News

March 23, 2023

The basics of how a burglar alarm works may seem obvious. An attempt to break in or steal from your property is detected, and an alarm sounds, alerting security staff or even the authorities. So why are we asking “how do burglar alarms work?”

Well, in the modern age there are actually a lot of different ways that they can work. When you are looking to have a security system such as a burglar alarm installed, you have a few different options. In this guide, we’re explaining how burglar alarms work and some of the choices you have.

March 16, 2023

We have relied on the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) for decades, in fact, the technology used dates back to the 19th century! The telephone exchange has allowed us to communicate for all of our lives, and though it is still used today, it has been superseded by newer technologies.

There is a switchover coming, and telephone lines that are fixed-line and not capable of VoIP will no longer be supported from 2025. This is about far more than making phone calls, though, a huge number of other services including alarms, gates, and more, have been designed and installed using the PSTN lines and other telephone services such as Integrated Services Digital Network (IDSN) lines and Wholesale Line Rental (WLR) lines. When these are no longer supported in 2025, those businesses who aren’t prepared are going to be disrupted.

March 9, 2023

A huge percentage of the UK’s workforce work in offices. There are 50,000 commercial premises in London alone, and a large number of these are offices.

While an office might not come with the same obvious dangers as some other buildings such as industrial units and factories, health and safety in the office in the UK is still absolutely crucial, and not something that should be ignored. Not only is it responsible to keep your staff and visitors safe, there are many legal restrictions and guidelines you have to meet.

In this guide, we’ve provided some of the key tips and principles you need to consider.

March 2, 2023

Fire sprinkler systems provide an extremely effective way to prevent the spread of fires and suppress potentially life-threatening situations. Though not a legal requirement in every situation, sprinkler systems are often the best option for a commercial business. They don’t come cheaply, which has led to many people asking the question “can I install my own fire sprinkler system?”

February 3, 2023

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 came into force in January 2023. In the wake of the Grenfell Inquiry, there have been many changes made to legislation to try and make residential buildings safer. The changes come in the form of regulations made under article 24 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (Fire Safety Order).

The Government’s website explains that “The Fire Safety Order applies to all premises including workplaces and the common parts of all multi-occupied residential buildings.” Already, there are restrictions and rules in place for commercial buildings, and the need to have a risk assessment completed and regularly updated, but this will mean that the responsibilities are much more clear.

Let’s get into what the new Fire Safety regulations mean, and some of the key takeaways and work that may now be required to stay compliant.

December 15, 2022

The compliance of your building is a huge consideration, and whether you are running a business on your own or you have a whole team of people involved, the responsibility will ultimately be yours. Our commercial kitchen compliance guide can help you to make sure you have thought about all of the different responsibilities of building compliance, with a particular focus on the kitchen.

December 6, 2022

The Building Safety Act of 2022 gained royal assent in April 2022 and introduced a variety of new considerations and responsibilities for the owners and operators of buildings. Both commercial buildings and residential buildings owned by commercial landlords are impacted, and the safety act has been introduced to improve health and safety, fire suppression, and other aspects of safety.

The act itself is pretty complex at over 250 pages in length. If you own a commercial building then it is definitely worthwhile taking the time to read this and better understand your responsibilities. You may be legally liable if your building compliance is not up to scratch.

In this guide, we’ve explored some of the key considerations for commercial buildings.

November 24, 2022

SFG20 is an amazing tool when it comes to PPM, and ensuring your business meets its compliance responsibilities. If you’ve visited the Robinsons Facilities Services blog before, you’ll know that we are advocates of planned preventative maintenance.

Servicing your business assets makes all the difference, whether you’re looking to expand the lifespan of your gas boiler or just make sure your air conditioning unit is running at its full potential.

October 13, 2022