Fire Safety is an important aspect in any environment and even more so at work as there is a higher risk and more lives at stake. Once a fire breaks out, it will be a catastrophe causing damage that may break the bank or worst – lose a life.

So…how prepared are you or your colleagues? Placing a fire extinguisher doesn’t exactly solve your problems.

That being said, here are 10 ways you can prevent fires from taking over your workplace/business.

#1. Introduce Fire Detection Alarms
This is a must – a prerequisite requirement for all, even at home. While a few cautionary events may trigger it, all of your employees must learn how to manually manage it. As it’s definitely not one of those things where everyone just depends on a few key personnel to handle it.

#2. Set Up a Fire Safety Crisis Plan
Sounds tedious, especially when you have a lot of employees but even more so as important. The designated committee must prepare and provide intermediate briefing on a detailed plan in an off chance that there is a fire. Also all means ALL, no department should be spared including planning for external visitors such as clients and vendors.

#3. Make Emergency Exit Courses
Just cause there was no fire for the last 10 years or EVER doesn’t mean you’re safe! In fact just the opposite, relying on this info. could lower the urgency of maintaining clear exit courses. Get the committee to plan out the course, ensuring a protected spot with clear signs and be sufficiently light.

#4. Assign a Fire Warden
Yes, although I said Fire Safety is a team effort, we still need a key person to overlook all plans and be responsible for making and keeping up fire safety strategies. Also known as a Fire Superintendent, he/she will cooperate with the HODs to ensure methodologies are followed in case of a fire.

#5. Know your Fire Extinguisher
This is where team work comes in, everyone and anyone in your company must know where and how to use the fire extinguishers around the workplace. As a committee member, you must have ones generally appropriate for the fire emergencies your business may be exposed to, for example carbon dioxide quenchers must be stored at proper places and provided to have at least 1 per 200 square meters.

#6. Introduce Emergency Lighting
Imagine a room with tons of people panicking, alarm ringing over any form of verbal instruction, lights get cut off and is smoke everywhere. Without emergency lights, it’s just a disaster in the making. Which is why ALL emergency courses and exits must have sufficiently bright. Incorporate lighting at every entryway, passage, alter of course, floor level, flight of stairs and close to fire gears and cautions. Make sure to conduct crisis lighting tests routinely.

#7. Check Fire Security Signs
In a multi-lingual country, we need to make sure fire safety signs are easily understandable. Use general images that can get the message across quickly and placed at sufficiently lighted areas so they can be found in a crisis.

#8. Train your Team
We can’t stress this enough. As you have seen in the earlier tips a successful emergency response team is a mix of a Fire Warden, Safety Committee and everyone else! Fire doesn’t choose it’s victims, so as a company, the more trained everyone is – the higher chance of survival.

#9. Organize Regular Fire Drills
Practice makes perfect!

We’re humans and forgetting is one of our uncontrollable talents, so practice! You can also take your practice to the next level by doing it during busy periods or during a thunderstorm, basically choose a day that’s not so perfect cause fire can strike at any moment and you wanna be prepared!

#10. Last but not Least – Consistent Housekeeping!
Especially if your office doesn’t have much exits, too many people or if you’re in a paper industry.

Jokes aside, you need to ensure your office avoids keeping combustible materials, for example cardboard boxes, unused office furniture, old reference papers for longer than would normally be appropriate. Choose to either expel or reuse. Also  abstain from over-burdening plug attachments and make certain to store electrical gear securely to limit disintegration.

We hope these tips will keep you Fire-Free FOREVER 🙂
Check out Trainer Reza’s tips on Home Fire Safety below!

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Although Fire Safety is just one of the many safety precautions to be aware of: –

When was the last time you sent your team for a 1st Aid refresher?
or an Awareness class on the Dangers of Cyber-Attacks?
or better yet a Health-check with Report Based Consultation?

Do your part to build a 360 safe environment at your workplace, after all, it is your 2nd home 🙂

Click the banner below to see how you can get started. #staystafestayskilled
The 360 Safety Suite

Dirty habits is one thing, but Dangerous ones?
Here are some Hot Tips from Trainer Reza on Home Fire Safety!