Fire Safety is of great importance in any building. As a business owner, you’re responsible for ensuring that your workplace meets all required health and safety standards. Therefore it is crucial that your working environment complies with all building regulations and fire codes, to ensure the safety of your employees.

Here are 10 tips on how to prevent a workplace fire:

1) Accessibility

Never block the panels, which are used to shut down power in the case of an emergency, provide full accessibility to electrical control panels. It’s important to never block sprinklers, firefighting equipment or emergency exits and observe clearances when stacking materials.

2) Keep it clutter-free

Keep your workplace as clutter-free as possible and ensure equipment and other materials are properly stored. Ensure that anything that may easily catch fire, including waste paper or trash, are kept to a minimum and the area is free of clutter

3) Report Electrical Hazards

Faulty wiring and malfunctioning electrical equipment are key contributors to workplace fires, so it’s important that everyone in the environment keeps a lookout for any potential electrical faults, and immediately draws attention to them.

4) Proper Waste Disposal

Discard of any fire hazards in the workplace such as oily rags – by placing them in a covered metal container and emptying it on a regular basis.

5) Maintenance

Check and perform maintenance on machines regularly and keep a record of this routine maintenance. Ensure that the machines in your workplace are properly maintained to prevent overheating and friction sparks

6) Be aware of chemicals

Always read the label and the Material Safety Data Sheet to assess flammability and other fire hazards of a substance. When using and storing chemical materials, remember to do so in an area with adequate ventilation.

7) Don’t overload circuits

Overloading electrical circuits with more than the recommended capacity can cause the fuse to blow, overheat and become a huge fire hazard.8) Maximum Building Security

8) Designated smoking areas

Ensure that there is a smoke area available and that all workers who smoke on the job are using it. Proper extinguishing of smoking materials should always be enforced and instructions that remind employees to properly discard of their cigarettes.

9) Fire Extinguishers

It’s important to ensure that the workplace has the appropriate type and number of fire extinguishers to account for the size and the company, and that everyone in the area knows how to operate them correctly, in the case of an emergency.

10) Fire Drills and Evacuation Plan

Conduct fire drills at least twice a year and implement a designated spot where employees will meet once they exit the building. It is also important to educate employees about fire drill procedures – review your plan with your local fire solutions company to assess its effectiveness.

It is vital that you have the correct fire protection strategies in place to help minimize the risk of a fire at your place of work. We at Flame Resist understand the concerns of facility managers and business owners, therefore, we recommend cost-effective solutions that will bring you in compliance with the Ontario Fire Code and protect your employees in the unfortunate event of a fire.