In any office, warehouse, or factory, fire prevention is very important. You want to protect your assets, files, products, and employees from any damages and injuries. The bottom line: Fire prevention is necessary to protect your source of income.
Therefore, it’s not enough that you keep a fire extinguisher accessible to everyone in times of emergency; you need to install a reliable fire alarm system that will prevent an incident even before it starts.
What constitutes a reliable fire alarm system? Here’s everything you should know.
Components of a Reliable Fire Alarm System
1. Fire Detectors
Fire detectors sense one or more causes of fire and send out an alarm when they reach a certain level. These include smoke, heat, infrared, and gas. In certain fire detectors, they also sense ultraviolet light radiation.
2. Smoke and Heat Detectors
Unlike fire detectors, a smoke detector can only sense smoke, and a heat detector can only sense heat. When there’s a surplus of smoke or heat in a room, they send out an alarm to let you know.
3. Manual Call Points
Manual call points are easy-access buttons that a person in the building can press to alarm others in case of a fire.
4. Control Panel
When there’s a fire, the different detectors in your system will send an alarm to the control panel so that the people in the building will know where the fire is. (This also works with excessive amounts of fire, heat, or smoke.) The control panel allows the people in the building to evacuate safely and gives them enough time to call the local fire department.
Do’s and Don’ts of Fire Prevention
Even when you already have a fire alarm system installed, personal accountability is still very important. You need to know what you should and shouldn’t do in case of a fire emergency. At the same time, your employees, and any person within the commercial building (everyone under your management and responsibility), should have the proper knowledge needed when there’s a fire. Here are some fire prevention do’s and don’ts to give you a basic idea:
1. Do have your fire alarm system regularly checked to make sure that everything is working properly.
2. Do train your employees on what to do in case of a fire emergency.
3. Don’t throw away any documentation that came with your fire alarm system.
4. Do have your fire extinguishers tested regularly to see if they’re working properly and have enough pressure.
5. Do train your employees on how to use a fire extinguisher properly.
6. Don’t keep an old fire extinguisher in the building.
7. Do install the right lighting inside your building to prevent overheating.
8. Do have your electrical system regularly checked.
9. Don’t neglect fire hazards.
10. Do have designated fire exits in the building that are easily accessible to everyone.
By installing a reliable fire alarm system and following these fire prevention do’s and don’ts, you are able to protect your business and employees from serious damages and injuries.