How to Prevent Fires at Workplaces
Fire is dangerous for life and property whether it breaks out at home or workplace. Some workplaces are made fire safe, but some don’t even have the necessary fire protection facilities. Most startups and small business have no protection or preventive measures for fire like emergencies.
However, fire protection is essential for every workplace and organisation regardless of its age and size. A fire can damage the assets and harm the employees of a business. There are many things that you can do to protect the offices and workplaces from fires. Let us check some preventive measures against fires at workplaces.
Machines and Equipment
A fire can break out due to the overheating of machines and equipment at the workplace. Make sure that your computers, machines, systems and electronic devices are in perfect condition to avoid the overheating issues. Service the equipment regularly to keep them in excellent working condition.
Housekeeping
Housekeeping staff is responsible for cleaning the clutter regularly as clutter catches fire quickly. Make sure the dustbins in your office are not overflowing with waste paper. Cleaning the bins daily keeps the office clean off clutter and reduces the chances of fire.
Flammables
There are flammable materials at many places like manufacturing units, generator rooms, kitchens, etc. make sure the flammable materials are placed in a restricted and protected area. Only the trained staff should have access to such materials, and any kind of lights or fires should not be allowed in that area.
Electrical Equipment
Most fires break out due to the malfunctioning and overloading of electrical equipment. The electrical equipment at workplaces should be in good condition to prevent the issues of overheating. The employees should not overload any circuit that can lead to overheating and fire breakouts.
Smoking Zones
The employees should not be allowed to smoke anywhere in the workplaces. Most multinationals and big organisations have a special smoking zone at a safe distance from the work areas. You can create a safe smoking zone for employees or allow them to go outside for smoking in the breaks.
Fire Extinguishers
Most of the reputed organisations have fire extinguishers in their offices, but startups and small companies don’t have such safety equipment. It is essential to have sufficient fire extinguishers at offices depending on the size of the workplace. They can save lives and help people extinguish the fires quickly.
Fire Alarms
Many workplaces have the CCTV cameras to check the everyday activities, but they don’t have fire alarms. A fire alarm detects the smoke and warns the employees about the fire before it spreads and become dangerous. It is better to invest in fire alarms to protect your business assets and employees from fires.
Fire Safety Training
It is essential to conduct fire safety training for workplaces to educate the employees about fire safety. Many companies in Australia conduct periodic training like fire safety course to train their employees. Fire safety training helps educate employees about the preventive measures to be taken and how to deal with fire situations.
Access to Equipment
Every workplace should have easy access to the firefighting and electrical control panels. You need access to the electrical panels to shut down the power in case of fires. Also, your employees need access to firefighting equipment like fire extinguishers. Make sure there are no objects placed in front of the control panels and fire extinguishers.
Escape routes
Workplaces need to have proper escape routes for emergencies like fires. In the case of fires, people need quick access to escape routes to get out of the building. Moreover, organisations must have a fire escape plan describing how to use the escape routes in case of fires and where to assemble after evacuation.
Create a Quick Response Team
Every organisation must have a quick response team which should be the first to act in case of emergencies like fires, earthquakes and other disasters. You must create a quick response team for your company responsible for helping others to evacuate, communicate with authorities and external emergency services.
Contact the Emergency Services
People often create panic in the fire like emergencies and don’t understand what needs to be done. Contacting the external emergency help services in such situations is essential. Every organisation should display the contact details of local emergency services like fire brigade on a board which can be accessed easily.
Final words
Many things need to be considered to make the workplaces safe from the fire like emergencies. The fire safety training Melbourne educates the organisations prevention of fires and dealing with such crises. Education and safety training can help prevent fires at workplaces and make them safe for people. It can create a safe and comfortable environment in the organisations for owners, employees and customers.
