It’s important to take the time to recognize the increase in fire risks to your business and ensure employees are properly trained in all safety precautions.
Space heaters
With cooler temperatures settling in, you may find your workspace is struggling to find the perfect temperature for everyone. As a solution, your businesses may allow personal space heaters to be used. If you allow space heaters it is important to remind employees not to place anything on the heater and that they need to be plugged directly into an outlet, not a power strip. Power strips have been known to overheat when connected to space heaters and can melt, or even catch fire. They should also unplug the space heater, and other small appliances, when not in use or before leaving for the day.
Heating and cooling systems
Speaking of temperatures, no matter where your office is located it’s likely that your heating system is going to kick on overnight. Be sure you’ve had regular maintenance done and that air filters are clean. Being proactive reduces the chance of something going wrong when no one is there to catch it. Remind employees to also not place anything on the heating vents, like wet gloves, as this can be a fire hazard
Decorations
Is your business getting into the festive spirit with decorations? If you’ve put up decorations, make sure they are not near a heat source. Decorations tend to be made or paper and other highly flammable materials. If you’ve put up any decorative lights it is recommended to turn them off before heading home for the night.
What else can you do?
- Check smoke alarm batteries and fire extinguishers expiration dates
- Have a fire safety and evacuation plan
- Have a post fire recovery plan
- Review your Business Insurance policy to ensure your limits of liability accurately reflect the value of your business should a fire cause a complete loss. Contact s for a free review of your insurance program.
