Running a successful business requires providing a safe place for employees to work. One of the ways you make the space safe is by investing in and maintaining the right type of fire safety and protection equipment. Having a fire safety exit strategy also protects your employees. While your approach is ideal when it’s first set up, it pays to revisit everything you have in place and make sure updates are made when necessary. Here are some of the reasons fire safety is an ongoing concern.
The Office Layout Changes From Time to Time
A growing business usually means hiring more employees and creating spaces where they can work. This means the office or the production area has to be rearranged now and then. When you make those layout changes, the old exit strategy may not work as well as it did when you have fewer work stations and employees. That means you need to take a fresh look at how to ensure everyone can get to the exits in a fast and orderly manner. It also means you need to revisit where each department of employees will gather outside for quick count to ensure everyone did get out.
New Employees Need Fire Safety Training
Employees who have been with you for a long time know where the emergency exits are located, where the fire alarm systems and controls are found, and even where the closest extinguishers are to their work stations. The same is not true for your latest round of hires.
As part of your new employee orientation program, always devote some time to fire safety and what should be done in the event of a fire. Update the plan based on any changes to the layout, the number of employees that need to use a particular exit, and who is in charge of grabbing the fire extinguishers and using them to clear a path if necessary.
Your Business Insurance Rates Will Stay Lower
Choosing to have your equipment inspected and keeping the exit plan up to date also brings some financial benefits. Many business insurance providers require confirmation that your extinguishers and other equipment is inspected on a regular basis and replaced when necessary. They also want to know your company is in full compliance with local safety regulations. Those measures mean doing business with your company involves less risk, and your rates are likely to remain a little lower.
You Value the Safety of Your Employees
Of all the reasons to make sure your fire protection resources are in top working order, the safety of your employees is at the top of the list. The last thing you want is for any of them to sustain some type of injury because you did not give proper attention to fire safety protection measures and protocols. If nothing else motivates you to review your plans from time to time, this one will do it.
If you are not sure how to improve your fire safety measures or what sort of equipment would make the workplace safer, contact a professional. After an evaluation, it will be easier to know what elements are just right, and what needs to be updated or changed.
Toronto
ONM1X 1G4
Canada
+1 416-292-8630