Fires in an industrial setting can be both dangerous and destructive. Burning down large buildings and expensive machinery is never the desired goal for any functioning industrial complex. Effort should be put in by the company to both prevent and protect from industrial fires. This isn’t an easy process; here’s five tips for companies to keep their industrial areas safe from these fires.
Alarms
Any industrial area should have a robust fire alarm system. Both visual and auditory alarms should be put into place all over the plant’s grounds, and tested regularly to ensure they work. This alarm system provides two benefits; it assists employees in being able to get out of harm’s way as quickly as possible, and provides an early warning system to possibly take care of fires as soon as possible. These systems can also be programmed to alert nearby firefighters, providing faster response times.
Proper employee training
Training employees on fire safety is another important aspect to ensure these fires don’t start, and when they do, prevent spread. This training is twofold; first, employees should understand all hazards relating to their aspect of the jobsite. For example, if a machinery is prone to sparks when malfunctioning, an employee should be trained to watch out for dangerous signs of wear and tear.
Fire response
Secondly, employees should be trained on how they should respond to a fire. There are many types of fires, from simple wood fires, to oil and grease fires, electrical fires, and more. If an employee understands the types of fires, their dangers, and how to extinguish them, they can respond in the safest way for themselves and the company in order to prevent damages.
Hazard analysis
Conducting a hazard analysis is a good way to keep fire dangers down. After all, the ideal alarm system for a fire is one that is only used to make sure it works. Put effort and hours into eliminating all sources of fire hazards, such as ventilating particulates in the air, moving flammable materials away from sources of heat, and many others.
Cleanliness
Keeping clean is also an excellent way to make sure fires never start. Nothing is safer from being set alight than clean and dry concrete. This comes with a multitude of benefits outside of fire safety as well. A clean workplace is a safe workplace for cross contamination, machinery failure, and slip hazards.
Industrial fires can spread quickly, claiming millions in damages alongside the health risks that come with any fire, such as smoke inhalation or even death. Setting up an alarm system, training employees on fire prevention, as well as fire response, conducting a hazard analysis, and keeping clean are all important measures for keeping your workplace safe.
