When it comes to running a small business, there are usually a lot of things to think about to make sure that you are doing things right. Unfortunately, this means that things like fire protection and safety can sometimes be neglected. This can lead to problems if an emergency does arise, which means that is it extremely important not to neglect your fire safety systems.
There are a lot of things that you can do to make sure that your building is protected from fire. You can implement a number of essential fire protection systems to reduce the risk of a fire igniting and spreading through your building, and you can educate your employees so that they can control a fire effectively if one does arise.
Three essential fire protection systems that you should make sure that your business has include:
- A sprinkler system:
If you own or manage a relatively large business, you will probably be required to have a built in sprinkler system under workplace law, depending on which state or territory you operate in. However, it is important to note that you shouldn’t neglect to install a sprinkler system just because you don’t have to have one.
Fire sprinklers are arguably the most effective way to actively control fires before they get out of hand. If a fire is noticed early enough, sprinklers can be turned on, controlling or even extinguishing the fire without putting anyone at risk of harm. Some sprinkler systems will even turn on automatically when a fire is detected.
- Fireproof doors and walls:
Passive fire protection is also a very important safety feature when it comes to reducing your building’s fire risk. Fireproof walls are usually filled with a retarding material which can’t or won’t burn. This includes things like concrete or certain types of insulation. Fire-rated doors are usually made of metal or another non-flammable substance, and are designed to contain and stop the spread of a fire.
- Early warning systems:
Early warning systems are absolutely essential when it comes to workplace fire safety. You simply can’t rely on someone noticing a fire before it gets too big, because it could happen when no one is in the area.
Start with smoke detectors, and if possible, connect them to some sort of building-wide alarm system. Include a manual alarm if possible, just in case your smoke detectors fail for some reason, and consider making your fire alarm system voice compatible so that you can coordinate and control an evacuation.
Final Word:
Fire protection systems are essential to the safety of any business, small or large. If you haven’t reviewed your fire safety systems and equipment recently, now could be the time to do it. Make sure that your employees are educated, and make sure that they know what to do if an emergency does occur – such knowledge could save their life in a serious situation.