Protect your business from the flames | Business management

Tuesday, May 15th, 2012 by admin

Fire is one of the most destructive forces known to man; intense heat and choking smoke kill massive numbers and destroy equal amounts of buildings every year. In the news fires have destroy countless homes in America and Australia through forest fires. In order to ensure the safety of your workers and your place of business you need to have adequate fire safety equipment to deal with any workplace related fires or smoke.

Some of this equipment will be obvious to you as similar measures are required for use in the home too such as fire alarms and smoke detectors. Fire alarms for businesses though require a more widespread system as they need to cover a larger area and if a fire breaks out in one area the whole building will require alerting and evacuating. Some businesses have sprinkler systems that can deal with small fires but also stem larger fires and prevent them from spreading.

Depending on your line of business you may need to have different types of fire extinguishers on site. It is important to have the right fire extinguisher though as there are multiple varieties for different categories of fires. There are water, CO2 and foam based fire extinguishers which tackle different fires such as paper based, electrical and chemical fires all require different materials to extinguish them effectively.

Obviously fire extinguishers are no substitute for calling the fire brigade which is what should be done whenever any fire gets out of hand. Fires can spread quickly and so you should call for help before it?s too late.

Electrical fires obviously do not need water based extinguishers so it is important that you assess your workplace for all possibilities and get the right equipment brought in. Almost as important as having fire extinguishers is having members of staff trained to operate them properly, assigning fire marshals is an important role in the work place as they will need to know how to use the safety equipment as well as evacuate the workplace and gather workers at designated safe zones.

Another key safety requirement in workplaces is proper signage that clearly show people where the fire exits and equipment are stored. Other safety signs you need to consider for your workplace are fire evacuation points, usually shown as a map pointing employees to where they need to go.

You should ensure that your company is suitably fitted with all necessary fire safety equipment and educated on preventing fires from occurring and what to do in the case of an emergency.

About the Author

Phil has written about workplace safety equipment and health and safety law for many years

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