Discussions of fire safety often revolve around protecting families at home. But fire safety is also an issue. And in certain industries, the risk of fire is exceptionally high because of hazardous chemicals, high voltage equipment, etc. In such cases, company executives play a key role in maintaining a safe workplace.
That role goes above and beyond a basic knowledge of fire safety equipment. To ensure workplace safety at every level, company executives need to understand the fire risks within their premises. They need to understand how on-site fire safety equipment operates. They need a firm handle on fire regulations, safety procedures, and fire mitigation policies.
Typical Fire Safety Equipment
Different industries demand different fire safety equipment to protect workers. Highly volatile environments obviously require more advanced fire detection and suppression systems. But for the typical workplace, the most common fire safety equipment includes:
- Alarms and Detectors – A variety of fire alarms and smoke detectors provide early warning, prompting immediate evacuation. Photoelectric and ionization smoke detectors are fairly routine. Heat detectors can enhance fire protection by alerting to possible fires before excessive smoke accumulates.
- Fire Extinguishers – Regulations tend to mandate fire extinguishers in all sorts of business environments. This includes office buildings, commercial kitchens, warehouses, retail stores, and so forth. It is important to understand the different classifications of fire extinguishers and the types of fires for which they are appropriate.
- Suppression Systems – Fire extinguishers are intended for small blazes in confined spaces. Premises-wide fire suppression is left to larger systems integrated into the building's infrastructure. These can be water sprinklers or chemical suppression systems. In environments that cannot tolerate water or chemical suppressants, oxygen-depriving systems can put out blazes quickly.
- Emergency Lighting – Emergency lighting is also mandated in most business environments. It comprises battery-powered exit signs and lighting fixtures designed to guide workers out even if fire has knocked out mains power.
- Hoses and Reels – Some environments call for the installation of fire hoses and reels. They help control larger fires in commercial spaces while waiting for the fire department to arrive.
Although company executives do not necessarily have to be experts in how to use all fire safety equipment, they should at least understand the basic principles of each one. Executives are ultimately responsible for the health and welfare of their employees. They should at least have a handle on the equipment installed in their buildings.
Additional Executive Responsibilities
Fire safety in the workplace dictates additional responsibilities for company executives. Whether a company is a large corporation or an SME company, executives are expected to take the lead on:
1. Legal Compliance
Legal compliance involves adherence to federal, state, and local regulations. At the top of the regulatory food chain is OSHA. The federal agency is strict about regulatory compliance. Not keeping up could mean serious repercussions.
At the state and local level, fire regulations may vary. It is up to company executives to find out what those regulations are and ensure the company maintains compliance.
2. Risk Mitigation
As managers, executives have the responsibility to mitigate risk as much as possible. Standard mitigation procedures include:
- Delegating fire safety to qualified individuals
- Conducting regular risk assessments
- Developing and implementing appropriate policies
- Ensuring employees are properly trained in fire safety
Risk mitigation may very well be the management team's highest priority. Mitigating risk lends itself well to preventing fires from ever starting. And if a fire does start, risk mitigation policies keep employees safer.
3. Emergency Planning
Hand-in-hand with risk mitigation is planning for potential emergencies. Planning involves coming up with emergency response strategies. How will employees go about reporting a fire? How will evacuation be implemented? Who is responsible for ensuring everyone is out of the building?
Waiting until there is an actual fire to think about planning is waiting too long. Instead, management should ensure appropriate planning and training to prepare employees well in advance of any emergency.
4. Documentation
It's a smart idea for the management team to document everything that has to do with fire safety and prevention. Depending on the industry, federal and state regulations may mandate a certain level of documentation. Regardless, proper documentation verifies what has been done. By default, it also points out what has yet to be done.
The Benefits Are Obvious
Given what we know about the dangers inherent to structure fires, the benefits of proper fire safety in the workplace are self-evident. But just to drive home the point, a quick look at some of those benefits is an order.
Maintaining a proper fire safety environment in the workplace:
- Prevents injuries and saves lives.
- Protects business property and equipment.
- Contributes to business continuity.
- Demonstrates corporate responsibility.
- Contributes to a more positive safety culture.
- Contributes to keeping insurance costs under control.
There are both human and business reasons for making fire safety a priority. The human aspects take precedent. Nonetheless, the business aspects are also motivation to do things right. There is no point in risking a company's financial future by not doing everything possible to mitigate fire risks.
In the executive suite, fire safety should be a priority. It's not enough to delegate a safety officer. The management team should be fully aware and engaged to the extent that their participation positively affects everyone else in the company.
