Did you know that 40 percent of businesses never reopen following a natural disaster like fire?
Indeed, workplace fires are fatal incidents – and they can be prevented. Although some fire incidents are classified as unavoidable, such as a natural disaster, the most common causes of fire in the workplace include human error, negligence and faulty electrical equipments – to mention a few – all pretty much avoidable.
The bottom line is, you don’t have to expose your business and employees to the danger of workplace fires. Those are avoidable, and there are 5 simple ways to up your game in workplace fire safety:
1. Well-maintain your electricity outlets, wiring and appliances/equipment
Most electrical fires are caused by faulty electrical outlets and outdated (and broken) appliances and equipments. So, obviously, you need to replace faulty outlets and get rid of broken/outdated appliances and install new ones.
As a prevention measure, the easiest you can do is by making sure that you are not overloading your electrical circuits. Also, make sure that you tape exposed wires; better yet, consider to replace frayed wiring with a new one.
2. Have proper procedures in place – and make sure everyone adheres to them
In order to help preventing fire in the workplace, you need to carry out fire safety risk assessment. Make sure you have proper procedures in place and ensure that everyone in the office adheres to the procedures.
3. Prepare a proper fire exit route plan – and test it regularly
You should prepare a fire exit route that is both effective and efficient. Well-lit the emergency exits, and make sure to print out emergency exit diagrams and post them on some of the most visible spots in your office.
Make sure that you have regular ‘test run’ of your emergency exit route, so that your staffs know what they should do in the event of fire.
4. Well-equip your office with the right fire containment products
Indeed, fire extinguishers and smoke detectors are the must-have. However, in order to improve the overall fire safety of your office, there are more tools to add and fixtures to install, such as door seals, fire door hardware, fire barriers, and more..
5. Throw that rubbish away!
The piling up of flammable and combustible waste materials is also one of the most common causes of workplace fires. With that said, you need to do better waste management in order to keep the amount of waste at a manageable level.
More tips…
Takeaway: Your workplace is on fire? A-C-T now
In dealing with the risk of workplace fire, taking preventive measures, such as equipping your office with the right equipments and fixtures are strongly recommended. However, there are events of fire that are unavoidable, no matter how well you fire-protect your office premise.
When that happens, you need to A-C-T now:
A – Assess the situation
C – Choose your response
T – Take action