Strategies for Making Your Office More Fire Safe: Image by PatternPictures from Pixabay.

Fire safety may not be top-of-mind in an office environment, but it should be. Office managers, safety supervisors or terminal managers within an organisation should take extra care to ensure worker safety and protect the security of the office environment. Making sure there are efficient fire safety notices placed around the building, enough fire extinguishers, and no fire hazards on the premises are the bare minimum effort any managers should be making to keep employees safe. However, fire safety and making your office more fire safe is everyone’s responsibility.

Ultimately, no one likes to think too much about the possibility of their property being affected by a fire. That being said it is no secret that fires can have disastrous consequences. Moreover, in the immediate aftermath of a fire, it is important that you act quickly and assess any fire damage as soon as possible.

In most incidences, restoring a property after a fire is a task that is best left to the experts. Fortunately, nowadays there are plenty of fire damage restoration out there that can help property owners to plan their next steps. Accordingly, if you’re dealing with fire damage in Chicago, Illinois then reaching out to a team of reputable fire damage restoration specialists such as ServiceMaster Restoration by Zaba is strongly recommended.

Fire Safety Tips for Office Environments

There are several things you can do to make your office more fire-safe. Also, encourage workers to reduce the risk that a fire may happen:

• Maintain orderliness throughout the office. Remind your staff to keep their work areas neat and clean, and create policies for cleanliness; especially around dock areas for loading and unloading equipment. Properly maintain and keep all equipment clean. 
• Do not allow litter or trash to accumulate, and schedule regular and appropriate trash and recycling disposal days if your janitorial service doesn’t empty all receptacles throughout the office. 
• Prohibit smoking outside of designated areas, which should be placed far away from any hazardous materials or electrical equipment. 
• Regularly check all fire extinguishers to make sure they are at full charged, and their contents have not expired. Make sure to well mark the fire extinguishers.

More Fire Safety Tips

• Additionally, those ones here are some more. Make sure all exits are accessible and clear of obstructions. 
• Seal joints, voids, irregular holes in walls or partitions, and any gaps around pipes or wiring with a sealant such as Everbuild Tecnic Sealants. The fireproof sealant will swell if exposed to temperatures in excess of 150°C to prevent the passage of fire and smoke. 
• Also, regularly check electrical wiring to prevent electrical fires caused by stripped or exposed wires. Ensure that all cabling has adequate grounds and good connections. Designate an individual or team to be responsible for this task. 
• Do not store hazardous materials within the office. If your business requires the handling of hazardous materials, minimise the storage of such items and limit storage to designated and secure areas. Appropriate storage can significantly reduce the risk of an accident. 
• Inform dock workers about the risk of an accident if non-compatible materials are stored or transported together. Maintain a chart for loading and storage for their review, to prevent the risk of storing non-compatible materials in the same terminal area. 

More and More Fire Safety Tips

• Moreover, invoke policies for handling flammable liquids. Remind workers to look out for leaks, and deal with them properly if they occur. 
• Also, create accident prevention policies and schedule regular policy reviews and drills to make sure all workers know; and understand the procedures to follow in the event of an accident or fire. The procedures should include the location of all fire extinguishers and fire alarm pull stations, a review of the types of extinguishers and how to use them, and emergency evacuation scenarios and gathering points. 
• Furthermore, keep an emergency plan posted at every terminal throughout the office. Your staff should know whom among the staff member(s) are to call the fire department and how to evacuate the building safely. 
• If a fire happens, maintain calm and do not panic. Remind everyone to follow the emergency procedures and evacuate safely. 
• Lastly, be wary of arsonist activities or flammables left in unusual places. If you notice something, tell your supervisor or the safety manager directly.