Fire will not only destroy property, it can also cause injuries and destroy lives. Individuals can lose jobs due to a fire in a workplace or business due to the location never being rebuilt afterward. To this end, the best defense against fire at your business is ensuring that you have provided your employees with the proper fire safety training.
With the proper training, your employees will only prove to be safe. Still, it will also provide the necessary skills to eliminate any type of fire hazard sufficiently. Without the proper training, a minor situation can quickly become a more significant incident, possibly resulting in a devastating if not deadly outcome.
No matter who you are, you are at risk if a fire breaks out. However, at the same time, some individuals might be at even greater risk due to where and when they may work. They may also not be sure of the layout of the premises or the location of specific equipment, which can only increase their overall risk.
Proper fire safety training will provide workers with the knowledge to recognize any potential fire hazards and assess risks that may lead to preventing the fire in the first place. If a fire occurs, they will be able to respond in a manner that can not only save their life but also the lives of those around them.
Recognizing A Hazard
Any fire safety training foundation is to identify the primary properties inherent in a fire. Simply put, a fire is started when heat can come into contact with fuel, and the presence of oxygen then stokes that. In a nutshell, the best method of preventing a fire is not to let a heat source come into contact with a fuel source.
Conducting An Assessment
A proper risk assessment will go a long way to identifying what your workplace may need in order to not only prevent a fire but to keep your employees safe. When conducting a risk assessment, you should consider:
- Currently established emergency exits and routes
- Systems for fire warning and detection
- Equipment for fighting a fire
- Dangerous substances either removed or sufficiently stored
- Evacuation plan in place in case of emergency
- Communications with everyone on the premises – employees and others
- Mandatory fire safety training for all staff
The crucial first step is for individuals to identify the existence of any possible fire hazards. The assessment will also provide vital information on those individuals who may be at risk, the necessary level of preparedness in the event of an emergency, and the overall effectiveness of the protocols.
Fire Prevention
Fire safety training is essential for ensuring that your workers are prepared in case of a fire hazard. The best defense is a great offense, and if you take the time to train your employees in the necessary steps to prevent a fire hazard, it will contribute to the overall safety of the workplace.
Ways of preventing a possible fire hazard in the workplace include:
- Make sure that the workplace is kept clean
- Designated specific areas for smoking and ensure individuals properly extinguished all smoking materials
- Provide clear and visible signage designating those areas of potential hazards
- Maintenance and maintain any machinery that may become overheated, resulting in sparks
- Properly dispose of any materials that have come into contact with any type of oil or fuel-based substance
- Safely utilize and store any form of chemicals
- Keep sprinklers free and clear, and do not block them with anything
- Ensure that each employee has been trained for the proper use of a fire extinguisher
Responding To A Fire
If a fire hazard does occur, everyone in the workplace must be properly prepared. Each individual will need to know the proper procedures and be able to work as a team to extinguish the fire if possible.
Employees will need to be trained in the proper skills, such as:
- The pre-established protocols and emergency plan
- The employees part in the plan
- Instruction in how to properly activate the fire alarm.
- Instructions on leaving the area, and the necessity of closing all the doors behind them
- Again, make sure each employee knows how to use a fire extinguisher.
Global Security Group, Inc. (GSG) was founded in 2001 shortly after attacks of 9/11 with a clear mission; use the knowledge, training and experience of our team of former US Federal Agents and senior officers from the Police and Fire Departments of the City of New York to meet the security and life safety needs of the private sector. Feel free to reach out to us for a consultation on your security needs.