While you may assume that fire safety regulations are government requirements, they can help your business avoid costly disasters. Practicing proper fire safety and ensuring you have all the correct protocols in place can protect your employees, equipment, and property.
In short, investing in fire safety equipment and adhering to all of the relevant fire safety regulations is one of the most important ways you can protect your business. To learn more about the importance of fire safety procedures, we encourage you to take this guide seriously.
We will not only explain what fire safety is and why it is essential, but we will also cover some of the most effective ways you can protect your business. So, let’s get started!
What Is Fire Safety?
While certain industries and businesses have a higher risk of fires breaking out than others, fire is always a risk in all workplaces. For this reason, fire safety is critical for preventing injuries, fatalities, and damage to equipment, property, and inventory.
Fire safety is a set of practices and plans intended to protect personnel and reduce the destruction caused by a fire. These fire safety practices can be used to prevent the initial source of ignition that could lead to a destructive fire, as well as plans to limit the damage caused by a fire after it has been started.
This means fire safety covers everything from escape plans for employees, fire protection equipment, like a fire sprinkler system and strategically placed extinguishers or portable fire extinguishers, and regular fire prevention strategies and equipment that reduce the chances of a fire starting in the first place.
Why Is Fire Safety Important for Your Business?
- Reduces the risk of injuries and fatalities for employees, customers, and all other individuals
- Avoids the incredible cost of having to shut your business down for an extended period due to fire damage
- Can reduce the amount of damage to your facility
- Safeguards your business against fines related to disregarding fire safety regulations
- Protects equipment and inventory
- Builds trust among employees
- Reduces insurance premiums for your business with proper fire safety equipment and training
- Avoids dragging your business into potential legal issues from fire deaths, injuries, or property damage to surrounding businesses
Given that fire safety procedures are relatively easy to employ, and they are almost always government requirements, there is no reason why your business should be taking a massive risk by not practicing proper fire safety measures.
Types of Fire Safety Your Business Should Employ
To help you learn more about fire safety in the workplace, we are going to break down the different forms of fire safety in detail.
Fire Response Initiatives
While you will want to prevent fires from breaking out in the first place, all employees must know how to react in the event of a fire. This can prevent fire deaths and severe injuries, so the importance of fire response plans cannot be overstated.
Your workplace’s emergency fire safety plan should cover the following:
- Emergency evacuation procedure and routes that all employees understand
- Clearly posted emergency plan, routes, exits, fire extinguisher locations, and meeting places
- Regularly conducted fire safety training that involves all employees
- Regular fire alarm or smoke alarm tests conducted in conjunction with the local fire department
- Outsourcing fire safety training sessions that include fire prevention tactics, burn-related first aid, safe use of fire extinguishers, and proper evacuation procedures
Fire Prevention Efforts
The best-case scenario for your business is that your fire safety efforts prevent a fire from occurring in the first place. This should include the following:
- Installation and regular maintenance of an appropriate fire sprinkler system
- Positioning smoke detectors in all locations and having them tested regularly
- Have all employees participate in fire prevention training
- Designated smoking areas that are in a safe and distant location
- Proper storage of all flammable materials and controlled chemicals
- Appropriate number of fire extinguishers positioned throughout the business. The fire extinguishers should also be professionally inspected by the fire marshal or fire department and replaced at appropriate intervals to ensure everything is up to fire code.
Testing your fire prevention equipment is just as important as having it installed in the first place. We suggest reading our guide about fire extinguisher maintenance – How Often Should You Inspect Your Fire Extinguishers?
We also suggest reading What Is a Fire Safety Inspection & Why Is it Important?
What Else Can You Do to Protect Your Business?
There is no doubt that a fire sprinkler system that is regularly tested can prove to be incredibly valuable in the event of a fire. Their ability to effectively put out a fire before it has the chance to spread and cause significant damage is incredible.
With that said, a misfiring sprinkler system can end up causing a tremendous amount of water damage, especially if your business is filled with expensive and water-sensitive equipment and supplies. In fact, fire sprinklers that are accidentally activated tend to cause an average of $35,000 in water damage!
Most people have to wait for the fire department to arrive on the scene to have the sprinkler shut off. When just five minutes of running a single sprinkler head can cause tens of thousands of dollars in water damage, you do not want to wait for the fire department to arrive and shut the sprinkler system off at the source.
What Is the Solution?
The Shutgun is a straightforward fire sprinkler head shut-off tool that requires little-to-no training to use. In the event of an accidental misfire, a single employee or responsible person can shut off your fire sprinkler system in seconds.
Given that the tool costs just $65 and can save your business tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars, it is a no-brainer to have one located on every floor of your business.
Just like fire safety and prevention initiatives are vital for all businesses, anticipating other types of disasters before they occur is just as critical. Do not wait until a costly accident occurs; protect your business with a low-cost, straightforward tool trusted by thousands of well-known businesses!
Learn more about the Shutgun and order your own by visiting the Shutgun product page.