How Do I Prepare My Company for a Fire?

10/14/2022 (Permalink)

Make sure you have a fire extinguisher on each floor.

How Should I Prepare My Business For a Fire?

A fire is one of the biggest hazards that can threaten a business. Not only does it cause damage to property, but it can also result in injuries and loss of life. While there's no way to prevent fires from happening, you can do plenty to prepare for them. Follow these steps for making your workplace in Cape Coral safer and more resilient against fire.

How to prepare your workplace for a fire

Check your fire alarm system. Is it in working order? Do you have a backup plan for when it malfunctions, like a manual pull station or an employee who can respond quickly if there's a fire?

Check your fire extinguishers. Are they all labeled correctly and in working order? You should check this once a month and replace them every five years or earlier if they're damaged. Replace any that are expired or missing labels as well.

Make sure the exits are always clear of clutter and hazards, including boxes, equipment, furniture, and other items that could block access to exits in case of emergency. Make sure all staff know where the nearest exit is located so they can get out safely in case of an emergency.

Train employees on how to use the fire alarm system, what they should do if they hear an alarm sounding or see smoke coming from somewhere near them (or both), how to respond when an evacuation needs to happen—and whom exactly will be responsible for doing so—and most importantly: why everyone needs these things! Don't forget about communicating this information across departments so no one is left out during training sessions either.

Evacuation plan

The first step in preparing your company for a fire is to create an evacuation plan. This plan should include:

• Where everyone is supposed to go and what they are supposed to do once they arrive there
• The location of all fire exits, including the best ones (i.e., nearest) for each room or area of your building(s).
• How employees are expected to use fire extinguishers if necessary, and where those extinguishers are kept.

It's also important that employees know how they can call the fire department once they've evacuated; this should be covered as part of your evacuation training program as well.

Fire preparedness can save your business.

Fire can happen to anyone. It's important to be prepared. Fire preparedness will help you save your business, lives, and money. Fire can destroy property and assets that take time and money to replace, affecting productivity and cash flow in the process.

If a fire breaks out in your place of business, it may have devastating effects on employees, customers, and the public as well as damage or destroy property. If your staff has been trained on the proper fire evacuation procedure, you should take the time to ensure that you have the correct fire safety equipment. 

The fire safety equipment checklist includes:

• Fire extinguishers. Make sure you have a fire extinguisher on each floor. They should be kept out of the reach of children and away from heat sources, like stoves or furnaces.
• Fire blankets and hoses. Keep at least one dry chemical fire extinguisher in the kitchen area, because it's the most likely place to catch on fire due to cooking grease, which burns quickly and intensely when it catches fire.
• Smoke alarms: These should be installed at least 10 feet from any sleeping areas and near all sleeping areas (including basements). You also need an automatic sprinkler system for commercial buildings that are more than three stories high or have contents over 50 square feet (this applies even if your business is only partially built on one floor).

The most important thing is to be prepared. Whether you are a business owner or employee, having an evacuation plan and a fire safety equipment checklist will help to ensure everyone's safety in the event of an emergency such as a fire.