Protect office against fire

Whether it’s an office owned by you or you work there, fire is going to cost a lot. Not only financially by putting you out of job or costing you a fortune, your co-workers or employees can get badly injured or even killed. It has been estimated that 25% of businesses affected by serious fire are likely to go out of business. Therefore, it’s the responsibility of all the workers to protect their office against fire.

Prevention

The first and most important step towards fire safety is the prevention of it.

• Smoke only where allowed and use ashtrays, don’t throw them on the floor.
• Keep passages and exits clean, don’t store anything or keep waste at these places.
• Allocate an employee to check all electrical appliances are switched off before closing the office.
• Have an electrician who checks for faults frequently and solves them as soon as they arise.
• Throw away papers and other combustible materials at proper place, away from burners and electronic devices.
• Adequate air circulation around appliances that get heated should be maintained.
• Exit doors and escape stairs should not be locked during office hours.
• Never overload extension boards. If you see smoke or get smell of burning, turn it off immediately and get it repaired before reusing it.
• Regularly check protection equipments for faults and contact appropriate person to replace/repair the faulty piece.

Plan in Advance

Sometimes prevention falls short and unfortunately fire breaks out. In preparation for such a situation, workers should go through fire drills regularly to know how to face it and the actions that need to be taken. Some things to keep in mind are:

• Quickest exit route of the building.
• How to use fire protection equipments.
• Location of nearest alarm and how it works.
• Have emergency numbers on every desk.
• Have a detailed evacuation plan that is given to every employee. Mention disabled people and the unique steps that need to be followed for their safety.
• Designate a gathering place where workers are to go in case of an emergency.

If fire breaks out:

• Switch on the alarm immediately and call fire department even if fire is small.
• Attempt to fight small fire only using proper equipments and if you know how to use it, else leave it to others who know.
• If there’s too much smoke, crawl low to escape as smoke is less near the floor.
• In case too much fire spreads, close doors and leave. Closed doors will not let fire and smoke to spread rapidly.
• Never use elevators.
• Cut off the power supply if it is still on.
• Test if door is hot before opening; use back of the hand for this. Proceed with caution if and only if the door is cold.
• After coming outside record your name in the designated gathering point and wait for further instructions.

Protection starts from you and all individuals doing their bit will contribute towards a safer workplace.