Something no one wants to happen but need to be aware of the risks of is fire. Fires can start so easily and spread drastically, potentially causing serious injuries to people or even death. Not to mention destroying almost everything in its path. Having a fire is too big of a risk to take, that’s why determining the hazards of a fire is extremely important in order to prevent this tragic occurrence from happening.
At WINNS, we have created a list of common fire hazards in the workplace, so you can hopefully make sure you don’t have these hazards in your offices, preventing a fire from ever happening in your place of work.
OPENED FIRE DOORS
As the hot month’s approach, we all like to get some fresh air flowing through the office, to reduce the stuffiness. However, it is essential the fire exit doors stay closed. This is because they are there to provide a safe passage if for any awful reason a fire did occur. By leaving these doors open, a fire could easily spread, blocking the safe passage, potentially leaving victims hopeless as they cannot get to safety. So no matter how hot you get in the office, for the safety of everyone in the workplace, these doors must stay closed.
HOW TO PREVENT
Ensure all doors have a sign on them stating they need to be kept shut and only used in the event of a fire, or a fire drill. Keeping doors and windows open that aren’t included in the fire exit safety procedures is fine, so you can still allow airflow into your workplace, but just not from any of the fire exits.
BLOCKED FIRE EXITS
As we have just discussed, fire exit doors are extremely important in the occurrence of a fire, as they are your route to safety. However, in day to day life, we don’t tend to consider a fire actually happening, even though the risk is very real. Offices can get overcrowded and in some cases the fire exit can be blocked. This simply cannot happen, for the safety of everyone in the building.
HOW TO PREVENT
You need to regularly do checks on all your fire exits, making sure they are easy to access. If by any means the pathway to these exits is blocked, they immediately need to be cleared as in the case of a fire, these doors are your only source of evacuation. By making sure your building has enough storage space so these paths do not get blocked is essential.
DUST
Dust can be found on almost anything in the office and can be extremely dangerous. When there is too much build-up of dust it can turn into a fire or in some cases even an explosion. For example, if a computer had a lot of built-up dust, then started to overheat, this could catch fire. Therefore it is essential that you reduce the amount of dust in the office as much as possible.
HOW TO PREVENT
Hiring well-trained cleaners as well as installing ventilation fans can ensure that a build-up of dust cannot settle on any appliances in your workplace. This then highly reduces the risk of any dust causing a fire in the workplace.
FAULTY MACHINERY
Another huge risk of a fire is faulty machinery. Whether the wiring is faulty or the appliance is constantly overheating, the machinery could be a huge hazard. This type of hazard can be hard to spot if you do not have a professional to help determine the issue.
HOW TO PREVENT
It is crucial that all equipment is constantly being checked in the workplace, as a wire trip could occur at any given moment. By implementing a planned and preventative maintenance service, the risk of any faulty machinery causing a fire is reduced massively. We provide this service at WINNS, so if you feel you are at risk of a fire from this cause, make sure you head over to our page to find out how we can help you.
NEGLIGENCE
One of the most common sources of fire is simply negligence within the workplace. Not being aware of what may start a fire in the office is 9/10 times when a fire starts. Making sure everyone in the workplace knows what to do to avoid a fire is simply essential.
HOW TO PREVENT
Educating everyone in the workplace about these risks is vital, so they can ensure they do not contribute to any potential hazards. Also running regular fire safety alarm checks alongside practise fire drills can honestly save lives, so make sure you are enforcing this into your work regime.
Now you are aware of the 5 common fire hazards in the workplace and how to prevent them, you should be at a much lower risk of being involved in a fire. Make sure everyone in the workplace is aware of these risks as it only takes one small wrong move for a fire to occur. Don’t take that risk and educate everyone in the workplace today.