Creating an effective fire safety program is only the beginning. Business owners who are serious about protecting their employees from danger will want to take a fresh look at the plan from time to time. As you prepare to assess the procedures and equipment you have in place, be sure to keep these four factors in mind.
Your Evacuation Plan
Your strategy for getting everyone out of the building in the event of a fire was great a few years ago. Since then, you’ve added to the facility and rearranged different parts of the operation. One thing everyone overlooked was updating the evacuation plan.
Now is the time to come up with a new approach that will account for all the layout changes made the last few years. You can start with the existing layout and adapt it to include the additions and rearranging of departments that occurred since the original draft. That will help you see which parts of the old plan are still viable and what needs to be changed or added.
Function and Placement of Emergency Lighting
Once you have the new plan for evacuation in place, consider where you need to add more emergency lighting. Systems of this type operate independently from the main power source. That ensures they continue to function even if a fire should damage the primary wiring. Once you have the additions installed, make time for a full emergency lighting testing under the direction of a fire expert. Doing so ensures the lights activate at the first sign of trouble and help your employees find the designated points of exit.
Fire Detection and Alarm Testing
Smoke and heat detection are one of the foundational elements of your fire safety system. If necessary, add more units to provide effective facility coverage. You will also want to arrange for an alarm testing to make sure all of them are working properly. In the best case scenario, the detectors, alarms, and emergency lighting will all work in tandem to alert employees and help them get out safely.
Inspection and Storage of Fire Equipment
You have equipment like axes, hoses, and fire extinguishers on hand. You also have an overhead sprinkler system designed to deploy when heat or smoke triggers the alarms. It never hurts to arrange for complete inspections of all equipment and supplies periodically. These inspections are in addition to those required by the fire marshal. An expert with one of the local fire safety services can set up a schedule and agenda for each of these inspections and ensure they are conducted correctly.
While you hope that a fire never happens, it pays to be prepared. Remember to evaluate your setup from time to time, and don’t hesitate to make upgrades when necessary. All it takes is one incident to justify all the time and expense you put into this important safety measure.
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