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Aisle view of Basildon warehouse with high-rack pallets and staff in hi-vis vests during fire-safety inspection in an Essex logistics hub.

Basildon & Thurrock Warehouse Fire Safety: 10 Steps Every Essex Logistics Hub Must Follow

From Burnt Mills Industrial Estate in Basildon to the Thames Freeport warehouses at Tilbury, Essex handles over £20 billion of goods each year. Yet NFCC data shows fires in large storage sites can overwhelm crews in minutes and shut down key transport links . Follow the ten checks below to keep your site compliant, insurable and operational.

Why Warehouse Fires Spread So Fast

High-rack storage creates narrow “chimneys” that accelerate flame spread, while piled goods hide smouldering hotspots. HSE guide HSG 76 Warehousing and Storage warns that poor aisle width and blocked access delay fire-fighting operations .

10 Essential Fire-Safety Checks for Essex Warehouses

  1. Automatic Sprinklers from 4,000 m²
    NFCC urges sprinklers in any warehouse over 4,000 m²—well below the legal threshold of 20,000 m² .
  2. Compartmentation Reviews
    Ensure fire walls at Tilbury’s port warehouses remain ≥60-minute rated after every tenant refit.
  3. BS 5839-1 Fire-Alarm Zones
    Large sheds in Basildon’s Southfields should be split into ≤2,000 m² alarm zones for rapid location of incidents.
  4. Dedicated “Red Route” Access
    Mark 3.7 m-wide fire-engine routes free from parking—Basildon recycling-site delays in 2024 cost crews 48 hours to fully extinguish stock .
  5. Hot-Work Permits & Battery-Tool Checks
    Include lithium-ion battery storage guidance from Essex County Fire & Rescue’s recent business bulletin .
  6. Weekly Door & Damper Tests
    Link roller-shutter drop tests to your Fire Risk Assessment logbook.
  7. Rack-Inspection & Clear-Height Rules
    Keep 500 mm below sprinklers clear; warped racking can deflect water spray .
  8. Fork-Lift Charging Bays
    Position bays against 60-min fire walls and provide AVD or water-mist extinguishers for battery fires.
  9. Outdoor Waste Management
    Store pallets 10 m clear of buildings; Basildon pallet fires have jumped 18 % in two years.
  10. Annual Third-Party Audits
    Engage BAFE-SP205 assessors—our Essex Fire-Risk Assessment team covers Basildon, Thurrock and Southend.

Choosing the Right Extinguishers

  • Foam 9 L for flammable-liquid loading docks.
  • Water-Mist 6 L for lithium-ion forklift battery bays.
  • CO2 5 kg for server rooms and conveyor motors.

Book scheduled extinguisher maintenance to BS 5306 standards.

Local Case Study: Basildon Recycling-Centre Blaze 2024

Crews took five days to damp-down smouldering waste after a warehouse fire produced dense smoke over the A127 . Key lesson: separate combustible waste from structures and maintain 24/7 thermal-imaging checks.

Emergency Plan in 30 Seconds

  1. Activate the main shut-off on your fire-alarm panel.
  2. Use the red route to guide Essex Fire & Rescue to the scene.
  3. Isolate power at the distribution board outside the risk zone.
  4. Call 999 and state “warehouse fire, sprinklers installed/not installed”.

Next Steps

Need help? Total Safe UK offers a Warehouse Fire-Safety Audit covering Tilbury, Purfleet, Basildon and wider Essex. We’ll map your hazards against HSE’s Factories & Warehouses risk-assessment guide and NFCC recommendations. Call 01375 265 950 or email [email protected].

Also see our guides on E-bike Battery Fire Safety and EV Charging-Point Fire Safety