06 November 2015 | Updated 01 January 1970
Arson remains the largest single cause of fire in England and Wales and research has estimated that the overall annual cost of arson to the economy in this area is around £2.53 billion.
In an average week in England, arson results in:
The security arm of the Facilicom Group, Trigion Security which provides static guarding, mobile patrol, keyholding, alarm response services and technical security, is recommending all people responsible for buildings take the following commonsense steps, especially during November:
Assess the risks – Many arson attacks are opportunistic so any property can be at risk. Schools, unoccupied buildings, places of worship and animal research establishments are the most frequent targets. A risk assessment should be carried out whatever your businesses type.
Make colleagues aware – All colleagues must be aware of the threat of arson and encouraged to report any suspicious behaviour.
Locking up – Make sure everything is safely closed and secure at the end of the working day.
Ensure that any potential fuels or accelerants have been securely stored and that all colleagues and visitors have left the building.
Activate fire and security protection systems.
Good repair
Buildings should be kept in good condition and any potential access points made as secure as possible:
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Gaps around external doors and windows should be sealed wherever possible.
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Letterboxes should have metal containers fitted on the inside to reduce the danger of fire spreading if a firework is put through them.
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Any unused letterboxes should be permanently sealed.
Security
To combat the threat of arson, the following security measures should be considered:
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Access control.
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Intruder alarm.
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Manned guarding.
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Perimeter fencing.
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Remotely monitored CCTV.
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Security lighting.
Damage to property is a main concern for FMs but the human cost has also to be considered. In the last decade there have been around 2.3 million deliberate fires resulting in over 25,000 injuries and over 900 deaths.
Picture: November tends to be a bad month when arsonists are busy but simple measures can be taken to prevent the huge damage to buildings and risk to life
Article written by Robin Snow | Published 06 November 2015
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