Commercial Fire Protection Plans: What Do You Need

While you may have yet to experience a serious fire in your lifetime, don’t underestimate the need for a solid fire safety plan for your business. You may not be too worried about a fire destroying your property, as its often covered by insurance, but you simply can’t put a price on the injuries caused and lives lost to workplace fires all around the world.

So, what do you need to help protect your property and employees from a fire? Let’s take a look.

What Do You Need to Include in a Fire Protection Plan?

The first thing you need to help protect your business from a fire is a plan that outlines all aspects of fire safety. This plan should include:

  • Procedures for evacuating the building in a safe and orderly fashion
  • Maintenance and housekeeping efforts needed to prevent fires
  • Ways to minimize fire damage if one does occur

All of these things should be included in an easily accessible detailed document in case of a fire-related emergency. 

Now, keep in mind that fire protection plans like this aren’t just for your own personal reference – they are actually required by some local fire codes. These codes can vary depending on your area, so be sure to check with the local authorities to make sure you haven’t missed anything. Some fire departments may even prefer that a certain format or template be used when creating your plan as it helps them respond more quickly and efficiently in emergencies.

What Equipment Do You Need to Protect Your Business from a Fire?

While the exact requirements may differ slightly depending on the codes in your area, typically the most important things that you will need for fire prevention are as follows:

  • Fire alarms, fire alarm monitoring system, and smoke detectors
  • A sprinkler system
  • Fire suppression systems
  • Emergency lights

The exact equipment that you need depends on a variety of factors, such as the industry you work in and the size of your building, so again consult with your local fire prevention company to find out what is necessary in your case. With how dangerous fires can be, this isn’t the time to save a few bucks trying to figure it all out yourself.

Do I Need to Schedule Inspections of My Fire Protection System?

Absolutely. All of your fire safety equipment needs to be inspected on a regular basis in case of emergency, even if it has never been used before.

As important as it is, scheduling inspections for all of your different fire protection components can be tricky. Each piece of equipment has its own inspection requirements and frequencies, so it can be hard for busy business owners and managers to keep track of how often they need to perform these checks. If you find that you need the extra help, consider hiring a local fire prevention company to assist you in managing these different inspection frequencies. When it comes to something as potentially devastating as a fire, it’s certainly better to be safe than sorry.