Fire
What you should know
It is important to understand the basic characteristics of fire. Fire spreads quickly, in just two minutes, a fire can become life-threatening. In five minutes, a location can be engulfed in flames.
Heat and smoke from fire can be more dangerous than the flames. Inhaling the super-hot air can sear your lungs. Fire produces poisonous gases that make people disoriented and drowsy. Asphyxiation is the leading cause of fire deaths, exceeding burns by a three-to-one ratio.
Prepare
- Do not store combustible materials in rooms with electrical transformers.
- Do not overload electrical outlets.
- Ensure no objects are stored within 18 inches of the bottom of the fire sprinklers heads. The sprinklers need at least 18 inches to have a complete spray pattern.
- Ensure all staff is trained to evacuate the building. They should know at least two emergency evacuation routes to the Assembly Area.
- Ensure all staff physically walk the evacuation routes to the Assembly Areas at least once a year. It is recommended that this is done by holding an annual evacuation drill when it least impacts operations.
- Ensure all staff know the location of the fire pull stations.(Note, some building may not have pull stations)
- Touch closed doors with back of hand before opening them; if hot, use alternate route.
Respond immediately
- Upon discovery of a fire, call the local emergency number.
- Use a fire pull station to activate the fire alarm.
- Upon hearing the fire alarm or seeing the fire strobes, be aware of the situation occurring.
- Check for the signs of smoke/fire in your immediate area and evacuate immediately.
- Place first priority on rescue and first aid, not on fire suppression. Do not attempt to extinguish a fire unless you have been trained and are comfortable using the fire extinguisher; if the fire is larger than an office trash can, do not attempt to extinguish it under any circumstance.
- Always consider the possibility of explosion.
- If smoke is present, stay low, and touch all doors with the back of your hand before opening them.
- DO NOT open any door that is hot to the touch.
- If no one is behind you, close doors you pass through to keep the fire contained.
- If smoke or flames block your path, turn around and look for another exit.
- If you are unable to reach an exit, move away from the fire, leaving the doors between you and the fire closed, but not locked.
- Leave sprinkler systems running after the fire is extinguished, except by order of the Fire Department.
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