Do you have a plan for running your business after a fire? What would happen to your business if it was destroyed, or even just damaged, by a fire? Even the time it would take to find a new location and replace equipment could cost you thousands in lost income and even lost clientele.
Over the last couple of weeks, you may have noticed the number of business-related fires across the nation. One such incident happened a few weeks ago right here in L.A. County, sending a ceramic worker to the hospital in critical condition. Accidents like these do happen daily and, even though the weather in Southern California is certainly a factor, there are many other variables that can start a fire at your place of business. The good news is that you can help turn all of that around by simply incorporating fire prevention at work. Some things to look at are:
- Risk Assessment: To maximize your efforts in fire prevention, a safety or risk assessment team should be appointed to properly identify potential risks in the workplace. Members of the safety team should then complete a full audit of the building and submit documentation of their findings to be corrected immediately.
- Evacuation: Plan evacuation routes through the building that prove to be the safest and most efficient. Back-up plans should be made in case certain paths are blocked or inaccessible. Completed maps should include emergency phone numbers for the fire department and police and be posted where they are visible to all employees. Proceed to teach and practice evacuation procedures with your employees on a regular basis.
- Training: Besides the evacuation procedures, your employees should also be trained on how to properly use a fire extinguisher. To use an extinguisher, the person must first pull out the safety pin, point the nozzle at the base of the fire, and squeeze the trigger while spraying the hose side-to-side along the width of the fire to extinguish the source of the flames. Failure to spray in this motion could lead to missed embers and the continual spread of the fire. After the flames are extinguished, open all the doors and windows to allow any leftover smoke and fumes to escape.
- Follow through: Any potential fire risks should be assessed and corrected immediately. If they are ignored, inspections from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) could lead to heavy sanctions as well as severe insurance liabilities (not to mention the possibility of a fire). Such consequences are always tougher on the bank account than the costs of fire prevention. Plus, there is the added bonus of your employees’ safety and wellbeing.
If your employees are not qualified, call us and we can complete the first audit for you and train your team, plan evacuation routes and assess potential fire risks. However, should your business catch fire or burn down for whatever reason, we have a team of professionals on standby strictly for Immediate Emergency Response.
We know that you need to provide your customers with uninterrupted service, or risk losing them—and losing money. Each day you can’t operate is money out of pocket, and we will get you back in business as soon as possible. For more information on commercial restoration contact us online or by phone and we can begin to strategize your business reconstruction immediately.
Don’t wait until a fire happens to have a plan. Call us now: (877) 732-8471