Prepare an Emergency Fire Escape Plan for Your Company

11/20/2018 (Permalink)

Change the batteries of your smoke alarm in your commercial building in Laurel MT

Fire emergencies in Laurel,MT, can happen to anyone at any time. It's possible that you and your staff will have to evacuate your building without much warning. Prepare for this eventuality with a well-written fire escape plan.

Protect Employees From Fire Injuries

The American Red Cross provides these four important tips for fire safety:

• Install smoke alarms on every level of the building. If you own an apartment building, install alarms outside of all sleeping areas and inside bedrooms.
• Run smoke alarm tests every month and regularly change batteries.
• Train employees about the escape plan and hold drills twice a year.
• When fires do happen, immediately leave the building and stay out.

Developing an Escape Plan

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, suggests including the following in your emergency escape plan:

• An appropriate method for reporting the emergency.
• A clear evacuation policy and procedure plan.
• Emergency escape routes and assignments.
• Contact information for individuals.
• Written explanations of responsibilities.
• Training for rescue and medical duties.

Vital Elements of the Plan

As you work on the fire escape plan, focus on maintaining a calm, orderly workspace. Panic and lack of organization can lead to injuries, property damage, and losses. Some vital elements of the plan are a description of specific conditions that lead to evacuation, a clear breakdown of command and duties, a diagram showing evacuation routes and exits, and a system for keeping track of employees and personnel during and after the evacuation. Other elements of your escape plan, as recommended by the American Red Cross, include using stairs and avoiding elevators, establishing secondary escape routes, and holding training for personnel with tips such as ducking low to avoid smoke.

No matter how many steps you take to protect against building fires, it's impossible to completely prevent them. Put together a fire escape plan with guidance from the American Red Cross, OSHA, and local fire damage restoration professionals for the safety and well-being of your personnel.