Preventing Business Fires

When a fire occurs at your place of business, everything has to be put on hold. Not only is the property and equipment you’ve invested in at risk, but business fires put employees in danger. Purchasing an emergency escape ladder is just one of the precautions you can take to prepare your business for potential disasters.

Here are steps to protect your business from fires:

Report and Address Electrical Hazards- Electrical items that are broken can become dangerous. Fix faulty wiring and malfunctioning electrical equipment before these things spark a fire.

Maintain Industrial Machinery – Friction sparks and overheating can start fires. By staying on top of upkeep you can help prevent major disasters from occurring.  Ensure safety by servicing machines regularly.

Properly Dispose of Hazardous items – Follow procedures for disposal of combustible waste materials. Left unattended, these can make a small fire a much bigger problem.

Keep the Office Organized – If clutter starts to fill your office space, it can become an obstacle for evacuating the building. On higher floors especially, make sure there is an unobstructed path to the location where you store your emergency escape ladder. Also, out of control clutter can become fuel if a fire does start.

Store chemicals safely – Read labels on all stored chemicals to make sure these are kept in the proper environment. Pay special attention to flammable items and store these in a location that allows ventilation. Businesses that store hazardous goods must follow federal, state and local requirements.

Clear Control Panel Path - Make sure control panels can be accessed easily. This allows you to shut of the electricity quickly if necessary.

Monitor Appliances – Unplug appliances like coffeemakers and microwaves when employees are out of the office. Because computers, copy machines and other appliances are often placed throughout the office can all become fire hazards, you may want to put emergency escape ladders on both ends of the building. Fires often divide floors, making it more difficult to leave the building if there is only one exit.

Post an Emergency Action Plan – This document will specify where exits are and where equipment like the fire extinguisher and emergency escape ladder is kept. Post this information in a visible location.