A Business Plan for Fire Emergencies

4/2/2019 (Permalink)

You may have taken measures to help prevent fire in your office, but are you prepared in case fire does break out? According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), U.S. fire departments respond to an average of 340 fires in office properties each year. Make sure your business is prepared for fire.

Check Fire Alarms

The first key is to have functioning fire alarms in your property. Smoke alarms save lives when properly installed and maintained, according to the NFPA.

Test smoke alarms monthly using the test button. Smoke alarms with non-replaceable batteries need the entire smoke alarm unit replaced every ten years. Other alarms need batteries replaced every year, and the unit replaced every ten years. If the alarm chirps signaling low battery, take the proper steps to replace the unit or the batteries immediately. Never disable or remove the battery from an alarm. Almost half of fires where smoke alarms were present but did not activate had missing or disconnected batteries (NFPA).

In larger commercial facilities, hard wired or wireless smoke alarms offer benefits such as not needing to be tested as often and activating throughout the entire building if smoke is detected in just one area (NFPA).

If you need help installing, testing or changing batteries in your smoke alarms, contact your local fire department, an electrician or the American Red Cross.

Create and Implement an Office Evacuation Plan

An emergency escape plan is not required for all businesses; however, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends building an emergency action plan to protect yourself, your employees, and your business during an emergency. OSHA suggests the following steps when developing such a plan.

• Organize an Emergency Preparedness Procedures review with employees to review your company’s emergency plans. You may wish to select an individual or team of individuals to lead and coordinate your emergency plan.
• Once a plan is developed, post evacuation procedures, including routes and exits, where they are easily accessible to all employees. Ensure all exits and routes are clearly marked and well lit, wide enough to accommodate the number of evacuating personnel, and unobstructed and clear of debris at all times.
• Conduct office evacuation exercises and drills. Designate a safe spot outside of the facility where employees can regroup, recover, and conduct a head count. Once completed, evaluate how well the plan worked and if additional training or exercises are needed.

Create a SERVPRO® Emergency READY Profile®

At SERVPRO of South Everett, we can create an Emergency READY Profile (ERP) for your business. When disaster strikes, you don’t want to spend time trying to figure out whom you should contact for what. Our ERPs include a detailed assessment of your facility along with a profile document and guide to getting you back to business faster after an incident. We even offer a mobile app for convenience. If you want to set up an Emergency READY Profile, call us today at 662-349-6500.

It is important to be prepared before a disaster like a fire hits your property. For the sake of your employees and your property, make sure your office is safe and prepared. If disaster does strike, SERVPRO of Desoto, Tate, & Tunica Counties is always here to help. Give us a call at 662-349-6500.