1st: New Year’s Day

• With the holiday celebrations drawing to a close, make it your New Year’s resolution to practice improved fire safety throughout 2020.

1st – 31st: Dry January

• After the excesses of the festive season, many people like to take part in “Dry January” for health benefits, to save money and to re-evaluate their relationship with alcohol. Research suggests that nationally more than 50% of fire fatalities within the home involve drink or drug-related behaviour.

25th: Chinese New Year

• Chinese new year is the most important celebration in the Chinese calendar, but with any celebration comes an increased risk of fire. Also known as the Spring Festival, Chinese New Year marks the end of the coldest days and is an important celebration across Asia. Fireworks are a huge part of the celebrations to fend off monsters, according to legend.

3rd February: Government Relaunches Fire Kills Campaign in 2020

• On the 3rd of February 2020, the government relaunched the ‘Fire Kills’ campaign. The campaign aims to re-establish the dangers of fire and the importance of staying vigilant in your home. Combining videos and text, the campaign provides key statistics, information and advice regarding house fires in the UK.

22nd February: World Thinking Day (Guides and Scouts)

• The birthday of Scouts and Guides founder Robert Baden-Powell, this date is used each year to celebrate and acknowledge the practices of Guiding. Among those badges on offer is the much-coveted fire safety badge!

3rd March: World Hearing Day

• World Hearing Day is held on the 3rd of March each year to raise awareness of the needs of people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Take a look at our Help and Advice centre to learn more about planning fire evacuation procedures for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

8th March: International Women’s Day

• Better the balance, better the world. Driving for gender parity across the world, International Women’s day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.

11th March: No Smoking Day

• No Smoking Day is an annual awareness day to help smokers who want to quit smoking and raise awareness of the dangers of smoking. 

21st March: Disabled Access Day

• Navigating public transport, towns, cities and tourist attractions can be very difficult for people with disabilities. The purpose of Disabled Access Day is to encourage people to try something new, with events and activities set up to raise awareness and create opportunities to try a new activity or visit somewhere new. Today could be an opportunity to consider how you may improve your fire evacuation for wheelchair users.

20th March: First Day of Spring

• With the winter months leaving us, the first day of spring is typically a day for cleaning and clearing up the home. Take this opportunity to remove dust from ventilation areas and smoke alarms, and make sure that any build-up of waste is not causing a fire hazard!

29th March – 4th April: Family Safety Week

• Spearheaded by charity, RoSPA, Family Safety Week is about highlighting accident prevention and helping parents and caregivers provide a safe environment for kids to grow up in.

29th March: Clocks go Forward

• As per the manifesto of the Tick Tock Campaign – changing your clocks means checking the batteries in your smoke alarms. Get into the habit of combining both tasks.

20th – 26th April: Drowning Prevention and Water Safety Week

• Drowning is one of the leading causes of accidental death in the UK, with the fire service attending a number of call-outs to water safety incidents every year. Drowning and water safety week aims to make people safer by making them aware of the risks and dangers of water. 

28th April: Health and Safety at Work Day

• Held annually in April, Health and Safety at Work Day does exactly what it says on the tin. Raising awareness for the potential hazards and risks present in workplaces up and down the country, there is a heavy focus on fire safety. Check out these 6 top fire protection tips in the workplace. 

28th – 30th April: The Fire Safety Event

• Independently run, The Fire Safety Event is dedicated to supporting the fire and safety industry with over 400 exhibitors and 6,000 visitors.

29th April – 5th May: Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week

• Known, for good reason, as the “silent killer”, carbon monoxide and its dangers are not acknowledged nearly enough. This week aims to raise the awareness needed to change that.

2nd May: Firefighters’ Memorial Day

• Firefighter’s Memorial Day, commemorating the bravery of those who have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty and offering support to bereaved families.

16th-22th May: National Safe Boating Week

• With the lighter nights and warmer weather, those who love to be on the water will already be planning their expeditions. National Boat Safety Week is recognised by local fire services who will be on hand to offer free safety advice.

18th-24th May: National Sprinkler Week

• National Sprinkler Week will focus on ensuring the public understand what sprinklers are and how to effectively use them. The campaign also aims to raise awareness of how sprinkler legislation differs across the UK. 

19th-21th May: FireX International 

• Showcasing the latest advances in fire safety, FIREX is a gold mine of information for those working in the facilities sector and other safety-conscious fields.

May 25th – June 31st: National BBQ Month

• May is often the earliest opportunity to get out the BBQ in the UK, so National BBQ Month is a good opportunity to brush up on those al fresco dining fire safety tips.

1st – 7th June: Child Safety Week

• An annual event held in June, Child Safety Week is the perfect opportunity to get the younger generations up-to-speed with the basics of fire safety, such as the fire triangle.

8th – 14th June: Carers Week

• An annual campaign to highlight the challenges carers face and to recognise the contributions they make to communities across the UK.

1st-31st July: Summer

• With the summer comes a host of activities that require fire safety consideration. From festivals to garden parties and all other forms of outdoor gatherings of people; keeping the fire triangle in mind and watching out for potential hazards is a must to ensure that the fun doesn’t turn into a disaster.

2nd July: I Forgot Day

• There are many contributing factors to forgetfulness such as stress, age, illness, however, today is a good chance to make sure that those little tasks that are easy to forget such as checking batteries in your smoke alarm, do not remain forgotten.

31st: Summer Bank Holiday

• August bank holiday? For many, that means BBQ time. Yet 3 months on from National BBQ Week, it might be time to refresh that fire safety knowledge to keep everyone safe over the holiday weekend.

31st August – 6th September: Chimney Fire Safety Week 

• This year marks the 11th Chimney Fire Safety Week. Each year, there are thousands of chimney fires, many of which are avoidable with regular maintenance and following best practices.

7th- 13th September: NFCC Business Safety Week 

• Business Safety Week promotes the necessity for effective fire safety training, fire warden training and fire risk assessments to be carried out at all companies, supporting businesses in complying with the law and keeping staff and visitors safe.

14th-20th September: Gas Safety Week

• Organisations across the UK will be working together to help raise awareness of the dangers of gas appliances that haven’t been properly maintained.

21st-27th September: Fire Door Safety Week

• The importance of passive fire resistance in any building cannot be understated and Fire Door Safety Week aims to raise awareness for the crucial part that this equipment plays in saving lives and property from the devastating effects of fire.

28th September – 4th October: Home Safety Week

• Focussing on detection around the home, the National Fire Chiefs Council asks people to look at the detection safety systems for their homes. A smoke detector on each floor should be the bare minimum with CO2 detectors and heat detectors now widely available for householders to consider.

14th-20th October: Candle Fire Safety Week

• Candles offer a warm glow and that lovely warm feeling on an autumn evening. However, candles also cause many fires in homes across the country. Resources for candle fire safety are on hand for those who enjoy the warmth, scent or crackle of a candle.

21st-27th October: Student Fire Safety Week

• For many young people, leaving home to study means greater independence but it also means lots to learn about running a home and keeping safe.

TBC: National Burns Awareness Day 2018

• Held by the British Burn Association annually in October, the aim is to firstly prevent burns but also inform people on how to provide first aid to those with burns. This is useful for both first aiders in companies and at home.

27th: Clocks go Back

• As per the manifesto of the Tick Tock Campaign – changing your clocks means checking the batteries in your smoke alarms. Get into the habit of combining both tasks.

31st October: Halloween

• Fire services may see a rise in call outs during this period for a number of reasons including crime, anti-social behaviour and increased risks.

5th November: Guy Fawkes Night

• Celebrating Guy Fawkes Night should be fun for all the family, so make sure you’ve taken the right fire safety precautions for any open fires and firework displays this year.

TBC: Emergency Lighting Conference

• If you are the ‘responsible person’ in your organisation, you may be interested in attending the 2020 Emergency Lighting Conference, held in London. It is free to register and top experts in the field will be present and speaking on the key issues.

14th November: Diwali

• Stay safe during Diwali the festival of lights. Please remember that candles have the potential to cause serious fires. When cooking with hot oil always remember to watch your cooking carefully and remove pans from the heat source if you need to leave the room. Also, traditional clothing, like saris can be very flammable.

16th-20th November: Electrical Fire Safety Week

• Working with the Home Office and Fire and Rescue Services across the country to promote electrical fire safety in the home. Electrical fires are especially dangerous and prevention is certainly better than fighting an electrical fire.

1st Onwards: The Holiday Season

• With the onset of Christmas and the surrounding celebrations, a number of fire risks begin to emerge. Familiarise yourself with fire safety this holiday season, taking into consideration open fires (whether chestnuts are roasting on them or not), Christmas lights, intense oven usage, flammable rubbish build-up, flammable Christmas jumpers and anything else that could cause a fire hazard so that you have a safe and happy holiday. Take a look at our Christmas Office Safety Guide For the Office Infographic too!