Fire Prevention for Your Small Business

Fires are a serious threat to any business, but they're especially dangerous for small businesses. A small business is more likely than a larger corporation to be located in an older building with walls that are likely to contain flammable materials and less likely to have sprinkler systems or fire exits. There are steps to take to protect your workplace from fires. Here are a few ways to prioritize fire prevention for your business:

Paper & Combustibles Near Heat Source

When it comes to small business fire safety, you need to make sure that paper, wood and plastic are kept away from heat sources. If you have a stove or oven in your kitchen, it's important that you don't leave any paper or other combustible materials near heat sources like this. Be vigilant and remove or move any flammable materials away from heat. 

Install & Test Smoke Detectors

Make sure you have the right type of detector for your business. Some buildings may need heat-activated battery-powered smoke detectors while other buildings may be better off with ionization or photoelectric types that are designed to sound an alarm when small amounts of smoke are detected. 

Keep all detectors clean by vacuuming them regularly or dusting with a damp cloth. If they're hardwired into the electrical system rather than plugged into outlets, make sure that wiring is never damaged or exposed. Also, remember to change the batteries in your smoke detectors once a year. Keeping your detectors well maintained helps prevent severe fire damage! 

Fire Extinguisher Use

The most important thing to remember about fire extinguishers is that you should only use them in an emergency! Here are some guidelines for knowing when it's time to stop what you're doing and pull out your extinguisher:

• If a fire appears to be large and moving fast, call the fire department instead of trying to put out yourself. Fires spread quickly if they aren't dealt with right away.
• If you know how to operate a fire extinguisher, follow all safety precautions and instructions on the label. 
• Let the fire department know you used your business’s fire extinguisher if it was necessary. 

Train Staff to be Prepared

The first step in ensuring that your employees are prepared to deal with a fire is to train them. Your staff should know what to look for, how to react and where the nearest exits are located. Make sure that you train all of your employees on these topics and keep track of the dates they were trained. Businesses are inspected for evacuation and emergency situation procedures. 

You should also make sure that everyone knows what kind of equipment is used during an emergency and where it's stored (in case they're unable to reach it).

Easy Fire Prevention and Precautions

Fires are preventable, and taking some precautions helps keep your small business safer from fires. Here are a few more tips for fire precautions and safety: 

• Make sure your team knows where the fire alarms and extinguishers are located. 
• Have an evacuation plan in place in case there's a fire. If everyone knows exactly where they should be heading when something goes wrong, it'll be easier for everyone involved.
• Keep an eye on those electrical outlets! Make sure that all cords are properly plugged into the wall and not frayed at al. 

It is important  to take care of your small business, including creating precautions in case of emergency. The last thing you want is for your employees or customers to get hurt in a fire, so it’s important that everyone is aware of the potential dangers and knows what to do if something does go wrong. If you do experience fire damage to your business, call our team at Rocky Top Restoration. We are trained to help any business after fire and smoke damage.