Is Your Office Building Prepared for an Emergency?

9/9/2020 (Permalink)

If you are a business owner with a commercial property such as an office building, fire safety and overall preparedness should be a priority. Being prepared with the right equipment and emergency plan can save money and lives in the event of a fire or other emergency. Take a moment to see if your office building is prepared. 

Have fire extinguishers and fire suppression systems

When trying to avoid potential fires at work, make sure that the property is outfitted with the appropriate amount of fire extinguishers to adequately cover the building. They need to be tested regularly to make sure they always work. The same goes with all fire suppression systems like an automatic sprinkler system. Your local fire department can assist in testing and recommendations on what would work best for your office building. Be sure all extinguishers are easily accessible throughout the building should an emergency occur.

Check your smoke and fire alarms

Smoke and fire alarms are a necessity to a fire protection and damage control for commercial buildings. Installing them is a good start, but they need to be inspected often to maintain functionality. There are a variety of options for smoke and fire alarms, from hard-wired to wireless. Once you have a smoke and fire alarm system in place, make sure there is a plan of action should the alarm sound off and occupants know what to do. Have an exit map clearly scheduled throughout the building so people know how to exit the building safely.

Engage in safety training

An often overlooked but important aspect to safety preparedness is safety training. Incorporating a fire safety training course in the workplace will empower building occupants to know what to do should an emergency occur. Contact your local fire department for information on available safety courses.

Have adequate emergency exit lighting

Emergency exits signs that light up should be installed throughout the property to direct residents to safety during a fire alarm or other emergency. Make sure that the emergency exit is clear of anything that could get in the way as people try to exit the building.

Have an established evacuation plan

It’s a good idea to schedule your commercial building to be inspected for any potential fire code issues that could hinder overall preparedness. The fire department will do it for free. Have regular fire drills and educate employees so that they are familiar with how to work the fire equipment. You may also want to invest in an emergency readiness plan to make sure your building prepared for any issue that may come along. SERVPRO’s ERP is an effective way to plan for any emergency.

It’s important to ensure that your office building is prepared for any emergency. Reach out to the pros at SERVPRO of Central Phoenix to learn how we can help. Contact us at 602-386-4268.