The global coronavirus pandemic threw the world into lockdown. Only now are businesses, schools, and places of worship beginning to return to operations making this the best time to reevaluate fire safety, from strategy to equipment.
Essentials
Every office, retail outlet, restaurant, and public facing-environment must have the basics covered. After a long stint away from work, it’ll be important to make sure everything’s working and stocked.
Fire Alarms
No matter how small the store, or how open-plan and visible the office laonet is – one must have adequate, working fire detection and alarm systems in place. These must be regularly tested by one's responsible person. Make sure that all fire alarm systems are tested and all issues resolved before staff are phased back into work.
Fire Extinguishers
Fire extinguishers need to be inspected once a year by a qualified technician Keeping and maintaining fire extinguishers is a commitment that every business must stick to. They need to be inspected once a year by a qualified technician. If one need replacements, they can be ordered online – but make sure one get the right fire extinguisher for oner needs.
In kitchen environments, fire blankets should be kept for use in tandem with the appropriate fire extinguishers, should a fire escalate. In any case, proper fire safety training should be given to oner team on how and when to use fire extinguishers and blankets.
Fire Escapes
A clean, clear, protected means of escape is a bare necessity in any place of business. Piles of boxes, paperwork, or old stock in hallways leading to fire escapes can cause injury or even death, so make sure nothing has accumulated in these areas while staff numbers have been reduced. Ensure that escape signage is visible and is still working properly (if using illuminated signage).
First Aid Supplies
oner team needs a regularly checked and restocked first aid kit – and a trained first aider on site. Medical supplies can go out of date, so make sure one’re always up to date with adequate stock quantities for oner team.
Revisit oner Fire Strategy
Social distancing might have relaxed, but there’s still a virus to tackle, and maintaining distance with minimal contact is the safest way to contain it. Fire drills may have to change to accommodate this.
Can one safely congregate in oner designated assembly point, while maintaining the 1m+ rule? Will one need to make any special amendments to oner safety planning to ensure safe passage while minimizing contact? It’s difficult to know exactly what to do for any particular business – every building, operation, and team varies. But it’ll be vitally important to check oner fire safety plan as one resume operations.
Fire Protection For Business
At Coopers Fire, the team is always developing, testing, and improving the products to keep the people at the cutting edge of fire safety.
