Fire service call for safety training for seasonal staff

SEASONAL staff need proper training in fire safety, South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue has warned.

Businesses have been urged to make it a priority when hiring extra workers for the festive period.

The retail and service industry are among the sectors expected to begin taking on thousands of temporary staff on the coming weeks.

And fire officers say safety knowledge should be a key part of their initial training.

SYFR technical fire safety manager Amy Jenkinson said: “A fire in a business can put staff and customers’ lives at risk and damage stock and premises and make it impossible for a company to carry out its day-to-day work.

“We know that many businesses will be starting to take on temporary employees now. All we ask is that they deliver training in some basic fire safety procedures, like keeping fire escapes clear and making sure alarm systems are working properly.

“This can help businesses avoid serious incident and help ensure they comply with the law.”

SYFR has tackled more than 500 non-domestic fires in the past three years.