it is common to implement additional control measures to monitor safety, particularly after hours when hot work has been completed but a fire risk still exists. Hot work is often undertaken on a temporary basis and in areas where no such work would normally take place, so it is important to ensure fire safety is sufficiently covered and a waking watch patrol is the ideal solution in such circumstances, so that an area can be routinely patrolled and passed as safe for a specified period of time.
This example can be extended to providing waking watch services where you know there is an additional or temporary fire safety risk. So hot work is one example, but this can also apply on occasions where flammable materials are being used or stored on site, where electrical problems exist or where unsafe cladding has been identified.
Professional waking watch services
First Response Group can deploy professional waking watch services to your business on a temporary, short term or permanent basis. We have the resources to react fast and deploy rapid solutions to ensure fire safety is sufficiently covered in your business, and our track record of reactive and effective waking watch services is what you need to safeguard your business and its people, so get in touch today.
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