Escape Route Unknown

Almost three out of ten SMEs have fire safety shortcomings, a fact revealed by the DEKRA Work Safety Report 2018/2019. According to a forsa survey conducted on behalf of DEKRA, many companies (28 percent) fail to conduct the regular fire safety training required by law. This training is designed to ensure that all employees know how to prevent fires, what they must do if a fire breaks out and where the life-saving escape routes are located.

• Many employees not trained in fire safety
• Preparation and training save lives if a fire breaks out
• DEKRA Work Safety Report 2018/2019 published

On behalf of DEKRA, the forsa institute surveyed a representative sample of 300 decision-makers from occupational health and safety and HR departments in companies of between 10 and 500 employees. At 14 percent of the companies surveyed, no fire safety training is provided at all. At a further 14 percent of the companies, the survey revealed that training is not provided on a regular basis.

“Correct preparation for fires can make all the difference between life and death,” said Dr. Karin Müller, Head of People & Health at DEKRA. “Anybody who does not know their escape route, for example, will be in grave danger if there’s a fire. Fire safety drills simulate an emergency that rarely occurs, but they should nonetheless be a matter of course – like fastening your seat belt in a car.”

Incidentally, if an employer neglects fire safety training, they are infringing the law (section 10 of the German Occupational Health and Safety Act; section 4 of the DGUV, Provision 1). The training covers what to do in the event of a fire – including raising the alarm, firefighting and evacuation. Employers must also raise awareness of how to avoid fires in the first place, for example by drawing attention to the dangers posed by electrical devices or candles in offices and demonstrating how fire doors work.

The new DEKRA Work Safety Report 2018/2019, which will appear in the next few days, highlights ways in which occupational health and safety could potentially be improved. The report focuses on key elements of occupational health and safety such as risk assessments – especially psychological risk assessments – and training obligations. After all, for DEKRA, “Vision Zero” – the goal of zero fatal accidents – applies to the field of occupational health and safety too.