5 Fire Prevention Safety Tips for the Workplace

The week of October 9 is Fire Prevention Week. During this week, employers are encourages to evaluate their workplace for potential fire hazards. Fires can occur in all types of structures, including both homes and workplaces. If you own or manage a business, you should use this opportunity to address potential hazards that could otherwise lead to a fire. Below are five prevention safety tips that can help you achieve this goal.

#1) Evaluate Electrical Hazards

Electrical items can cause a fire. Electricity, of course, creates heat. When electricity moves through a cable or device, it produces heat as a byproduct. While electrical cable and devices are designed to withstand heat, they can fail if not properly maintained. Therefore, you should evaluate them to ensure they don’t pose a fire risk. If an electrical cable or device is damaged, don’t use it.

#2) Choose Items Made of Fire-Resistant Materials

When choosing rugs, curtains or other common items for your workplace, make sure they are made of fire-resistant materials. Fires often occur when common items such as these are exposed to heat. As they heat up, they can ignite. Fortunately, there are fire-resistant materials available that can minimize the risk of a fire. They can withstand greater heat without igniting, making them ideal for the modern workplace.

#3) Use Smoke Detectors

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that smoke detectors can reduce the risk of a fire. Smoke detectors don’t necessarily prevent fires from occurring. Rather, they’ll alert workers to the presence of a fire. If a fire breaks out in your workplace, it will produce smoke that triggers the detectors’ alarm. Workers can then take the necessary action to stop the fire from spreading.

#4) Maintain Fire Extinguishers

Another fire safety tip is to maintain fire extinguishers. There are different types of fire extinguishers, some of which contain water, whereas others contain powder. Regardless, they all work in a similar way by extinguishing fires. Workers can use a fire extinguisher to dose the fire so that it doesn’t spread. For this reason, you should always maintain fire extinguishers in your workplace.

#5)Don't Obstruct Emergency Exits

The emergency exits in your workplace should be clearly labeled and free of obstructions. Some workplaces contain excessive clutter that obstructs emergency exits. If there are boxes or other items placed in front of an emergency exit, workers may struggle to exit your workplace in the event of a fire.