Keeping your employees safe is one of the main responsibilities of a business leader or owner. Fire emergencies at work are dangerous and can lead to catastrophic results if your business is not prepared. That is why every business should have a well-coordinated fire safety plan. Every team member is responsible for fire safety and should know exactly what to do in case of an emergency. Code 4 Fire Watch provides some tips on how to build a fire safety plan for your business.
How to Build A Fire Safety Plan for Your Business
Practice Fire Drills
Practice makes perfect. By having regular fire drills, your employees will be familiar with safely evacuating the building in an orderly fashion. The key to a successful fire evacuation is for everybody to remain calm and know exactly what to do and where to go. This provides an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the location of emergency fire stairwells. Each employee should know where their designated meeting spot is in a safe location away from the building. By holding a monthly fire drill, your employees will be ready in case of a fire emergency.
Make Your Way to the Designated Meeting Place
When building your fire safety plan, establish a designated meeting place that is easy to locate and is far enough away from the building. All employees should know exactly where to go when exiting the building. When evacuating during a fire, employees should not go to their cars or leave the premises. Everyone will need to meet up and conduct a headcount. This ensures that every team member has safely evacuated the premises.
Designate Fire Safety Team Leaders for Your Business
Designate members to be responsible for a headcount once in a safe location outside. The fire safety team leaders should have some sort of sign that indicates where their team should meet. Then, they should ensure that every member of the team has reported to their station safely. Reporting this information back to building and fire safety teams confirms that everyone has made it out safely.
Train Employees on Fire Safety and Prevention
Make sure employees understand basic fire safety tips. Employees should know basic rules like keeping stairways and fire exits clear. Having several employees familiar with using a fire extinguisher is important. Also, each employee should know where the fire alarms are in case they need to activate them.
Familiarize Your Team with Fire Alarms
Employees should know how to activate the fire alarm in case of a fire. Fire alarms in your business will be a red box with a white handle. To activate the alarms, pull the white handle down. If you are unable to find the fire alarm, the best way to alert your team of an emergency is to shout “fire” and start evacuating the area. Even if the fire alarm has been activated, you still must call 911 to report the fire. Fire alarms will trigger a call to the local fire department but reporting the fire to emergency responders is still a necessity. Fire alarms are an essential part of every building. If your fire alarms are not in working order, businesses must have fire watch on duty.
Place Copies of the Building Plan Near Fire Exits
Make sure there are clear building floor plans that outline fire safety exits in high-visibilities areas. Place signage near elevators directing employees to staircases, as elevators are unsafe in a fire emergency. Fire safety floor plans should be easy to read and understand and every employee should take a moment to review them.
Fire Prevention Tips for Businesses – Code 4 Fire Watch
By having a fire safety plan for your business and conducting regular drills, you can keep your employees and business safe. Fire prevention is the responsibility of every employee and team member. If your business needs fire watch services, contact Code 4 Fire Watch. Our fire protection professionals will keep your business safe when fire alarms or sprinklers are offline.
