Fire Safety Tips for Office Buildings

by Kevin Smith Author

Fire can cause a lot of damage to an office building, and even worse, it can be dangerous for your employees, but there are steps you can take to minimize the risks. It helps to consult experts to get the best fire alarm system in Dover, DE, but there are a lot of points you should consider for yourself in the meantime.

Eliminate Hazards

Some wires and equipment can be major fire hazards when they’re damaged, so you and your team should regularly inspect everything in the building to make sure it’s in good shape. Be especially on the lookout for damaged electrical cords, overloaded outlets and circuits, and combustible objects near electrical equipment. Hazards don’t just come from the fire itself, though, so you should be sure your workplace floor is clear of obstacles, especially in front of fire exits. If people start tripping over loose items during an emergency, that only adds to the problem.

Prepare for Emergencies

No matter how hard you work to minimize your risks, there is always a danger of freak accidents or other situations that can cause a fire. For that reason, you need to prepare yourself for the worst and implement workplace policies to get everyone else on the same page. A large part of that is creating an evacuation plan and posting it clearly all around the building after distributing it to your employees. You should also conduct drills to make sure they are familiar with all of the routes out of the building. They should also know where to find all relevant safety equipment, such as fire extinguishers.

Use Alarms

Most office buildings have fire alarms and sprinklers of some kind, but that’s not always sufficient. For starters, you need to make sure you get the best fire alarm system in Dover, DE, and not something that may malfunction. When choosing your alarm, try to find one that has a visual alarm in addition to the audible one to accommodate the hearing impaired. After you purchase and install your alarms, you should test them and your sprinkler system once a month to make sure they still work. You should also change the batteries once a year to be safe, and you should generally change the alarms themselves every ten years. Check with the manufacturer of your particular alarm to find out how long it should last. While the alarm is in use, never disable it, as some people do, or you will render it useless.