7 Tips for Workplace Fire Safety

12/18/2021 (Permalink)

If a fire should happen, remember the trusted name in restoration, SERVPRO of Conyers/Covington.

Fire safety is a crucial part of running any business. Are you prepared? Run down this quick checklist to be sure.

1. Make an Emergency Action Plan. OSHA has a tool to help you comply with your workplace’s needed proper emergency standards and create an Emergency Action Plan to safely evacuate teams in a fire situation.

2. Train your teams. Once your plan is in place and you feel confident about its effectiveness, make sure your key leaders and teams know it by heart. You may only have about the time it takes to read this blog to escape a burning building, so it’s important that your leaders and teams know instinctively to spring into action.

3. Keep proper fire safety equipment maintained and ready. From fire extinguishers to sprinkler systems, emergency lighting, alarms and more, you’ve got a lot of helpful tools at the office, but they must be kept in good working order, easily accessible and ready to use. What’s more, your key leaders need working knowledge of the PASS Method and how to use any additional equipment.

4. Post all fire routes and exits visibly and clearly. Your exit routes should be carefully planned and then posted clearly, so that employees, customers and personnel can quickly see and understand them in a drill or emergency.

5. Conduct routine fire drills. Having a certain “muscle memory” for fire escapes is helpful, as time is a factor. Regular rehearsal of the plan can save time and even lives during an emergency, because your teams will be less prone to panic when they’re familiar with the drill.

6. Properly dispose any flammable materials. Letting papers or hazardous materials pile up around the workplace is only creating more dangerous fire scenarios and making a fire more likely to start or spread quickly. Always keep kitchens free of grease residue, and properly store or dispose of anything flammable that’s not mission-critical.

7. Eliminate electrical hazards at work. There are numerous potential hazards present at work, from poor grounding of equipment to faulty wiring or power cords. Always make sure any electrical system is properly installed, used and maintained to avoid a hazard.

If a fire should damage your workspace, we’re here to help. Call on SERVPRO to restore your property after a fire.