Ensuring That Your Office Employees Are Safe From A Fire

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Unexpected fires can turn any office environment into a disaster, especially if your employees are unprepared. Follow this simple process to make sure that your employees are safe in multiple fire situations.

Make Sure Your Suppression System Meets Code

There are a variety of different safety codes that your fire suppression system must pass before it is considered safe. These codes are set up by the NFPA and vary depending on the type of system you use. Check out these guidelines to get a feel for whether or not your fire suppression system is currently up to code.

For example, one section of safety codes outlines the practices necessary for the properties protected by sprinkler and standpipe fire suppression systems. These guidelines dictate the placement of your interior sprinkler systems, planning before an incident occurs, ventilation for storage areas, and ensuring you have a suitable water supply.

If you're uncertain about whether or not your system meets code guidelines, contact an NFPA inspector and have them do that difficult job for you. It may cost you a little money, but it is the easiest way to keep your suppression system up to date.

Inspect Your Exterior Doors for Damage

In an emergency evacuation situation, you don't want poorly constructed or maintained exterior doors trapping your employees inside. Take a few minutes to inspect important aspects of the door, such as the hinges, the latch, and the knob.

Questions to ask when inspecting your doors include:

• Do the hinges move easily or haltingly?
• Is there any "catch" in the latch or any "trick" you need to use to get it open?
• Does the door handle move easily or with difficulty?
• Is the door too heavy for weaker employees to move?
• Does it swing inward, potentially preventing people from escaping in a panic?

If the answer to any of these questions is problematic, it may be time to either get your door repaired or replaced. After all, you don't want an inward swinging door dooming your employees to a death by fire. For more information, contact a local fire door supplier (such as Alexander Gow Fire Equipment Company).

Bring It Together With a Fire Drill

Conducting fire drills is the best way to check how prepared your employees are for an emergency. Never announce them before: unveiling them without warning will more readily test your employees preparedness by catching them a little off guard.

Try to create different drill scenarios to truly test your employees. For example, block off certain exits to test their knowledge of the escape plan layout. After all, in a real emergency situation, there's a real possibility that some doors will be blocked and that alternative routes will need to be found.

Another important thing: don't overdo the frequency of these drills. Too many drills will likely annoy your employees and may lower their readiness in a dangerous situation. Once every three to four months should be more than enough.

This simple process is just the first step on the long road towards keeping your employees safe from fire. Make sure to educate yourself on other fire safety procedures as well as the operation of your fire suppression system to further ensure employee safety.

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4 September 2015