Fire Safety Tips for Retail Stores

Working in a retail store provides a lot of hustle and bustle. It can often feel non-stop and it’s easy to forget about simple workplace requirements. But learning the essential health and safety rules, like fire safety and prevention, may just save someone’s life.

Here are some of our fire safety tips for managers and employees in a retail store.

1. Know all exits and entrances

This is a given, but knowing where entrances and emergency exits are is crucial in the event of a fire or other emergency. Employees need to not only be aware of these exits, but they must also be trained on it. Have emergency exits labelled according to your country’s safety codes.

2. Place fire alarms and pulley systems in accessible zones

This goes hand in hand with making sure emergency exits are labelled. Fire Alarms should be labelled and employees should be familiar with their locations. These alarms should also be accessible to all employees.

FCF Fire & Electrical in Australia highlights the importance of having the right safety equipment installed:

“The law not just requires for certain types of business fire safety equipment to be installed after a fire risk assessment, but it also requires that it’s suitably labeled and are easy to access. Employees should be completely trained on how to utilize the fire safety equipment so they are going to be appropriately prepared should a fire break out in the retail store. With the correct equipment and safety measures, customers and employees may be kept safer.”

3. Know your emergency exit plan

An emergency exit plan needs to be posted at emergency exits and made accessible to all employees working in the space. Consider where employees spend most of their time on the retail floor and let them know what their best route of action to take is if there is an emergency.

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety outlines what needs to be included in a workplace fire safety plan:

“Plans should be specific to the property or business. Conducting an audit or review of the property or business will help identify factors that could affect fire safety. Items in this audit include site layout, points of entry/exit, roadways, use of the building, where and how items are stored, how items are used, water or fire department connections, alarm/sprinkler systems, and many other factors.”

4. Ask your work fire marshal for more info

Every workplace will have a designated fire marshal. They are a go-to source for any questions regarding locations of fire exits, fire extinguishers, and emergency evacuation plans.

5. Call in the Experts for routine fire inspections

At Fire Alert, we can provide you with excellent service when it comes to fire inspections. We can also provide you with the right fire preparedness equipment, like fire extinguishers.

Trained fire safety experts have performed many inspections and know how every zone and space can be fitted to safety standards. That’s why if you’re unsure of how to follow fire safety protocol in your retail space, it’s important to get a fire safety inspection from a trusted expert. They can also provide your team with fire safety training as well.

Audit company Compliant IA lists the following questions to ask when checking on evacuation routes:

  1. “Do all fire doors close properly?

  2. All fire doors and exits un-obstructed?

  3. Emergency exit doors equipped with panic hardware?

  4. All exit signs un-obstructed and clearly visible?

  5. Exits signs are illuminated and un-damaged?

  6. Are all emergency exits as per the evacuation plan, un-obstructed?

  7. Hallways are as per the evacuation plan, un-obstructed?

  8. Are all stairwells as per the evacuation plan, un-obstructed?

  9. Is emergency lighting in place throughout emergency exit routes?”

 

At Fire-Alert, we can help you equip your work or home with the right fire prevention equipment. Check out more here or contact us for more info.