Tips for Fire Prevention in Your East Phoenix Business

2/25/2020 (Permalink)

A fire can cause severe damage to business equipment, materials, and structures. As a business owner, focusing on fire risk assessment, fire prevention, and employee education for fire safety can help reduce your chance of fire and smoke damage. Here are some tips to help prevent fires in your East Phoenix business.

Look for fire hazards at your business

A good first step for fire prevention is to look around your business and find potential fire hazards. The National Fire Protection Association offers publications on fire safety codes for businesses. You may also want to contact the Phoenix fire department and ask them to come out and do an evaluation of your business for recommendations on how to make your office safer for possible fires.

Have the right equipment on hand

Having the proper fire protection equipment in your business is essential to prevent fires as well as keeping damage to a minimum should a fire break out. Automatic sprinkler systems are a good way to prevent fires from causing too much damage should a fire start. Of course, it’s critical to have detectors and fire extinguishers on every floor of your office building and to ensure they’re in working order. There’s more than one type of smoke detector, so be sure and do your research to know what type is best for your business. All employees should be aware of the locations of fire extinguishers on each floor in case they should need access to one in an emergency. A multipurpose extinguisher will douse most small fires with ease without shorting out your electronics. It’s also a good idea to equip your employees with an emergency kit stocked with items like bottled water, a flashlight, and an escape mask to fight against smoke inhalation in case of a fire.

Have a plan

Does your business have an emergency exit map clearly posted for all employees and visitors to see? Though exits may seem obvious during working hours, smoke and fire greatly inhibit visibility and these maps are critical. In larger buildings, post a fire evacuation plan in several spots around the workplace. Never include elevators in an evacuation plan; always use the stairs. Businesses with disabled employees should develop a detailed evacuation for those employees needing additional assistance in an emergency. Make sure your employees know what to do if there's a fire, including calling 911. Conduct a fire drill at leastonce a year to keep employees aware of your workplace fire safety protocol. Establish meeting points for employees, as well as keeping all your safety plans, equipment, and information updated.

Other fire prevention tips for the office

Keep all your business appliances (such as kitchen appliances) away from combustible materials, like paper or cloth. If possible, unplug these appliances at the end of the day as most business fires occur after typical operating hours. Avoid excessive wiring where wires and plugs clutter around one outlet, as it could lead to an overload. In case of fire injuries, your employees should be familiar with the location of the first-aid kit, which should be kept where possible hazards can occur most, such as in the kitchen. SERVPRO of East Phoenix offers other fire damage tips should a fire occur.

While fire prevention can help cut down your risk of fire, it doesn’t mean they still can’t happen at any time. If your business should have a fire occur, trust the restoration professionals at SERVPRO of East Phoenix to help you recover from the devastating event. We offer 24/7 service. Call us at (602) 507-6163.