24/7 Emergency Service
Fire Evacuation Practice in Your Business
1/18/2021 (Permalink)
For those of you who own your own business, being aware of your potential risk is key—from both unpredictable natural or self-inflicted emergency situations. Commercial fires can be devastating for businesses, and tend to hit hardest for the ones that had no preparations in place.
Preparing for a fire at your business is something that involves many aspects, but our recommendation is always to start with safety first. Making sure you and your staff are able to quickly and calmly leave the building when the fire alarm sounds is the top priority, which is why we recommend starting with fire drills.
Starting Fire Safety With Workplace Evacuation Drills
Consult with your local fire officials. Researching your fire safety options online is a great way to gather information, but be sure to make use of your local resources as well. You can often work with your local fire department for them to visit and provide advice regarding what your options for fire safety improvements and evacuation routes are.
Communicate and mark fire evacuation routes. Once your evacuation routes have been determined, you should mark them clearly within the building and alert staff that a drill is forthcoming. By better preparing everyone in the building, you can be certain that the drill will go more smoothly.
Have fire drills frequently. Though taking time out of your day for a fire drill is not ideal, generally doing them once every few months is sufficient enough for everyone’s safety. Keep them on the schedule regularly enough so that everyone can remember the protocols, but not so often that they become mundane.
Run different fire scenarios. Fires can be extremely unpredictable, so it is wise to add some variance into your drills to better prepare for all possible scenarios. Fires can occur in many spots, so experiment with blocking off certain evacuation routes to reflect this and get your staff accustomed to using every possible exit point instead of just the one closest to them.
If your business has experienced fire damage, you can count on us. We specialize in commercial fire restoration and will be here for you at any hour—contact us today.