Trading Up: A Blog About General Contractors

« Back to Home

Some Fire Safety Equipment You Might Want Around an Office Complex

Posted on

Your office may seem like the last place you would expect a fire to break out, but office fires are not unheard of; this can be especially true in wintertime when workers use space heaters or aren't minding how papers or drapes are coming into contact with a radiator. To protect your staff in case a fire does break out, note some fire safety equipment you might want to have around the office.

1. Tape and markings

When the fire alarm sounds, your building may automatically shut down the power in order to prevent an electrical fire from starting, or the fire may damage circuits so that the lights go out. In either case, you should have emergency exit signs clearly illuminated, but tape and markings can also help your staff find their way out. Glow-in-the-dark markings in the shape of footprints can be put on a cement floor in a kitchen or other such space in order to show the way to a nearby exit, or you might use tape in the form of arrows on the walls to point the way. This will help any office worker find their way out even if they cannot clearly see the emergency exit signs or become a bit disoriented in the dark.

2. Fire extinguisher alarms

A fire extinguisher alarm is connected to a fire extinguisher and it will sound whenever someone removes the extinguisher from the wall. This can act as an added safety feature if someone were to notice any type of fire before your smoke detectors sound, and if they reached for the extinguisher before they reached for a manual fire alarm. This can also alert you to anyone using the fire extinguisher so that you can know to ensure it's properly refilled or pressurized after that use.

3. Emergency alarms or air horns

If you ever have staff that work outside of the building such as those in a warehouse area who might be loading or unloading deliveries, they may not hear the alarms that sound inside the office when a fire starts. A handheld emergency alarm or air horn can help you to alert them as the staff exits the building, since you can take the air horn with you to any area and sound it as needed. This will ensure no one goes back into the building because of not having heard the alarm, and may also alert your staff as to your location so they know where to meet outside the building. 


Share