How to Create a Fire Escape Plan For Your Business

12/12/2022 (Permalink)

Creating a Fire Escape Plan for Your Business

Fire safety is an important part of running a business and having a fire escape plan in place can help you to prevent fires and reduce the impact if one does occur. By following these steps, your business will be able to create a fire escape plan that meets legal requirements and keeps people safe in the event of an emergency.

Know the Layout of Your Building

The first step to creating a fire escape plan is to know the layout of your building. For example, do you know where your fire extinguishers are located? Do you know how to use them in case of an emergency? Are there any other safety measures in place, such as sprinklers or alarms, that would help alert you if a fire broke out? Knowing these details can help guide your evacuation route and prepare you for what may come.

Practice Your Evacuation Plan Regularly

Talk through potential emergencies with employees. You should have a meeting with all of your employees. At this meeting, discuss what to do if there is a fire and what everyone needs to do if they are trapped in a room. Make sure that everyone knows how to use the available fire extinguishers, too.

You should practice your fire escape plan at least twice a year, and more often if your business requires it. If you are required by law to have a fire drill, you'll need to make sure all employees know what's expected of them during the drill. You may also want to consider conducting drills with more than one employee present, so they can all practice working together in an emergency situation.

If you don't have any legal requirements for fire drills, but still want to conduct them more frequently than twice a year (as we strongly recommend), ensure that everyone knows why they're taking part in these exercises and how they can help avoid putting themselves or others at risk when an actual emergency occurs.

Take Note of Fire Hazards

It's important to keep an eye out for fire hazards. Fire hazards include combustible materials—wood, paper, plastics, and fabrics—as well as electrical equipment like extension cords, lighting fixtures and outlets. Heating appliances such as space heaters, steam irons and coffee pots are also potential sources of fire.

Fire hazards can be prevented by using the right type of material or equipment in your business. For example:

• Use fire-resistant materials instead of those that are flammable
• Check to see if your wall outlets are properly grounded before plugging electrical devices into them. If they're not properly grounded, they could cause sparking that could result in a fire or shock hazard when plugged into an outlet with a faulty ground connection.

Make the Plan Easily Accessible

Post evacuation routes and floor plans where they can be seen. Make sure that emergency evacuation plans are posted in visible places and clearly marked so that everyone knows how to get out of the building. This includes posting an up-to-date version of your emergency procedures, which should include instructions on what to do in an emergency, where all exits are located, how to find a fire extinguisher if one is needed, etc.

Share information with employees regularly--not just when there's an incident! While it's true that businesses should train their workers on what steps they need to take during an actual incident (such as when someone passes out from smoke inhalation), it's also wise for employers to share this information with employees regularly. 

Keep fire extinguishers on-site and know how to use them

Fire extinguishers are your first line of defense in the event of a fire. They should be kept on hand and easily accessible at all times. If you have multiple exits, make sure there is an extinguisher near each one.

If you have more than one type of fire extinguisher on-site, know how to use them. 

Class A fires involve paper products, such as books or cardboard boxes. Use water or dry chemical to put out these fires.

Class B fires involve flammable liquids like gasoline or solvents that are stored in their containers for immediate use. Use water or foam to put out these fires (foam will expand over time so it's ideal for this situation). It's important not to let the fumes from Class Bs build up too much before extinguishing them; otherwise they can explode!

Class C fires involve electrical equipment such as televisions and computers—and believe us when we say that no one wants those things exploding in their office space! When dealing with this type of burn hazard, unplug any nearby equipment immediately (if possible) and then turn off power at its source if there isn't an easy way around doing so without touching exposed wires directly yourself first; once all electricity has been cut off safely without risk involved then proceed with using foam instead because it won't conduct electricity like water would do so quickly put out those flames before they spread further throughout your workspace environment where they might damage other objects nearby.

In summary, fire safety is of paramount importance. As a business owner, it’s your responsibility to ensure that your employees are safe and prepared in the event of an emergency. By following this guide and creating a fire escape plan with your team today, you can ensure greater peace of mind tomorrow.