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Every workplace needs at least one person that is trained in fire safety. This means a person, or a team of people, who have been on a fire safety in the workplace training course and who is able to act as a fire marshal in an emergency. On such a training course, the person would learn how to identify and remove fire hazards as well as what to do if a fire broke out.

There are three important reasons why each and every workplace in the UK, and indeed all over the world, needs to have a fire marshal. These reasons include:

1. Following the law. It is a legal requirement to have a designated person in charge of fire safety on the premises at all times, and this person needs proper training.
2. Protecting people and preventing loss of life. Without someone overseeing fire safety in a workplace, carrying out a fire risk assessment and identifying potential hazards, your office could be a very dangerous place in which to work. What’s more, if a fire breaks out, you need someone who knows what to do and where to go, as well as how to use emergency equipment.
3. Preventing damage to property and buildings. As well as protecting people, your trained fire marshal can also help to prevent damage to property. For example, a person with fire safety training will spot that combustible material has been left near a source of ignition (i.e. paper left near to an electrical device) and remove it, potentially preventing the whole building from going up in flames.