Workplace Fire Prevention Tips Every PA Business Owner Should Know

Each year there are an estimated 800,000 serious workplace fires in the United States. These fires cause an average of 200 deaths and 5,000 injuries. In addition to the very serious cost to human life, fires also devastate a business. According to studies from the United States Small Business Administration, 90% of businesses fail within two years after experiencing a disaster such as fire, costing a significant loss of jobs.

The best way to protect your business from this devastation is by implementing fire prevention practices and tools, such as safely using equipment and chemicals and having a fire alarm system. Businesses with monitored fire alarm systems fare much better than those that do not in the case of an emergency due to better response times.

10 Tips for Fire prevention in the Workplace

1. Talk to the local fire officials and schedule an inspection to make sure that your business is in compliance with all local fire codes. Strict adherence to regulations will help keep your employees, customers and property safe, and provide a record of compliance if you ever have to file an insurance claim.
2. Use a monitored fire alarm system in your workplace. A fire detection and alarm system is one of the most effective tools in preventing injury or death and extensive property damage.
3. Have your electrical system professionally inspected for potential hazards.
4. Make sure the electrical system is adequate to support output needs. Talk to an electrician about the needs of the business and make necessary upgrades.
5. Have employees practice safe electrical usage by not overburdening outlets and turning off electronics such as computers at the end of the day.
6. Maintain all equipment and machinery.
7. When possible, use non-sparking tools and control static electricity.
8. Keep paper and rags away from any source of ignition. Remove clutter.
9. Maintain access to control panels.
10. Install fire extinguishers and train employees on their usage.

For the best protection possible, integrate your fire system with intruder detection, video security and access control systems in a single command and control center. If you would like more information on improving your fire protection, give us a call today.