Fire Prevention Essay Introduction
Fire is one of the most dangerous forms of accidents that can cause many damages in the workplace. In extreme conditions, it can lead to loss of lives. It can turn millions of investments into ashes within a very short period. In the workplace, electricity is majorly associated with many fire scenarios. Other causes of fire include the explosion of gas tanks or carelessness on the side of the staff members. Due to the dangerous nature of fire accidents, its prevention needs utmost urgency. In many cases, fire hazards have been witnessed in workplaces that do not have strategies in place to handle fire breakouts.
As the paper reveals, some steps can be taken to prevent such incidents. It is always trouble-free and economical to prevent than to fix the hazards. Organizations must always have strategic plans on how to handle fire, lest they be ready to suffer huge financial and life losses. This paper presents some of the strategies that can be implemented to prevent the fire hazards in the workplace. Using some real-life example of fire scenarios, the paper upholds the importance of maintaining and revisiting these strategies so that all staff members can be updated on the procedures they can embark on in case fire breaks out.
Prevention Strategies
Every workplace has a certain probability of experiencing fire. Many governmental and non-governmental organizations have been established to help the society, for instance, by contributing towards the fight against hunger and diseases such as HIV/AIDS and cancer. This observation confirms their central role in achieving the national agenda of serving all people diligently. Such a sensitive task shows the extent to which the country will be affected if a fire breaks out in any given organization (Kurlick 18). Every organization has the right to operate in a setting that has proper fire prevention strategies to thwart the outrage of fire in their future moments.
Hence, the discussion about fire should include the need to establish programs that emphasize how organizations should be prepared for the hazards of fire, how they can prevent them, and how they can recognize the signs of fire accidents (McKimmie et al. 59). The discussion should take into consideration proper handling of the firefighting equipment. Ignorance is one thing that should not be tolerated. Ignoring the possibility of fire breakout does not change the fact that it can be witnessed (Kurlick 19).
Some organizations’ staff officials are very bad mannered such that they consciously leave the electrical circuit open, even when electricity is out of use. All possible signs that can endanger the lives of workers and the business due to electricity should be reported as soon as possible.
Responsibility is highly valued when it comes to dealing with fire issues. It is the mandate of everyone in the workplace to ensure that fire hazards are minimal. The employer or an organization’s leader has the responsibility to address all possible sources of fire before his or her employees. Besides, organizations’ bosses should guarantee proper installation of the firefighting equipment (Kurlick 21). They are advised to have fire risk assessments done in their respective administrative centers. Proper scrutiny of a building to find out whether it complies with the building rules and regulations is very important. Weak buildings, which have electricity cables installed in them, are a threat to the lives of workers in case they tumble. Such a falling can trigger fire once live electric cables come into contact.
There should be general safety measures in almost every avenue in the workplace. These measures are very important because they sensitize employees on the steps should follow to avoid fire hazards (Kurlick 21). The safety measures ensure that the staff officials do not cover the accessibility of the firefighting equipment. The safety procedures act as precautions against the ‘do’s and don’ts’ of fire. The authenticity of the firefighting equipment is vital because indisputable firefighting equipment is not only safe, but also easy to use.
Keeping a clean and tidy working environment is of great importance. A tidy environment is important because chances of the documents catching fire and spreading it to other places are minimal. Untidiness is very dangerous because it not only spreads fire quickly but also hinders the smooth movement of the staff members to assembly points in times of fire emergency (Kurlick 23).
The workplace should develop the culture of using lidded trash bins. The trash bins help in preventing fire outbreaks in other places in case of the presence of flammable containers, which may explode upon their exposure to a slight rise in temperature. Maintaining the vegetation around the building in a good condition avoids the spread of fire to other places.
Once fire outbreak is detected, there is a need to ensure that any oxygen gas tank is far from the possible fire hazard location (Khan, Breitenecker, and Schwarz 76). In case a gas tank is near, any outbreak might worsen once the tank explodes. Hence, it is imperative to establish safety measures concerning fire equipment and gas tanks (Khan, Breitenecker, and Schwarz 77). The safety measures about the fire extinguishers play a pivotal role in controlling fire in the workplace.
Firefighting equipment should be positioned in strategic places where they can be accessed in times of emergency. Teaching the staff members on how to handle the equipment is very vital. Some organizations procure such materials, install them, and forget that they are useless if employees are not aware of how they can be handled. Hence, teaching workers, including subordinate staff members, how to handle the equipment lessens the time that can be utilized to fight the spread of fire (McKimmie et al. 61). All staff members should take care of each other in the workplace. They should have in mind that life safety is dependent on each other. It is the mandate of the supervisors to guide new employees on the company’s safety measures.
The presence of the ‘No Smoking’ signs around the flammable places helps in preventing fire carnages. There is a need for all administrative centers to incorporate an automatic firefighting mechanism that uses sensors that can alert people in case of any danger. There is a need to install a well-functioning alarm system in the workplace to alert workers in cases of emergency to help them in relocating themselves to save their lives and property. The location of the alarm system should be well known to all staff members for easy accessibility. It is very important to have an emergency exit door to avoid any stampede on the common exit point. After using an electrical appliance, one should turn off all bizarre sockets. The reason for this measure is that these appliances have a possibility of being a fire hazard (McKimmie et al. 63).
Switching off the heating elements after using them is very important because the strategy reduces fire threats. Keeping all the electrical wiring out of pathway or doorway is mandatory in ensuring no abrupt disconnection once a staff steps on it. Possible sources of fire should be kept off combustible materials. Combustible materials near the fire source act as a means of spreading the fire to other places. Therefore, they need to be kept far. There should be an easy access to electrical sockets and main switches to avoid the spread of electrical fires. All staff members should find it easy to switch them off. All poor electrical connections should be reported immediately.
It is advisable to have regular inspections, especially on electric cable conditions, to ensure that they are safe. This customary electrical assessment should be done even in the transformer to guarantee a balance between the load and the power supply. Whenever an imbalance is reported between the load and the supply, there is a likelihood of development of electrical surges (Nunez 46).
The electrical disproportion affects not only the workplace but also the neighborhood due to blackouts. It is advisable to close all openings if one gets a chance to do so before escaping in case of fire. Closing the openings prevents the supply of oxygen, which amplifies the fire. The reason for fire gathering points is to count all survivors and/or stand a chance to know who did not make it out. This information is very important to the rescue team that focuses on saving the victims first before fighting the fire. A well-equipped first aid kit should be available to help the victims of smoke or individuals who happen to sustain injuries during a fire outbreak (Nunez 48).
Emergency numbers are very important. They should be at the fingertips of every staff member. Having the emergency contacts helps in shortening the time that is taken by the salvaging squad to arrive at the place. It is advisable to link the alarm system with the emergency rescue to ease the rate of responsiveness to such situations. In case of any injuries, staff members should be taught the first aid procedures on how to handle different cases of fire.
Fire scenarios
In Emlenton, Pennsylvania, a fire broke and ravished a tourist attraction shop. The tourist appeal store was a source of employment to several people who ended up losing their source of revenue to the fire. The fire started at night. The owners of the premise did nothing to stop it. The fire turned the one joyful place to a gloomy one because the victims had no idea of what to do with their plans. This incident is a clear indication of the significance of being equipped with fire prevention mechanisms as discussed above. Scenarios such as this one are the reason why all businesses need protection. Insurance covers could have covered the loss that these people had to cope with.
Due to the inconvenience in terms of entering the place, firefighters arrived too late. They did not manage to save anything. It was such a devastating moment to see the whole hardship the people had worked for disappearing in the flames. Although no casualties were reported, one of the shopkeepers was in her shop at the time of the hazard. She was able to abscond unhurt. She was assertive enough to save most of her valuable items. This scenario shows the significance of having a proper functioning firefighting station in the neighborhood of all towns (Selman 166). Such centers are important in preventing huge losses that people encounter due to extended fire hazards.
New York City was a victim of the fire carnage. In the heart of Manhattan’s stylish East Village, a public housing collapsed as fire flames spread to the next buildings. The source of the carnage was an outburst from a gas tank. Several people who were caught unaware were wounded. Fires that result from explosions are very hard to predict. In many instances, such fires injure people. The New York metropolitan scenario stopped several businesses in which people who were operating from the setting had to run for their lives. The nearby buildings to which the flames spread became weak, thereby making the chances of them collapsing very high. A cafeteria at the ground floor experienced a huge explosion.
Fire Prevention Essay Conclusion
The expositions that have been made in this paper present fire as a serious issue that needs total urgency when it comes to securing property and lives of employees in the administrative centers. The prevention measures that have been stated in this paper are key for all organizations that have their workers’ lives at heart. Every organization should ensure that it is established in well-structured buildings that cannot easily collapse in cases of fire hazards. There should be rigorous inspections in all buildings before they are occupied. Besides, regular inspections should be carried out after a given period to ensure that the chances of fire hazards are minimized.
Works Cited
Khan, Mohammad, Robert Breitenecker, and Erich Schwarz. “Adding fuel to the fire.” Management Decision 53.1(2015): 75-99. Print.
Kurlick, Gary. “Stop, drop, and roll: workplace hazards of local government firefighters.” Monthly Labor Review 135.11(2012): 18-25. Print.
McKimmie, Blake, Nerina Jimmieson, Rebecca Mathews, and Kieren Moffat. “Social support and fires in the workplace: A preliminary investigation.” Work 32.1(2009): 59-68. Print.
Nunez, Ron. “Fire in the Workplace: Fundamental Elements of Prevention & Protection.” Professional Safety 52.3(2007): 46-48. Print.
Selman, Sergio. “High-Rise Fires: Incident Command for Volunteer Firefighters.” Fire Engineering 168.3(2015): 166-168. Print.