Since the discovery of fire by the Homo Erectus roughly 1,000,000 years ago, fire has become a necessity in life. It has served as one of the most vital forces of nature, but it has also torched land areas and produced casualties. A fire break-out at home or workplace can spread rapidly and cause loss of life and property. At an average, around 20,000 people die due to fire-related accidents every year in India. Fire safety should be taken seriously, and hazards can be prevented by taking up a few measures.
Tips to prevent fire hazards
Preventing fire at the workplace should be the main priority of a business. Some tips and tricks, in addition to preventive measures, can go a long way in averting such emergencies and ensuring safety.
- Turning off electrical appliances: Most fires are a result of short circuits due to overloading. Turning off all electrical appliances such as ACs, fans, computers, etc. before leaving the workplace will reduce the possibility of fire in the absence of proper personnel to manage the scenario.
- Fire extinguishers: The workplace must have enough fire extinguishers at the nearest accessible area. In case there is a small fire, a fire extinguisher can come in handy to prevent the fire from spreading and damaging the property.
- Electrical faults: A company policy can be adopted where employees should report any electrical faults such as electric sparks or loose wires. As electrical faults poise a major fire hazard, repairing at the earliest will ensure no fires occur due to an electrical mishap.
- Unclutter: Ensure that you have thrown away anything that can easily catch fire and is not needed at the workplace. This can include old and unnecessary stationery and workplace trash. Unnecessary clutter is never a good thing to have when you are trying to prevent fire damage.
- Maintain machines and circuits: Stay on top of maintaining heavy machines, electrical appliances, switchboards, and circuits. Regular maintenance of electrical gear reduces the chances of fire by a huge margin.
Fire, accidental or intentional, has damaged thousands of properties every year, and resulted in fatalities. In India, 65 cases of fire are reported at an average, killing around 55 people. The loss of assets due to fire totals to $100 billion every year around the world. With a lack of preventive measures in place to control such hazards, it is a disaster in hiding waiting to strike. This is why fire security is the most important factor in which a company must invest.
Fire Prevention and Detection
The best way to minimize the damage and risk of fire is through installing a fire prevention and detection security solution. An ideal solution should identify potential triggers through the use of automation and advanced technologies and cover every corner of the workplace through the installation of best quality fire and smoke alarms. A comprehensive Fire Prevention and Detection security solution must include:
- Fire Safety Premises: The workplace premises should comply with the National Building Code (NBC) and its classification based on the occupancy and operations of the building. NBC includes infrastructure codes such as fire exits, the minimum number of staircases, corridors and the permissible type of material to build the premises.
- Maintaining Fire Personnel: Senior management and employees must be involved in proper maintenance of fire security at the workplace to provide an integrated fire protection system. An in-house fire captain must be employed to see that the equipment and fire safety policies are working and in force. Monthly meetings can be held to discuss additional measures to enforce fire safety in a better way.
- Fire Safety Plans: Fire safety and detection equipment are designed to alert you about fire and try to minimize its effect. But, it is always beneficial to have a fire security plan so that the employees know how to react to the fire alarms and what they should do. The employees must be taught about fire safety plans and the process of evacuation through training and development programs of the company.
- Awareness Programs: Regular mock drills along with basic first aid and rescue training to all the employees will prevent loss of life and protect the employees in the case of fire. Awareness programs about preventive and safety steps are further helpful in fire security.
- Fire Prevention and Detection Equipment: The most important factor in the security solution is the installation of fire security and detection equipment around the infrastructure. Typical fire prevention and detection equipment must include:
- Smoke Detectors: Smoke detectors identify the smoke and heat rising from a potential fire. As soon as it flows towards the detectors, the fire alarms are activated.
- Fire Alarms: Activated by the smoke alarms and heat detectors, fire alarms are designed to make a loud warning noise in case of a potential fire. The warning sound allows people to evacuate in time and minimize further damage.
- Sprinkler System: When integrated with the fire alarms and smoke detectors, the sprinkler system is triggered along with the fire alarms. Sprinklers are installed in the ceiling of each room and once activated, it expels water to prevent the fire from spreading.
- CCTV Cameras: Security cameras are important to analyze the root cause of the fire and changes can be made to prevent this from happening again. Surveillance cameras such as thermal cameras, flameproof cameras, and explosion-proof cameras make up for the best video analytics to prevent a case of fire from happening again.
After drowning and road accidents, fires cause the most deaths in India. Thus, it is vital that every workplace, small or big, must have fire safety and detection security system to protect the employees and the property.
The best results are achieved by choosing the right fire security equipment infused with advanced technology, automation, and other physical fire safety measures adopted by the company. In case you face difficulty with arriving at a decision on the best industrial security equipment to install and fire preventive measures, it is advisable to consult a good security firm to protect your business from fire-related accidents.
