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Fire Safety

Fire Safety Guide

Do you own a business? Do you have all of the necessary precautions in place to prevent and minimize fires? Many businesses think that installing fire alarms, extinguishers, and proper lighting is all it takes. However, there is more to a comprehensive fire safety program. An all-encompassing fire safety program starts with the basics and educating your employees with the right knowledge for when they need it most –during a fire. In 2015, more than 136,000 non-residential fires were reported according to the NFPA. These fires resulted in nearly 2,000 injuries and more than three billion dollars in property damage. As a business owner or manager, training employees on fire safety needs to be a priority to avoid becoming a statistic. To help you train properly, we’ve put together a list of standards every member of your team needs to understand.

The Importance of Properly Maintaining All Fire Equipments

  • Fire extinguishers, emergency lighting, fire suppression systems, alarm systems, sprinkler systems and all fire equipment require regular maintenance. This maintenance is not only a requirement by applicable codes and regulations, it is essential to ensure the equipment stays in proper working order so it can provide the protection it was designed to provide.
  • Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors – the importance of having the proper types, quantities, changing batteries, etc.
  • Fire escape planning:

https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Staying-safe/Preparedness/Escape-planning

  • Emergency preparedness:

https://www.redcross.org
https://www.fema.gov
https://www.ready.gov

  • The ‘Authority Having Jurisdiction’ can address specific hazard situations and interpret applicable codes and regulations. This is typically a State or local Fire Marshal.

Fire extinguishers are rated by UL (Underwriters Laboratory) to assign a numeric value, symbolic of how much fire they are expected to extinguish. These ratings are used to select the proper size and type fire extinguisher for commercial and industrial applications.

How to Use a Fire Extinguisher

When it’s time to use a fire extinguisher, remember : PASS
fire-extinguisher-instructions

Types of Fires

There are five types of fires that require different extinguishing agents to fully eliminate them:
fc-a
Type A fires include solid everyday materials like paper, trash, or wood.
fc-b

Type B fires include flammable liquids like petroleum, gas, or oil-based paints.

fc-c
Type C fires include an electrical source like an appliance, motor, or transformer.
class-d
Type D fires includes combustible metals like potassium, sodium, aluminum, and magnesium.
fc-k
Type K fires occur in cooking oils or grease.

Safety Rules to Follow

There are five types of fires that require different extinguishing agents to fully eliminate them:

  • Keep work areas free of debris.
  • Report or replace any damaged cords or outlets.
  • Only use approved containers for transporting combustible or flammable liquids or metals.
  • Practice fire safety procedures consistently.
  • Inspect and test fire prevention systems regularly.

Westminster Fire Extinguisher Services believes training employees on fire safety and prevention is a crucial part of your fire safety plan. Scheduling meetings on the topics listed above and adhering to fire codes will help minimize your risk for fires in the future.