Planning for workplace emergencies according to Integral Fire Protection is something which is often overlooked by business owners and managers. However, it is extremely important to make sure that you do more to prepare for potential emergencies than just placing safety gear like fire extinguishers around the building. You need to make sure that you have safety plans for all potential things which could go wrong, including fires.
Workplace fires can escalate rapidly. In most cases, they can be brought under control using fire extinguishers and fire blankets, reducing and containing the threat. However, there will be times when workplace fires get out of hand, resulting in an evacuation of the premises.
For an effective evacuation to take place, people need to be able to exit a building in the quickest and most efficient way. For this to occur, you need to make sure that every single emergency exit in your building is accessible to all people at all times. Other reasons why you should make sure emergency exits are always accessible include:
You Are Required To Under Australian Law
Various Australian workplace laws and occupational health and safety regulations require you to have clearly signed emergency exits from your building. The number of exits you have to have and their location will depend on your individual situation, but note that if your emergency exits are blocked, you may be breaking the law. This could result in significant penalties for you and your company. In most cases, you need to have at least two emergency exit routes from any place in a building.
They Reduce The Risk Of Employees Or Clients Being Injured
Emergency situations like fires can be unexpected and surprising. If you don’t have enough emergency exits, or if your emergency exits are blocked, you may find that people are unable to exit your building in the case of an emergency. They could become trapped by a fire or other hazard, and may suddenly find themselves at serious risk of injury or death.
The same is true if you have emergency exits, but don’t have them marked. If your emergency escape route isn’t clearly marked, then people won’t be able to find their way to the exit – especially if they don’t know their way around your building. This can also result in people becoming trapped or lost in the case of an emergency, potentially resulting in a serious situation.
Final Word
If your business doesn’t already have clearly marked emergency exits, then you need to do something. Do your research, speak to an industry exit, and find out how many emergency exits you have to have in your building. Make sure that they aren’t locked or blocked by any other means, and that people are able to use them at all hours of the day or night if necessary.
