Do You Have A Fire Plan

2/4/2020 (Permalink)

How To Prepare Your Business for a Fire

Without proper preparation, a relatively minor emergency can have tragic consequences for a Reservoir, RI, business. That is why all employers should create a contingency plan.
In fact, most companies are legally required to have an emergency action plan (EAP) in place. According to Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations, an EAP is necessary in workplaces that plan to evacuate employees and have fire extinguishers present. An EAP must include the following:

• A procedure for reporting emergencies
• An evacuation plan
• A way to account for all employees after the evacuation
• Medical or rescue duties being performed by employees, if applicable
  
  

Additions To Your Plan

You may not want to stop with these minimum requirements. To truly protect your employees, your contingency plan could also include a description of the various alarms that will go off in the event of an emergency. Make sure that any disabled workers will be able to understand the alarm system.
You may also want to come up with an alternative communications location where everyone can gather in the event of fire or smoke damage to the property. You may similarly opt to find a safe place to store important records. Keep these documents in a location where they can be protected from water damage if the sprinklers go off.

Implementing Your Plan

Once the plan is in place, select an employee to lead the facility in event of an emergency. That person will oversee the evacuation procedures and decide when to activate them.
Your employees should also be trained so they understand the plan. Consider holding practice drills to test the effectiveness of the EAP. You can then adjust it accordingly.
By creating a contingency plan in advance, you can limit the spread of a blaze and protect your employees. Still, even if you prepare for an emergency ahead of time, you could still sustain fire damage to your property. That is why you should also give your workers the contact information for a local cleanup and restoration services company.