With oxygen, heat, and fuel, a small ignition can cause a fire that spreads fast. A burning fire can emit fierce, dry heat that fuels spread to flammable items nearby, causing more property damage. If your building catches fire, the top trusted water restoration experts in Portland, OR, can help stop further damage.
A fire’s fumes, smoke, and heat can cause damage and poor visibility; the lack of oxygen makes it challenging to escape a building on fire. Paying attention to early warning signs of fire from machines like smoke and fire alarms in buildings, and knowing how to act in case of a fire, minimizes risk and damage.
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Common Causes of Fire
Any building can catch fire, but you can adequately manage the risks and damages. Here are the common causes of fire in residential and commercial properties.
Cigarettes and Cigars
Smoking in public areas can ignite fires, but designated smoking zones can help you prevent fires. There’s still a high risk in designated smoking zones if sparks or lit filters aren’t properly disposed of.
The Kitchen
The kitchen is a sensitive zone in a home, making it a significant hazard. Keep flammable materials from open flames and unattended pots.
Overloading Sockets
Overloaded sockets are a big issue in workplaces and households. The reliance on electrical equipment is unavoidable, but it’s essential to avoid connecting too many devices into one socket, as it increases the risk of igniting a fire.
Fire Prevention
Fitting your home with a fire alarm can reduce the fire risk and damage. Licensed fire protection technicians should inspect your fire alarms regularly to ensure it’s in good condition when needed. It’s also necessary to put other safety measures in place, like fire guards in the kitchen, and they should be easily accessible.
How to Minimize Commercial Fire Damage
A business owner is responsible for minimizing the risk and damage from a fire breakout by having safety measures in place. Some practical safety measures include conducting a risk assessment to safeguard staff, customers, and property.
Here is how to develop a fire prevention plan.
Conduct a Risk Assessment
Conducting a risk assessment sheds light on the possible risks and allows you to improve safety precautions. Here are five steps in conducting a fire assessment;
Find and Limit Fire Hazards
Accidents can still happen even after putting all safety measures in place. They often result from poorly maintained machinery, unsupervised candles, electrical issues, careless cooking, poor smoking habits, or improper storage of flammable materials. You can limit these potential hazards by educating and guiding your staff on the importance of safety precautions.
Have an Insurance Plan in Case of a Fire
Fire in a commercial building can be damaging and expensive. Mistakes can happen despite the many safety precautions. Protecting your investment through an insurance plan will help you restore it through compensation from your chosen insurance company.
Designate Areas to Keep Safety Equipment
Many fires spread from insufficient knowledge of handling fire extinguishers and the use of faulty equipment. Make a routine inspection of your sprinkler system, fire extinguisher, and alarm system to ensure they’re operational in case of a fire.
Maintain the Electrical System and Devices
Faulty electrical systems and devices are some common causes of fire. Old wires or a circuit overload can ignite a fire in minutes. You can avoid this by having electricians inspect your electrical wiring and change it when necessary.
Execute Safety Rules and Regulations
Human error is possible, even after ensuring all safety measures are in place. But, it’s better to try and prevent it by informing your staff on the importance of reporting anything suspicious, like smoke from machines. Have employee training on how to respond in case of a fire. Designate a safe place for smokers away from flammable materials and, if possible, in an open space.
Develop an Emergency Procedure
Fire can be scary, sending people into panic mode and confusion, causing them to forget what to do during emergencies. Having a fire emergency procedure and a designated spot will help people know what to do and where to go during a fire emergency. It entails instructions like:
- Go to the nearest emergency exits
- Sound the fire alarm and call the fire department
- Assemble at the fire point for a head count
- Wait for the firefighters to give further instruction
Perform regular fire drills to create a memorable routine of actions to take during a fire. Let the emergency fire exits remain clear and easily accessible to ensure safe passage to the assembly point.