Commercial Fire Safety Tips

10/15/2024 (Permalink)

Fires can be absolutely devastating on commercial properties. According to the National Fire Protection Agency, non-residential structure fires accounted for almost $3.5 BILLION in property loss in 2020.

Are you prepared for a fire on your business’s property? Here’s a few common fire safety violations that can help keep your business, and more importantly your employees and customers safe.

Blocked Passageways and Exits – Hallways, doors, stairs, and any other paths to the outside of the building should never be obstructed. Even things like small packages left outside an office door in the hallway can become a life-threatening hazard should a fire evacuation take place.

Untested Smoke Detectors and Fire Alarms – These systems must be tested annually by a licensed professional. Be sure that all pull stations for the fire alarms are unobstructed and that smoke detectors have fresh batteries. When it comes to fires every second counts, and if your fire alert systems are malfunctioning it can be the cause of even more severe damage to your property or harm to your employees.

Damaged or Too Few Fire Extinguishers – Inspection and maintenance on fire extinguishers is easily overlooked when large commercial buildings can have so many to keep track of. ALL fire extinguishers should be FULL, classified for each area they are in, and inspected regularly to ensure they will function properly if needed. Without a functional fire extinguisher, a small containable fire can easily turn into a catastrophic large loss fire because no one was able to put it out before it spread.

These are just a few of the common violations that can happen in your business, so be on the lookout and make sure that you keep fire safety at the front of your mind for your business to help prevent dangers and costly repairs. 

As always, if your business does suffer from a fire, your local SERVPRO® has a team of highly trained technicians with the knowledge needed to help you recover your business. We’re equipped to handle losses of all sizes and can take care of all aspects of the project, from clean up to reconstruction. Give us a call so we can help make it “Like it never even happened.”