How is Your Company’s Fire Protection?

Five Questions for Business Owners.

October is Fire Safety Awareness month so no matter what kind of business you own or manage, it’s a great time to make sure you are ready for an emergency.  A fire can cause serious damage to your company’s facility and equipment, not to mention employees. This is as good a month as any to make sure you have these five ‘checks’ taken care of your office and/or facilities.

1. Are your fire hazard risks assessed properly? Some businesses have greater fire risks than others, but there are very few businesses that have none. They all need to be properly assessed so the proper prevention can be implemented accordingly. Some local governments offer fire marshal visits, or workplace fire risk assessment guidance from your building’s property manager.  A commercial fire safety firm can also help you mitigate problems.

2. Do you have emergency plans in place? Do you have an evacuation plan and do your employees know what to do in case of a fire? Do they have fire training, so that they know how to use fire extinguishers, and when to use them?

3. Does your workplace perform fire drills? When was the last time your workplace conducted a fire drill? If you cannot remember, it has probably been too long. These are the times when you can all practice getting to the stairs and quickly getting out of the building in case of fire. It can also be a chance for your workplace to recognize — and fix — any deficiencies in the evacuation process.

4. Do you have the right fire protection equipment installed? Your fire safety equipment needs likely include sprinkler systems, but you might need more to be up to code or compliant with regulations. Industries dealing with machinery that overheats or flammable substances might need a suppression system tailored to your business. In addition, when a fire system is connected to a fully accredited monitoring provider, like SG Security, emergency response to an incident is quick and automatic, no matter what time of day, potentially minimizing damage and loss.

5. Do you have scheduled routine equipment inspections?  Even if you have the right sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers, and suppression systems, they also need routine inspections (at least annually) to keep everything in working order. Know what tests you can do yourself, and which require professional visits from fire alarm technicians.

Perhaps now is the time to take action. Contact us or call 1-800-635-5760 if you need assistance with a fire detection system.  SG Security can monitor your system, perform your fire inspection, check your smokes and CO detectors, or design a new system to keep your employees and property safe.