A FIRE Brigade will be offering businesses safety advice as part of the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) UK Business Safety Week.

Cleveland Fire Brigade will be offering the advice from September 11 to 16, and will hold workshops in Redcar, Stockton, Middlesbrough and Hartlepool.

The aim of the week is to make sure businesses and their staff have the information they need to prevent, protect and respond to fire incidents in the workplace.

Phil Lancaster, director of community protection for Cleveland Fire Brigade said, “This is a timely opportunity to remind employers of their responsibilities, making sure all employees are aware of fire safety and to look at ways of reducing the risk of fire.

"We are coming up to the busy time of the year with many offices, shops, hotels and pubs recruiting additional seasonal staff and there may be a need to raise general awareness as well as ensuring all procedures are in place and alarms are regularly tested.”

Fire and rescue services across the country will be holding a range of events and activities to engage with businesses in their communities, working with them to help improve their knowledge of fire safety.

Mark Hardingham, from NFCC Protection and Enforcement, said: "These businesses make a massive contribution to the UK economy and local communities and we want to help them to do this in a safe way."