Your Fire Escape Plan
If a fire starts in your building, do the people within it know how to escape? Fire drills can help establish a set routine and familiarize people with escape routes, but you can’t rely on everybody’s memories to work perfectly in a time of crisis. The best solution is to ensure that your building has LED emergency lighting and at least one fire safety box approved by Fire Department. Having these things on hand can keep people safe when disaster strikes in your office or residential building.
Emergency Lighting
Smoke can quickly make it impossible for people to get their bearings inside a burning building. The use of an LED emergency light system mitigates that and provides the visibility necessary to get to safety. When you select your lighting system, make sure to target LED lights, as these are much brighter than incandescent and fluorescent alternatives. They also use less power, making it easier for them to light up at a moment’s notice. You should place your lights along escape routes and near exit doors so people know to follow them to safety. While these lights should be wired into your building’s electrical grid, you should also have a battery backup so they can still operate even if the power goes out.
Fire Safety Box
A fire safety box is a bright-colored and clearly-marked box that can be built into or bolted onto a wall. This box is flame- resistant, ensuring that the contents do not get severely damaged should a fire break out. Inside, you should keep your evacuation plans, including details on how to exit the building and where fire extinguishers are located. Make your fire safety plan as comprehensive as possible, but remember to prioritize accessibility as well. During a fire, there is likely to be a lot of smoke and potential panic. As such, people who need access to your plan won’t have the time or ability to read a lot of fine print. If you have doubts about the efficacy of your fire safety plan, speak to a fire marshal to get advice.
Fire Drills And Forming Habits
An emergency situation triggers people’s fight or flight reactions, and they often resort to instinct rather than rational thought. The best way to make a proper evacuation plan part of somebody’s instinct is through drilling. If the situation is familiar to them, they can rely on habits they have formed, even when the circumstances of the moment are more dire than what they are used to. Doing a company fire drill once a quarter or twice a year is a good idea. It can also help you identify if something about your business evacuation plan has changed or is causing difficulty, allowing you to adjust your safety plan appropriately.
Your workplace fire escape plan should be clearly accessible and communicated to everybody who frequents your building. In addition, the use of emergency lighting helps keep exits and emergency equipment visible when smoke starts to fill an area. Prepare properly and you can save lives when a fire breaks out.
