Effective Workplace Fire Prevention
A fire is one of the last things you think about happening in your workplace.
Even though fire may seem like a rare event, it does still occur. And when it does, the urgency and potential for danger, damage & injury are immediately and sharply heightened.
Fires have become a less common event thanks in large part to safety programs in the modern workplace. If your company is lacking in fire prevention planning, here are some tips you can give them. These plans help you know what to do in the case of a fire and how to prevent one from happening.
What does a Fire Prevention Plan look like?
A fire prevention plan will include how to prevent a fire and how to deal with a fire should one break out in your workplace. The following tips should be included in a fire safety plan.
✦ An Evacuation Plan
Should a fire break out in your workplace, there needs to be a designated meeting place for the team post evacuation. This meeting place should be posted prominently in your workplace, along with a map of where this place is.
✦ A list of Emergency Numbers to Call in case of a Fire
Outside of emergency services, this should include what other people in your company need to be notified.
✦ Training all Employees on How to use Safety Equipment
Safety should also come first. Still, in the event of a small fire, staff should know how to use a fire extinguisher and other forms of safety equipment.
✦ Limit or Prohibit Open Flames in the Workplace
This would include candles and any type of smoking indoors.
✦ Commit to Checking Fire Alarms and Other Devices on a Regular Basis
Check fire alarms and other things like hazard lights to make sure they work and that their batteries aren't dead. Don't forget to run regular tests on your fire extinguishers and sprinklers as well. You don't want to ever use these devices! But in the event you need to, you want them to work.
✦ Ensure any Flammable Workplace Hazards are Labelled
If open flames or sparks are a part of your workplace, employees need to know what substances to keep away from those flames.
✦ Stop, Drop & Roll
Should a fire break out in the workplace and a co-worker is on fire, teach the staff the age-old method of stop, drop & roll. A person who is on fire should drop to the ground and roll on it to put the fire out. Blankets should also be accessible to wrap the person in while they roll on the ground. The blanket helps deprive the fire of air.
✦ Ensure First Aid Kits are Well Stocked
For minor burns, the ointment and gauze in your kit can prove vital and may help an employee avoid a hospital visit. All major burns should be treated by professionals.
How Advance Consulting & Training Can Help?
The tips above are all important for ensuring the safety of your workplace. Fires are not a common event in the modern workplace. But you should always be prepared! Use these tips to create a plan for your workplace, or use them to shore up your existing safety plan.
Prevention is always best !
- (This "Fire Safety Blogs" Published in September 2023 Edition)