Fire safety in the workplace is a critical part of maintaining a successful business. After all, you can’t have your employees or patrons at risk just because your office caught fire could you? Fires are not only dangerous but very costly. Often, business fires result in heavy damage, expensive repairs and lost revenues. This is why a fire safety audit is needed for your business.

Fire safety should be top-of-mind for all business owners. Make sure you protect not just your business but also your employees against fire safety risks in the workplace by following these simple tips for fire safety in the workplace.

1. Have an evacuation strategy

Evacuating during an emergency is never easy, but with some preparation it can be made safe and efficient for everyone. In fact, the government has laws regarding how any business must ensure that potentially dangerous situations are accounted for before employees or clients fall victim to them. In this case because fires are so common during the early stages of a company’s beginning, you need to have a well-defined plan to make sure people can escape safely if the need should arise.

2. Maintain fire safety equipment

A fire is the trickiest of all enemies. It’s been known to strike many a fighter down from his perch on high. Luckily, there are always ways to work with your rival to find a way out of the fight alive and on top. One such safety measure is by understanding and implementing proactive safety procedures so as to evade and hence prevent unwanted and unexpected accidents from occurring on the job.

Set up a schedule and stick to it. There’s nothing wrong with reminding yourself of the tasks at hand by setting up calendar reminders and/or setting aside time for taking care of your home and other things. For example, you might want to set out to change the batteries in your smoke detectors around springtime when daylight savings time comes around since it may have slipped your mind lately.

3. Train your employees

Human error is a common cause of fire in the workplace. The improper handling of chemicals, unsafe storage areas, and workplace accidents are just a few of the many situations that could spark a fire.

Employers should provide an adequate amount of safety training for their employees to ensure they are properly equipped with the knowledge to work safely. Teach your employees to understand safety procedures and how they can help ensure safety within the workplace, thereby reducing careless or negligent behaviour that might cause an accident.

4. Properly store and dispose of hazardous materials

Designate a space for your valuable items. Make sure this area is ventilated so no fires will start in the area. Don’t store flammable materials near highly combustible ones like gasoline or paint.

5. Eliminate electrical hazards

Electrical fires are common reasons for businesses to burn down. Allowing outlets to overload, lights to be left on too long and never changing the air conditioning filter is very dangerous. Encourage your employees to point out these fire hazards before they actually turn into a fire, like if the floor is getting scorching hot beneath their feet.

Conclusion

As a business owner, it’s critical to be aware of the fire safety risks in your workplace and to take steps to mitigate fire safety risks with a fire safety audit. We hope this post has helped you learn more about fire safety in the workplace and how to protect your employees and your business against fire safety issues.