A Fire Safety Check could save your life
Being fire safe is not always the first thing you think of, even when you are thinking about your workplace safety.
It is too easy to think that you have everything under control just because you have a fire extinguisher or two somewhere on the property and there is a fire hose reel too.
The idea that you or another staff member will probably know what to do if and when a fire breaks out is exactly why a professional fire safety check is crucial to ensuring everyone is safe.
Too many workplaces throughout New Zealand are not fire safe ready and those responsible for safety have forgotten to do a full and proper check on just how well they could handle a fire.
A full fire safety checklist
To be fire safe, you need to know all the details of what fire equipment you have onsite, how often it is supposed to be serviced, the last time each piece of equipment was serviced and check for fire hazards, escape measures and who is trained to take control in the event of a fire.
It’s easy to see how just one link in that chain of fire safety measures can leave you and anyone on the site in danger.
Neglecting the servicing of your fire equipment can be catastrophic in certain circumstances. Having that equipment placed in the wrong position can render it inaccesible in a fire emergency. Not knowing who is trained to use the fire equipment properly can lead to disaster.
More often than not fire safety is left to someone’s memory. They think the extinguisher is somewhere in this area, that so and so is the one who is fire safety trained and worst of all, tries to look up some forgotten file about what to do to in the case of a fire.
The ins and out of a fire safety plan
The first point of a fire safety pland is making sure you have the right fire detection system in place.
In the case of a fire emergency, every moment counts. The sooner you are alerted to the outbreak of a fire, the quicker you can deal with it before the fire takes hold.
Then comes the all-important fire suppression systems that can use a combination of chemicals, gases, water, and foam solutions to suppress a fire.
This is the time to ask yourself ‘What fire safety plan do I have and is it up to date?’.
If you have no fire detection or suppression system in place, now is the time to look into it.
If your fire safety plan is out of date, then it needs to be redrawn to include any changes to the workplace and a thorough check of all fire equipment, exits, and possible hazards.
This is not something you need to do all by yourself. It pays to seek the advice from a professional fire safety team.
They will know all the ins and outs of a full fire safety plan and can recognise inefficiencies and hazards that you can easily and unwittingly overlook.
Evacuation and alarms
The safety of everyone on your worksite is your responsibility and not something you can ever leave to chance.
Having a full and workable evacuation plan for an emergency is paramount. Many incidents and fatalities could have been avoided with the right means of escaping a dangerous situation.
Your fire safety plan should include warnings and alarms. It is a sad fact that 80% of fire fatalities had no properly working fire alarm.
This is an issue that a fire safety professional can help you with as well as the placement of alarms and any recommended fire equipment.
Being as fire safe as possible is all part of a professional fire safety check. You want to know that you are looking after the safety of everyone at your workplace in the best possible way.
Jim’s Fire Safety are New Zealand’s trusted professionals
With fire safety, you don’t get a second chance. That’s why the first step in your fire safety is to contact the experts at Jim’s Fire Safety.
You’ll be able to access the best fire safety services in New Zealand. The first step is to organise a fire safety inspection and check. The team will take you through every step in the process and be happy to answer any of your questions.
Staying fire safe has never been easier when you have Jim’s Fire Safety behind you.
Contact Jim’s Fire Safety today via our online form for a free quote on safety testing and inspection services.
