Fire Safety When You Have Kids: How to Keep Babies, Toddlers and Young Children Safe from Home Fires

The importance of fire safety is never more obvious than when you have children. Young kids aren’t capable of understanding the dangers of a fire, let alone safely exiting the premises in case of an emergency. We take you through our tips for fire safety when you have babies, toddlers and/or young children in your home, so you can make sure you’re taking every precaution possible.

Do you know for sure if your smoke alarms are working? While the fact that they may not be seems like a scary thought, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Making sure that you have the proper equipment installed is one of the most important fire safety precautions you can take.

Safety.com tells us why it’s vitally important to install and test smoke alarms within your home:

“Three out of five home fire deaths in 2010-2014 occurred in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. And while you can take steps to reduce fire hazards, there’s little that can be done to predict and prevent a random wiring malfunction that could lead to a devastating fire. Smoke alarms serve as a first alert, letting your family know there’s imminent danger and providing a few moments warning for you to enact your fire safety plan.”

While we all want to assume our kitchen appliances are running safely and properly, there’s never a guarantee when it comes to electronics. This is especially true when it comes to electronics involving water, such as what is found in your kitchen. This is why it’s important to keep a watchful eye out for potential problems in your kitchen and throughout your home.

Parents.com expands on why you need to watch your kitchen appliances – just in case:

Having an escape plan is an important step that most families miss. While the assumption is that you’d grab the kids and escape out the front door in the case of an emergency, this may not be possible. While the potential of not being able to do so is a scary thought, it’s better to be prepared and discuss an escape plan with children that are old enough to understand.

The U.S. Fire Administration tells us why it’s important to establish an escape plan that your children understand in, “Keeping kids safe from fire”:

“It is important to have a plan when there are children in your home. Children sometimes need help getting out of the house. They may not know how to escape or what to do unless an adult shows them.

• Have a plan for young children who cannot get outside by themselves. You will need to wake babies and very young children and help them get out. In your plan, talk about who will help each child get out safely.

• It is important to find two ways out of every room in your home, in case one exit is blocked or dangerous to use.

• Choose a meeting place outside your home. Children should know what to do when they hear a smoke alarm and there is no adult around. Help them practice going to the outside meeting place. Teach them to never go back inside a building that is on fire.”

Fire safety is no joke, especially when it comes to protecting your family. Check out how we can help with fire extinguisher inspections, recharges, and many other mobile services to keep you and your business safe.

With the vast majority of us in self isolation, it’s safe to say that we have never spent quite this much time at home – unfortunately making the potential for fire related accidents that much higher. We’re going to take a look at fire safety tips you should not only remember during this time of self isolation, but that you should make sure you’re implementing moving forward.

While some of us have been ordering takeout more than ever before, there are others that have been brushing up on their cooking skills. While this in itself is great, it clearly leaves room for an increased amount of fire related incidents.

Porthope.ca reminds us of the importance of taking care when cooking:

“With COVID-19 restrictions in place, more people are preparing and cooking meals at home. Keep some simple safety tips in mind, such as not wearing loose, flowing clothing while cooking. “With loose clothing, you turn around quickly or get too close, and the fire ignites the clothes. You then have a major injury for no reason whatsoever,” says Dr. Jeschke. Make sure your smoke alarms are working, stay in the kitchen at all times when you’re cooking, move anything that can catch fire away from your stovetop, and keep kids away from areas where hot foods or liquids are being prepared, like stoves and microwaves.”

It’s safe to say that all of us have increased our laptop use, whether we’re working from home or not. And with so much increased screen time, we may easily be overlooking fire safety precautions that come along with using a laptop. 

Winnipeg.ca points out the importance of laptop safety when using a computer, especially for a prolonged period of time:

While it is our every hope that we’re all practising responsible fire safety precautions, accidents can happen. And in the case of those who live in an apartment building, evacuation can present a whole new issue – the potential to violate social distancing guidelines.

Baytoday.ca reports on what North Bay Fire Chief Jason Whiteley has to say on whether social distancing should still apply in this circumstance:

“For residents in apartment buildings that experience a fire alarm; we are reminding residents that evacuate to practise social distancing for the safety of your neighbours and responding emergency personnel. Please do not congregate in the lobby area and exit the building completely.”

Now that you’ve had a chance to think twice about fire safety during COVID-19, it’s important to make sure that your equipment is properly maintained and ready to go in case of an emergency. Check out how we can help with fire extinguisher inspections, recharges, and many other mobile services to keep you and your family safe.

A fire can cause serious damage to the business you have worked so hard to build from the ground up – not to mention your employees. We’re going to take you through our fire prevention tips for small businesses, so you can make sure you’re prepared for the unexpected and are able to minimize damage as quickly as possible.

Appointing a dedicated fire prevention/safety officer for your workplace is important. Safety officers are not elected by fellow employees, but are appointed by the business owner, in order to manage occupational health and safety issues in the workplace. In the event of a fire, your health and safety officer is your go-to person for understanding and implementing the necessary procedures.

Rob Starr of Small Business Trends talks more about why appointing a safety officer is a great idea:

No matter the size of the business, it’s important that an evacuation plan is put in place in the event of a fire and that every one of your employees knows what it is. This should be a part of the employee’s basic training when joining the organization and not something to set aside for a later date.

Alexis Writing of Chron.com expands on the idea of a evacuation plan in “Fire Safety Tips for Businesses”:

“Every workplace or business establishment must have an evacuation plan. Keep in mind, however, that even the most perfect plan will be useless if only the person who made it knows about it. Go through the evacuation plan and make sure that every staff member and employee is knowledgeable about what to do.”

Not only is it mandatory to have your fire alarms and fire extinguishers checked and maintained regularly, but it is something you should personally be concerned about. Although it’s unlikely that your business will go up in flames, it is certainly not impossible. And in the unlikely event that it does happen, you do not want to be the one who didn’t get your fire equipment checked, causing your own equipment to go up in flames.

Theselfemployed.com explains why maintaining your fire detection equipment is absolutely necessary in “Important Fire Safety Tips for Small Businesses”.

“Again, while it’s a legal requirement, it’s still something worth bearing in mind and doing more than the minimum toward. Fire alarms should be regularly checked and maintained, with an up-to-date sprinkler system installed at the very minimum. These alarms should also be automatically linked to the emergency services, so there is no delaying their arrival.”

Now that you have a better understanding of fire prevention as a small business, you need to go ahead and make sure that your equipment is properly maintained and ready to go. Check out how we can help with fire extinguisher inspections, recharges, and many other mobile services to keep you and your business safe.

 

 

If you believe that there’s any chance you’re going to need to use a fire extinguisher in your lifetime, then you should be properly trained on how to do so. Not only should you understand how to use it and have a knowledge of basic fire fighting techniques, but you need to make sure the right type of fire extinguisher is used on top of it. We’re going to give you a rundown on how to properly use a fire extinguisher, if you find yourself in a workplace or at-home situation where the simple use of a fire extinguisher could make all the difference.

While we all may not have fire extinguishers in our residential home, it is a legal requirement to have at least one in the workplace (depending on the size of the building, how many floors, etc.). Making sure that your employees know how to operate one in the event of an emergency can not only save lives, but it can save your equipment, important files and further valuables from burning into dust. This is why it’s important to teach your employees how to use a fire extinguisher, rather than fumbling around with instructions they’ve never seen before when under pressure.

EHS Insight expands on why this is so important “How to Use a Fire Extinguisher – Safety Steps”:

Did you know that there are classifications of fires and that your fire extinguisher may not be equipped to handle all of them? Well, you do now! If you take a look at your fire extinguisher’s label, it will indicate which classes of fire it is designed to put out. As you can imagine, the majority of household fire extinguishers are multi-purpose, but are only equipped to combat A, B, and C classes.

Rebecca Edwards of Safewise talks us through the classifications:

“The first thing you need to know is the different classifications of fires, and the second that not all fire, you need to understand what types of fires you may have to deal with and make sure your extinguisher can get the job done.

Most household fires fall into one of the following categories:

Class A: These fires are fueled by solid combustibles like wood, paper, and cloth.

Class B: These fires are fueled by flammable liquids such as oil, petroleum, and gasoline.

Class C: These fires are started or fueled by faulty wiring, fuse boxes, and appliances.

Class K: These fires are started or fueled by cooking oils and greases, animal fats, and vegetable fats.”

While it’s unlikely that you’re going to physically practice on a fire extinguisher, it’s important to study the instructions and make sure you understand them, so you can feel confident if the occasion should ever arise where you need to operate one.

The National Safety Council takes us through how to operate a fire extinguisher using the PASS method:

“Pull the pin on the extinguisher.

Aim the hose nozzle low toward the base of the fire.

Squeeze the handle to release the extinguishing agent.

Sweep the nozzle from side to side at the base of the flames until extinguished.”

Now that you have a better understanding of how to use a fire extinguisher, you need to make sure yours is properly maintained so it’s ready to go in the event of an emergency. Check out how we can help with fire extinguisher inspections, recharges, and many other mobile services to keep you and your business safe.

 

 

Having your fire extinguisher inspected can make the difference in whether or not you can actually use it in the event of a fire – and that’s a huge deal. We’re going to take you through how often you need to be inspecting your fire extinguisher as a business owner, as well as when a professional is required to step in.

When it comes to your business, having your fire extinguisher inspected regularly is not a step you ever want to miss. Although it may seem like the last thing on your list of priorities, you may not realize how critical this is until it’s too late.

iAuditor talks this in “Fire Extinguisher Inspection—A Safety Officer’s Guide”:

“Over 90% of fires in commercial properties are extinguished early on by members of the public using a fire extinguisher. Even a single malfunctioning fire extinguisher can put countless lives at risk. A safety officer’s job is to perform regular fire extinguisher inspections and maintain up to date records to keep buildings and tenants safe. It is critical that a safety officer knows how to efficiently perform a fire extinguisher inspection, is aware of the most common issues identified during an inspection, and knows how to respond accordingly.

Not only should you be having a professional visit your workplace to perform fire extinguisher inspections, but you should be doing them yourself as well – and this should not only occur on a regular basis, but a monthly basis at that.

Safeopedia expands on this question on their website:

“OSHA requires all employers and owners of buildings to conduct a visual inspection of all fire extinguishers at their disposal at least once per month. Monthly inspection is important as it helps ensure that the extinguisher is fully charged and operational; no obstructions are blocking the equipment; no damage has occurred to the equipment, and the device is still in its intended position.”

When it comes down to how often you should be having your fire extinguisher inspected by a professional, this is usually much less often that you should be inspecting it yourself. It is required that fire extinguishers are inspected by a professional at least once per year. And with a mobile fire and safety maintenance service such as Fire-Alert, setting up your inspection is truly as simple as making a quick phone call.

Molly Thompson of Chron.com talks more about the process in “Fire Extinguisher Inspection Tag Requirements”:

Now that you know how often your fire extinguisher needs to be inspected by a professional, check out how we can help with fire extinguisher inspections, recharges, and many other mobile services to keep you and your business safe.

When it comes down to a fire emergency, fire extinguishers can potentially make the difference between a close call and a fatal accident. So, you can understand why making sure that your fire extinguishers are properly maintained is an absolute must. We’re going to take you through what you need to know about fire extinguisher recharging and whether yours needs to be recharged or not.

Recharging your fire extinguisher means that you’re either refilling it with the proper firefighting agent or even draining the extinguisher completely before refilling it. This can be compared to adding to or changing the oil in your car.

Quick Response Fire Safety expands more on why fire extinguishers need to be maintained just the same way as any other piece of equipment:

While it’s important to have your fire extinguishers professionally inspected once per year, there are certain things you should watch out for during your monthly inspections. Looking out for these signs during regular inspections can make all the difference when it comes to whether your fire extinguisher is fit to use in an emergency.

Online Safety Depot tells us more on what to look for in “Should You Recharge a Fire Extinguisher or Buy a New One?”:

“There are a few indicators for determining if your fire extinguisher needs to be recharged or not. The first thing to look for is the tamper seal. If the tamper seal is broken or missing, then you should get it inspected to ensure that it wasn’t used, even a little. Next, you will want to look at the pressure gauge. If the needle is pointed in the middle of the green zone, then your fire extinguisher is properly pressured. However, if the needle is pointed near or in the red zone, you’ll need to get it recharged as soon as possible.”

You may be surprised to hear that it doesn’t matter whether or not your fire extinguisher has previously been used – it still may need to be recharged. For any reason at all, there may be a chance that your fire extinguisher is faulty or that it has been leaking slowly over time.

Hseblog.com expands more on why your fire extinguisher still needs to be recharged, whether it’s ever been used or not:

“Fire extinguishers need to be recharged periodically throughout their life, even if they haven’t been used. Both the NFPA 10 code standard for portable fire extinguishers and manufacturer’s service guidelines require periodic internal examination and recharging. For the most commonly used stored pressure dry chemical fire extinguishers, this internal examination and recharging are required at six and twelve years from the date of manufacture noted on the extinguisher.”

Now that you know how important it is to make sure your fire protection equipment is properly maintained, check out how we can help with fire extinguisher inspections, recharges, and many other mobile services to keep you and your business safe.

Fire prevention and emergency preparedness are important parts of running your business. No matter if you’re just starting out with your own retail shop, or you’ve been managing a clothing shop in a mall for years: fire safety at work is a crucial part of your job. The best emergency preparedness plan starts with prevention. If you ensure you’re working in accordance with your local bylaws and regulations, you’re already ahead of the game.

 

SmallBizTrends.com makes the important point to “Stay on Top of Fire Code Changes”

“Chances are your local municipality has updated information on how to keep your business safe from a fire. Staying on top of the fire code changes in your area will give you good cutting-edge information.”

Regulations change over time as new technology and new regulations are introduced. If you’ve been in the same building for a few years, or you’re moving to a new one – take a look at what’s changed since you first developed your fire safety plan. You might be surprised at what’s changed.

StateFarm.com shares some helpful tips to follow when setting up your fire prevention plan:

• Fire Plan. Make sure your employees know what to do if there’s a fire. Conduct a fire drill at least once a year to keep employees aware of your workplace fire safety protocol.

• Have a Safety Officer. Designate a person as your office’s fire prevention officer. Their duties will include composing escape routes and meeting points for employees, as well as keeping all of your safety plans, equipment, and information updated.

• Evacuation Plan. In larger buildings, post a fire evacuation plan in several spots around the workplace.

• First Aid. In case of fire injuries, your employees should be familiar with the location of the first-aid kit, which should be kept where possible hazards can occur most, such as in the kitchen.

Now that you know the rules and regulations in your area, it’s time to make a fire safety plan and communicate it clearly to all of your employees. It’s important to host fire drills at least once per year so employees can physically walk the route to the meeting point. It is usually easier for a person to remember something they’ve actually done rather than written instructions or a map.

 

TrustSheildInsurance.ca provides some great tips for customizing your fire prevention plan:

• Make it obvious: Every exit point should have a sign alerting people to the evacuation route for that particular area.

• Keep everyone in the loop: If you update, modify or remove any fire evacuation routes, you must let your employees know.

• Stay organized: Create a list of all your employees, and take note of those who are pregnant, have recently undergone an operation or have disabilities, as they may need assistance during the evacuation process.

• Special events: If there’s an event taking place in your business’ neighbourhood that requires streets to close, or increases foot traffic (such as a parade or marathon), be sure to re-evaluate your assembly points and evacuation procedures.

 

If your business is on a main road or in a busy mall, remember that seasonal activities like parades, sporting events, and others can drastically change your fire prevention plan. Also take note of special decorations and signage you may be using during different times of the year: is your Christmas tree unplugged every night? Are the Sale banners hanging too close to the overhead lighting? It’s important to consider your fire safety plan at all times of the year and with every change you make to your decor.

Now that you know how to create or maintain your fire safety plan, check out how we can help with fire extinguisher inspections, recharges, and many other mobile services to keep you and your business safe.

Running a business can be an exhilarating journey but often it ends up taking up a lot more of your time than you bargained for. From emails to payroll to last minute trips to pick up coffee for the break room: there’s a lot on your plate as a small business owner! Here are some tips to help you make 2020 the year you focus on your talents and learn to delegate the little tasks that eat up all your time.

 

Hire a Virtual Assistant says rchisnapper.com:

“Spend less time doing repetitive admin tasks you don’t like, and more time doing the tasks that are essential for building your business. Virtual assistants can help you organize your day-to-day and take care of all the non-essential tasks so you can focus on the bigger picture. More time will also help you manage your work/life balance, giving you more time to spend with family and friends, while still growing your business successfully.”

You may have thought about hiring an assistant and found the expense was just too high to justify. The amazing difference of a virtual assistant is that you don’t have to pay a set number of hours, provide a desk and computer or really anything! They’re more like an extension of yourself than a separate assistant. Just onboard them with all of the logins they need access to and then assign tasks as they come up. If there are tasks that you’re just not that great at, don’t know how to do, or you just hate doing them: assign it to your VA! For example, you could get your VA to update your social media and blog, they could send follow-up emails to solicit reviews from clients, your VA could even send out birthday cards for you!

 

Use accounting software says accountingweb.com

Accounting software automates repetitive tasks. Modern accounting software automates repetitive tasks such as invoicing, statements, payments reminder & collection, reporting and budgeting so that you don’t have to manually go through each of the above processes which is time consuming and adds up to the employee costs.

Accounting software has come a long way! One piece of software can handle payroll, inventory, and your expense tracking – even your mileage! By implementing one simple platform that tracks all aspects of your operations, it’s also a lot easier to start delegating some of those time consuming and repetitive tasks.

 

Outsource your fire safety inspections

“Fire extinguisher inspection services can address all of your specific fire hazard needs. We will ensure municipal, provincial, and federal compliance to your industrial needs. It is vital that powder used in some extinguishers is disposed of through certified agencies to prevent environmental contamination. We are committed to assisting our industrial and commercial customers to reduce the impact of meeting these legal requirements and make them as painless as possible.”

Fire safety is usually one of the most overlooked tasks with small businesses, but it doesn’t have to be. With service providers like Fire Alert, it’s as easy as a phone call to schedule your fire extinguisher inspection, order emergency lighting signage, and even stock your first aid kit. There’s no need to transport your fire extinguishers for testing, Fire Alert comes to your location and completes your mandatory inspection and any other services you need. You could even get your virtual assistant to take care of it!

Now that you know how to save time by automating and delegating certain tasks, check out how we can help with fire extinguisher inspections, recharges, and many other mobile services to keep you and your business safe.

Safety training and emergency preparedness is an important part of leading a safe team in the restaurant industry. Especially when conditions are already more dangerous than usual, like with industrial cooking equipment. It’s important to abide by safety regulations like WHMIS, but what about fire safety planning in restaurants? We’re going to look at some of the top tips for safety planning and preparedness in restaurants and industrial food service environments so you can keep your team safe and productive.

 

The NFPA.org tells us about the average 7,410 fires each year that happen in restaurants:

“Cooking equipment was the leading cause of fires in these properties, accounting for 61% of fires and 38% of direct property damage. Electrical distribution and lighting equipment was responsible for 9% of fires, but 21% of direct property damage, while heating equipment was responsible for 9% of fires and 9% of direct property damage. Smoking materials caused 7% of fires and 7% of direct property damage. Four percent of fires had an intentional cause, but these fires caused 10% of direct property damage.”

It’s shocking to hear that there are almost 7,500 fires per year that the NFPA has been tracking. But the good news is that many of these fires are completely preventable with proper fire safety planning.

 

ModernRestaurantManagement.com provides some advice for fire prevention:

“Consider your facility’s risks. Examining the unique risks of a workplace is an important responsibility for any property manager or building owner.  Assess your facility for items that may contribute to the risk of a fire, such as flammable liquids, electrical equipment or storage of combustible materials. Take note of specific hazards and make sure functional and up-to-date fire extinguishers and systems are in place to help minimize the impact of a fire.”

Is your restaurant in a standalone building or is it connected to others in a strip mall or a larger structure? Even if you are not a restaurant, cafeterias inside hospitals and kitchens in hotels and convention centers need to consider how their unique location changes their fire safety plan.

 

The webstaurantstore.com gives a simple checklist for fire prevention in a restaurant:

• Have multiple fire extinguishers in your establishment, and do not put them only in your kitchen.

• Install emergency lights and exit signs throughout your space.

• Look into appliances with fire suppression systems. When activated, these units can switch off your fuel supply and dispense substances that help to put out flames. Some units release these chemicals automatically and others have manual switches.

Now that you know the importance of fire safety planning for restaurants, check out how we can help with fire extinguisher inspections, recharges, and many other mobile services to keep you and your business safe.

Fire extinguishers are one of the only means of suppressing small fires before the fire department can attend the scene and it is vitally important to maintain them year after year. But what does proper fire extinguisher maintenance look like? We’ll explain exactly what you need to do to happen to keep your fire extinguishers up to code.

 

The NFPA 10 is the current version of the code book developed by the National Fire Prevention Association

“NFPA 10 provides requirements to ensure that portable fire extinguishers will work as intended to provide a first line of defense against fires of limited size.”

This is a lengthy code book and can be intimidating for many business owners and managers. We provide fire safety services in accordance with the NFPA 10 and all amendments. The most basic regulations for fire extinguishers are:

“According to NFPA 10, fire extinguishers in commercial and industrial spaces must be inspected on a monthly basis. This inspection can be done internally by a designated staff member or by a certified fire extinguisher company, like Fire-Alert. On an annual basis, fire extinguishers must be inspected by a certified company.

ABC dry chemical fire extinguishers must be tested every 6 years. A recharge is performed at the 6 year mark followed by a hydrostatic test at the 12 year mark. Co2, Class K (kitchen) and water fire extinguishers must be hydrostatically tested every 5 years. Fire hoses are hydrostatically tested 5 years from the manufacture date and every 3 years thereafter.”

You can learn more about the regulations for fire extinguishers in Ontario in our recent blog post here.

 

What is a fire extinguisher inspection? An inspection looks at the fire extinguisher itself as well as it’s placement and other factors. An inspection can be done by yourself or an employee on a regular basis, but must be inspected by a certified company either every year or every six years depending on the type. Some tips for carrying out an inspection yourself:

1. Have a checklist handy with the date of each fire extinguisher inspection and follow each step until complete. Be sure to mark the date of inspection on the inspection tag of your fire extinguisher.

2. Your extinguisher should not be blocked by any equipment, coats or objects that may interfere with access in case of an emergency.

3. Always check to ensure that the pressure of the unit is at the recommended level by checking the gauge to confirm that the needle is in the green zone which will show that the pressure is right where it should be.

4. Make sure the nozzle or other parts of the extinguisher are not obstructed in any way.

5. If your portable fire extinguishers have a pin and tamper seal, check to see if they are intact and undamaged.

6. Check for dents, rust, leaks or any sign of abuse or wear. Take a damp rag and wipe off any gunk or chemicals that may have accumulated on the device.

7. Shake your extinguisher to prevent the powder from settling to the bottom.

 

What is a fire extinguisher recharge? To “recharge” your fire extinguisher means that it is being refilled and will work reliably in the event of a fire. A fire extinguisher that is older than six years and has not been recharged is at risk of not operating and being unable to suppress a fire.                                   

If you are unsure if your fire extinguisher needs to be refilled, here are some helpful hints:

1. Check the pressure gauge, if it’s fallen below the functional level, it’s time to refill.

2. If your unit does not have a gauge, have it tested by a Fire-Alert Expert immediately.

3. Have your extinguisher checked annually.

4. Even if you have not used your extinguisher, it needs to be filled every six years.

5. If you do use it, refill it as soon as possible after use.

Now that you know the importance of fire extinguisher maintenance, check out how we can help with fire extinguisher inspections, recharges, and many other mobile services to keep you and your business safe. Fire-Alert experts are trained and certified and will reliably perform maintenance and recharge your fire extinguishers on-site.