To ensure workplace fire safety, companies should first identify their specific fire risks. Then they should develop workplace fire safety policies that should be strictly enforced. Action plans should also be developed and made accessible to employees. Workplace fire safety equipment should be regularly checked and maintained. Furthermore, if items such as fire extinguishers have reached the end of their life spans, they should be replaced.
Safety begins when there is acknowledgment of a risk. Companies should take the initiative to determine what their primary risk factors are. In a restaurant, it may be easy to determine that the use of stoves and oil presents a risk. At a nursery, however, the threats may not be as clear, but there may indeed be major risks, such as those posed by workers smoking and flicking cigarette butts near dry foliage. Once such factors are identified, preventative measures should be established.
Every business should also have an action plan. The difference between the two is that the policy aims to prevent fires, and the action plan determines what should be done in the event of a fire. The action plan should include details such as who has the responsibility to attempt to extinguish the fire and which exits should be used by which personnel. Employees should have access to these documents, but it is also wise to ensure that they are reviewed periodically.
A business should display its commitment to workplace fire safety. To do, all employees should be required to adhere to the fire safety policy. Disciplinary action should be taken against employees who repeatedly violate safety regulations.
As there tends to be a variety of electric devices in use in offices while workers are in close proximity, strict attention needs to be paid to ensuring that these items are safely placed and operated. Computers, for example, should be given enough room that heat buildup is not an issue. Cords should not be bound together or run beneath rugs or equipment to keep them out of sight, and outlets should not be overloaded.
Combustible dust is a problem that is particularly threatening in industrial settings. Companies should devote the necessary effort and invest in resources to reduce the amount of dust that is emitted during manufacturing. Dust collection systems should be kept in working order, and filters should be changed as needed. Any dust that escapes should be cleaned regularly.
Proper maintenance of workplace fire safety equipment should be strictly maintained. Smoke detectors should be checked on a regular schedule, and their batteries should be changed as needed. The alarms on emergency exits and sprinkler systems should be professionally tested at the recommended intervals. Fire extinguishers should be discarded and replaced at the end of their life spans. It is also imperative to ensure that workplace fire safety equipment is never obstructed.
