Do You Need a Fire Safety Plan For Your Business?

Did someone say fire plan...what is a fire safety plan?

Fire Departments and building occupants use a fire safety plan to aid them in evacuating a hazardous building. Fire plans allow the occupant to know where they are and the following key component to deal with an emergency situation.

Location of all exit doors
Location of all fire extinguishers
Location of all fire pull stations

A Fire Safety Plan also includes a written fire safety manual for staff and property owners.

WHO NEEDS A FIRE SAFETY PLAN?

The fire code states, a fire safety plan is required for any:

Building that is equipped with a fire alarm system
Premise that handles or stores flammable or combustible liquids
Premise that handles hazardous material
Premise that is considered a construction site

HOW OFTEN DO I NEED TO UPDATE MY FIRE PLAN?

Unless you have structural changes to your premise, updating a fire plan is not necessary.

What Kind of business are you talking about?

Commercial Building such as
Restaurants
Fast Food places
Bars
Night Clubs
Retail Stores like Futures shop, The Bay, Sears, Shoppers Drug Mart, Best Buy
Malls

Did I mention that you should have a fire plan for your house....here are some tips.

Talk to your family about fire safety. Ask your children what they know, and fill in the blanks as you discuss escape routes and ways to extinguish a fire.

Step 2

Plan an escape route as a family. There should be two exits from every room. Draw a map of the escape plan and post it in every occupied room of the house. Include emergency numbers on the plan.

Step 3

Teach your children how to escape and how to extinguish a fire. Buy window ladders for every occupied second- or third-floor room. Show your children how to climb out the windows. Show them how to crawl under smoke to find an exit. Show them how to cover their mouths and noses with their shirts to assist breathing. Show your children how to stop, drop and roll if fire is on their person.

Step 4

Designate older family members to assist very young or very old family members in the event of a fire.

Step 5

Decide on a meeting spot outside the house. Have all family members meet at the gathering spot after every drill. After two people have reached the meeting spot, one should go for help.

Step 6

Let children hear the fire alarm in your house. Young children become frightened and confused very easily. If an alarm goes off in the house and then the room fills with smoke, you want your child to know what to do - not hide in a closet because of fear.

Step 7

Practice. Set up the fire safety plan and rehearse it at least every six months. Designate a monthly fire marshal in your house, who will set up practice dates and lead the exercise.

Aman Cheema http://www.getfireplan.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Aman_Cheema

Tags: Business, Safety, Fire

The Role of a Fire Extinguisher in Fire Safety Regulation Compliance

On October 1, 2006, new legislation on Fire Safety in the UK was implemented. One of the major changes was that employers are now solely responsible for ensuring their business premises undergo a proper fire safety risk assessment and for the fire safety within their premises. Under the revised rules, there is a legally assigned 'responsible person' who will shoulder complete liability in case of a fire. With such an enormous responsibility placed, the business owner must be able to provide sufficient fire safety and fire fighting equipment for the protection of the employees or people who enter the workplace. One of the best fire-fighting tool is the fire extinguisher.

The fire extinguisher has undergone many improvements in the past few years. With all these new features, there is a type available for practically any kind of business and for any type of fire. In order to determine which type to install in the workplace, it is important to obtain information regarding the classes of fires and the extinguisher which is suitable for stopping the spread of fire. In the UK, six classes of fire exist: Class A: solids (paper, wood, cloth, etc); Class B: liquids (flammable liquids such as petrol and diesel); Class C: flammable gas; Class D: flammable metals Class F: cooking oils, grease; and Electrical Class.

Different areas of a specific business establishment will start different classes of fires. For instance, in a hotel, there is a high possibility an Electrical Class fire will occur in the office instead of in the hotel kitchen, which is likely to have a Class F fire. As the person who is responsible for fire safety in the establishment, you should be aware a wet chemical fire extinguisher is the best type for this section of the hotel. Meanwhile, the hotel office will benefit more from the automatic, powder, and CO2 extinguishers.

In addition to complying with the UK law to have this device accessible in the business area, the business owner must also check that employees are properly educated as to the correct way to operate a fire extinguisher. Remember that with the proper training, the person handling the extinguisher can stop the spread of a potentially destructive fire and buy some time for the professional fire fighters to handle it. Finally, a monthly inspection must be conducted internally and the observations recorded in a 'Fire Log Book'. This allows you to verify that the fire extinguisher will fulfill its purpose should it be necessary to use it.

A fire is one of the most devastating tragedies a business can experience. At the very least, it can disrupt work and lose the business owner money. At its worst, it can lead to lost lives and the possibility that the business will not be able to recover from the misfortune. It has happened before, and it can happen again. Comply with the fire regulations and invest in a fire extinguisher. As a highly effective weapon against the destruction which an uncontrolled fire can wreak, it will guarantee you, your employees, and your clients' greater peace of mind.

Bennett Glover is a professional fire safety expert and consultant for commercial businesses to help promote fire safety and awareness in the UK area. He regularly writes articles to inform the general public about the safest ways of handling fires and how to prevent them in the first place. His knowledge and expertise has earned him many writing and speaking engagements. He enjoys teaching fire safety to students, business owners, and learning institutions to help save lives.

For more tips and information about fire extinguisher and car fire extinguisher, please visit: http://www.fireprotectiononline.co.uk/car-fire-extinguisher/.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bennett_Glover

Tags: Compliance, Safety, Regulation, Extinguisher