Fire Safety In The Workplace

6/25/2019 (Permalink)

Workplace fires injure many workers each year. Their injuries lead to untold tumult, disrupting their lives and their families. Even in those fortunate cases where no one is injured, the property damage caused by fire can be enough to bankrupt many businesses. The National Fire Protection Association estimates that fires cost industrial and manufacturing employers alone over $1 billion in property damage each year.

Establishing and maintaining fire protection in the workplace

• Make a periodic clean-up of entire work site and keep grass and weeds under control.
• Regularly dispose of combustible debris and scrap from your work area.
• Use only approved containers and tanks for storage, handling, and transport of combustible and flammable liquid.
• Always perform evaluation procedures before performing operations that present fire hazards like welding.
• Never pile or lay material in a way that it covers or blocks access to firefighting equipment.
• Make sure to use only approved containers for the separation and disposal of combustible refuse. Remember to always replace the lid.
• Never store flammable materials within 10 feet of a building or other structure.
• Stack and pile all materials in orderly and stable piles.
• Never let unnecessary combustible materials get accumulated in any part of your work area.

Safety measures for workplace fire equipment

• Prohibit smoking at or around work areas where fire hazards are present. Put up signs, saying no smoking signs or open flames.
• Configure an alarm system that consists of both visual and audible signals (bells, sirens, whistles, blinking lights).
• Post reporting instructions and local Fire Department codes on info boards, common areas, and areas near the phone.
• First, inspect and maintain fire fighting equipment regularly.
• Place an adequate number of firefighting equipment in plain view in your work areas. When appropriate, label the location of each one and make sure it is properly rated.
• Provide employees with proper training in fire prevention and protection.

If your business or home has been damaged by fire, contact SERVPRO of Bloomington/Pontiac 309-827-7500