Every workplace has to do their best to ensure that they are as fire safe (and smart) as possible. What this means will depend on your building and your business, but whatever you do, workplace fire safety needs to be your top priority.

Here’s how you can keep your building safe and prevent fires.

Why is Workplace Fire Safety So Important?

It’s a sad fact of life that you can’t fully fireproof any building. No matter how careful you are, you could be unlucky and still have a fire break out. What you can do, though, is reduce the chances of that fire happening.

It’s vital that you do this as there are several ways that a fire will affect you. Firstly, there’s costs. You’ll lose money in repairing fire damage, in lost business if you have to shut for repairs, and in insurance excesses if you need to claim on them.

Then there’s the aspect of safety. Part of your duty as a building manager is to keep everyone in the building safe as they work. You’ll need to do your best to ensure that a fire can’t break out in the building, and if it does, ensure that it doesn’t spread any further. Keeping your employees safe also means ensuring they have ways to raise the alarm, fight a fire if it’s safe to do so, and evacuate when needed.

Important Fire Safety Measures

There are plenty of measures you can take to prevent fires and keep everyone safe. These are measures that every building and every business can do. Of course, if you run a business with a heightened fire risk, you’ll know the risks that come with it and follow guidelines appropriate to your business.

Whatever you do as a business though, here are the fire safety measures you need to take:

Never Block Evacuation Routes

If a fire does occur in your building, it’s vital that everyone can get out safely. However, many business tend to use fire exits as storage spaces, piling up boxes in front of them. If storage is at a premium, then this is very tempting to do. Some even lock the doors, thinking that they’re securing the building against criminals.

It’s vital that you never block these exits. If a fire does break out, everyone needs to be able to get out as quickly as possible. If there are boxes blocking it on the inside or cars parked across it outside, then it’s going to be difficult for anyone to get out in a safe manner. Keep the exits open at all times, and check them regularly.

Keep a Clean Workplace Environment

There are several reasons why you want to keep your premises clean and tidy. If you allow clients or customers into the building, then you’ll see that you make a much better impression when you keep it as tidy as can be. Having clean premises also helps employees work to their best, as they aren’t trying to work around clutter.

It’s also important to reduce clutter in the workplace as it can pose a fire risk. If you have piles of papers or boxes around the building, then they can provide a handy fuel source for a fire. If they’re blocking exits, then it’s going to be harder to evacuate, too. Keeping your premises neat and tidy will help reduce risk of fires and make it easy to evacuate if there is a fire.

Store Hazardous Office Supplies and Items Carefully

Many businesses use hazardous materials in the course of the workday. When they’re used properly, then they aren’t a problem and can be used without issue. If they aren’t though, some can leave your building at risk of fire.

You’ll need a good storage area for these materials, to reduce the risk of fire. That means they need a clean and dry cupboard or closet, that has adequate ventilation. It’s a good idea to keep fire prevention tools, such as a fire extinguisher, near the area too as an extra precaution.

Be Mindful When Assigning Designated Smoked Areas

Many fires have been started by an errant spark from a cigarette, so you need to ensure that you’re protecting your building from this. If you have staff who smoke, you’ll need to pick a good spot for them to take their smoking breaks.

The best spots are away from the building, for several reasons. It means that cigarette smoke won’t reach the building itself, and people entering or leaving won’t have to walk through cigarette smoke. Most importantly, having the spot away from the building means there’s less risk of a fire started by a cigarette.

Make Fire Safety Equipment Easily Accessible

If you’re on top of fire safety, you should have all kinds of equipment available to prevent fires. This should include extinguishers, sprinklers, fire doors, fire blankets, and so on.

If these are going to work as they should though, you need to make them easily accessible. If someone spots a fire, they need to be able to reach a fire alarm pull or extinguisher easily. Ensure that such equipment is out in the open, and not hidden by things such as plants and posters. The easier they are to find, the quicker the fire can be put out.

Practice Smart Fire Safety With Employees

It’s no good having all this fire safety equipment if you don’t know how to use it. It’s vital that you hold training sessions with your staff, so they know what to do in the event of a fire. For example, they need to know when they can use an extinguisher, and how to use it to get the best results.

You’ll also want to hold fire drills, so everyone knows what to do and where the emergency exits are if fire alarms go off. Have a policy in place, with exit routes and a meeting spot planned out so everyone knows where to go should a fire break out.

Conclusion

With these tips, you’ll be able to keep your building safe in the event of any fire that breaks out. Keep everyone safe by practicing fire safety, and you’ll be able to keep the risk of fire to a minimum.