I have lost count of the number of times I have carried out a Fire Risk Assessment only to find wooden pallets be stored outside. These pose a substantial risk to health, safety and fire.

Overnight there was a huge fire which spread to adjoining premises including a Children’s nursery which was all set to re-open its doors following the coronavirus outbreak. The cause of the fire was……. you guessed it wooden pallets.

The problem with wooden pallets is that they are often stored outside the premises and are easily accessible. This leaves them open to external factors and arson.

Due to the design of the pallets with the amount of airflow, once ignited they can burn ferociously. If there is a requirement to store pallets at your premises a good management plan and fire risk assessment is crucial to minimising your risk.

A Fire Risk Assessment and management plan would evaluate if there is adequate site security, especially around the site perimeter. Processes to keep pallets to an absolute minimum whilst still being able to perform operational duties. Assess and eliminate potential sources of ignition and an evaluation of the suitability of any storage arrangements. Storing them away from the building where possible. A news report with further information on the fire can be found on the BBC website here.

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