There are more than 3300 fires that take place in the workplace each year. National Fire Prevention Week is October 8-14 with Monday, October 9, observed as Fire Prevention Day. It’s a great day to schedule a fire drill! No, these are not just for school kids – your business should be conducting fire drills at least once a year, but more frequently if there are any changes in fire safety procedures, layout of your business or if your staff are moved to different areas.

Fire drills are important for many reasons:

• Great practice and training for your staff to get out of the building safely – be it a fire or any emergency situation
• Good chance to evaluate any evacuation routes that might be blocked – and have time to get those areas cleared out
• Opportunity to see if staff are struggling with instructions, routes or where to meet up

So here are some steps to keep in mind to conduct successful workplace fire drills:

1. Assign someone responsible for fire safety – this could be the business owner or manager, but someone needs to ensure all fire safety rules are adhered to
2. Develop an evacuation plan – and ensure it has multiple routes with several possible exits just in case any part of the building is blocked or inaccessible, as well as a spot a safe distance from the building to gather (assembly point) – and have the plan posted in various places throughout your business
3. Make sure your plan takes into account all employees, regardless of age, sex, physical or mental ability
4. Educate all employees – make sure it’s in employee handbooks for all new hires, but also take time to re-educate employees at least annually in some way
5. Conduct a fire drill – a test run to see if the plan works (and if some issues arise, change it up and test again)

Having all the best fire safety equipment, be it state of the art fire detectors, fire extinguishers, and flashing lights, is great, but making sure your employees know how to get out of harm’s way is the most important workplace safety objective when it comes to a fire or any reason to need to evaluate quickly.

For almost 100 years, Fire Prevention Week is observed during the week of October 9 to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. This year’s observation will be held October 3-9, 2021, and the theme will be “Learn the Sound of Fire Safety,” and the hope is to better educate the public about the sounds of smoke alarms, what those sounds mean, and how to respond.

Some basic safety tips when it comes to smoke/fire/CO alarms:
• Continuous set of three loud beeps means smoke or fire, so get out, call 911 and stay out – four beeps for carbon monoxide alarms
• A single chirp, every 30 or 60 seconds, means the battery is low and should be changed
• Chirping that continues after the battery has been replaced means the unit should be replaced as it is not functioning properly and at the end of its life (do not disconnect and forget about it)
• All smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years
• Test all smoke and CO alarms monthly by pressing the test button
• Make sure your smoke and CO alarms meet the needs of all, including those with sensory and/or physical disabilities (ie – install bed shaker and strobe light alarms)
When thinking about workplace safety, here are some helpful tips to avoid fire in your facility or building:
• Keep your workplace as clean as possible – emptying trash regularly and don’t block any fire exits or equipment.
• Maintain electrical equipment to prevent any machines and equipment from overheating and keeping friction sparks to a minimum. Turn off lights and computers after work hours.
• Check faulty electrical wiring on a monthly basis, as faulty wiring is the most common source of workplace fires.
• Store hazardous chemicals properly – make sure each container is labelled correctly and placed in a safe storage.
• Assign designated smoking areas in your workplace and have policies in place and visible, so they can follow to avoid any fire safety issues
• Always have fire extinguishers all over the workplace – and do routine inspections to make sure they are fully charged.
• Conduct fire drills once a year with your employees
• Schedule training sessions with your employees on the proper way to use a fire extinguisher and other fire prevention equipment, as well as promote fire safety and education on fire exit routes and safety planning
• Post emergency hotline numbers in visible places – special bulletin boards, break room refrigerators, etc.
• Follow the Fire Prevention Plan (FPP) - provided by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)