Fires Destroy Property, cause injuries, and take lives. One of the key strategies to maintaining a safe workplace and preventing fires is fire safety training. With proper training workers can eliminate fire hazards and respond quickly and efficiently if a fire breaks out.
KNOW THE POTENTIAL HAZARDS
- Open flames – loose clothing and hair can easily catch fire around an open flame.
- Grease traps – have pieces of debris in them that can catch fire when more hot grease is added.
- Improper storage of flammable materials – flammable materials must be stored away from heat sources so they do not combust.
- Faulty or frayed electrical cords are more likely to spark and cause an electrical fire.
- Poor housekeeping – fire can quickly spread in dirty and cluttered walkways.
PROTECT YOURSELF
- Understand the safety procedures for your workplace – know the emergency EXIT routes, where the fire extinguishers are located, and how to operate the fire suppression system. Take fire drills seriously.
- Never try to fight a large fire – evacuate the premises and call emergency personnel.
- Regularly clean grill surfaces and grease traps – grease and food particles can accumulate and easily ignite. Never throw water on a grease fire.
- Do not store flammable materials near heat sources – aprons, rags, paper and aerosol cans can easily catch fire or explode if placed near a heat source.
- Do not use defective equipment or frayed power cords – both are a fire and electrocution hazard. Take care not to overload outlets and circuits.
- Use good housekeeping practices – keep aisles uncluttered and clean up all spills of combustible and flammable liquids immediately.
- Read a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) information on all fire hazards in relation to the chemicals you use – use and store them properly.
- Obey all smoking rules and NO SMOKING signs – extinguish smoking materials safely.
Personal safety is of primary importance when a fire occurs. Employees should protect themselves and be reminded not to do anything that may jeopardize their safety or that of your customers or staff.
Contact the RPS Regency loss control team for more information:
Nathan Tipton | Risk Control Consultant | 517.664.2743 o | 248.579.9784 c | nathan_tipton@rpsins.com
Patrick Dunn | Risk Control Consultant | 517.664.2748 o | 616.325.4392 c | patrick_dunn@rpsins.com