One of the Biggest Recognized Hazards and Twelve Things to Make Your Workplace More Safe

As safety professionals we look at all sorts of hazards and then do our best to either eliminate, control, or protect employees from those hazards.  Well, over the years, fire has been one of the biggest recognized hazards due to its frequency and the damage it can quickly cause.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), in 2015 there were 1,345,500 fires responded to in the United States. These fires caused 3,280 civilian deaths, 15,700 civilian injuries, and $14.3 billion in property damage.

According to the NFPA in 2015

• A fire department responded to a fire every 23 seconds.
• One structure fire was reported every 63 seconds.
• One home structure fire was reported every 86 seconds.
• One civilian fire injury was reported every 33.5 minutes.
• One civilian fire death occurred every 2 hours and 40 minutes.
• One outside and other fire was reported every 49 seconds.
• One highway vehicle fire was reported every 3 minutes 1 seconds.

Gives you the idea that fire safety is important and needs to be addressed in the workplace for employee safety.  In fact WAC 296-800-300 requires employers have fire extinguishers in the workplace and train employees in their use.

Twelve things to help make your workplace more fire safe:

1. Identify fire hazards around your workplace.  Gasoline and other flammable chemicals are common, but what about the clutter of paper or cardboard?
2. Practice good housekeeping, pick up clutter and don’t block fire exits.Designate smoking areas and ensure a place to extinguish smoking materials.
3. Train in fire safety and fire extinguisher use.
4. Report electrical hazards. Many fires start in faulty wiring and malfunctioning electrical equipment.
5. Maintain machinery and equipment.  Preventative maintenance can go a long way in preventing fires.
6. Keep fire sprinkler systems and smoke detectors in operating condition and remember to always keep sprinkler head free and clear of materials.
7. Use and store chemicals safely.
8. Control accumulations of flammable and combustible waste.
9. Prevent ignition sources in atmospheres that could be explosive.
10. Have a fire evacuation plan and ensure all employees know where to go when they evacuate.  
11. Post diagrams for exit locations and assembly areas.
12. Employees should have a list of emergency contact phone numbers that is written down.

Of course employee roles and responsibilities need to be assigned and trained before the emergency.  You need a written plan to form the basis and you need training to make it work.  There was once a great philosopher by the name of “Snoopy”  (yes the dog from Peanuts) that told his friend Woodstock that “ten minutes before the party is not the time to learn how to dance.”  In other words, you have to plan and train before it happens.

Fire and emergency planning can be difficult, but we can help, so give us a call today.

Contributed by Eric Tofte, Director of Training Evergreen Safety Council