OSHA has over seventy regulatory standards set into place for fire safety. As a result, only about three percent of workplace fatalities are caused by a fire or explosion. This is in direct correlation, to all the precautionary steps taken by employers to prepare their workers for potential danger. Although three percent may seem low, the actual amount of fatalities should be zero. It is understandable to be conflicted when keeping up with fire safety. However, it is unacceptable to do so, for in order to keep your employees safe, as well as your facility, and business, you must understand the responsibilities that are required to be upheld.
The first and foremost way to begin your path to compliance, is through the creation of a fire prevention plan. This must be an updated and written form containing of all potential fire hazards, proper handling procedures for hazardous materials, the control of potential ignition sources, and the necessary equipment to control each major hazard. This form must be written and stored in an area of which can be obtained by each and every employee. If your facility has more than ten employees, an oral presentation of the fire prevention plan must be given.
Alternate exit-routes are another crucial step in securing employee safety. In the case of a fire, your typical facility exit may be blocked or inaccessible. As a result, other ways to leave the building are required to ensure a safe escape without harm being caused to you or your employees. These alternate exits should be included in you emergency action plan. Aside from an evacuation process, the emergency action plan should contain procedures for reporting a fire or other emergency, procedures for rescue or medical duties, and procedures to account for all employees after an evacuation. Included outside of the emergency action plan, training should be given to a selection of employees whom of which will assist in a safe and orderly evacuation of all other employees.
Within a facility may reside potentially hazardous materials of which can cause a spontaneous combustion, explosion, fire, and meltdown. These materials are required to be documented, each with their own proper disposal process, how to control the material in an emergency situation, and the proper equipment to take said control. Under the category of hazardous materials falls: compressed gases, acetylene, hydrogen, oxygen, flammable liquids, spray finishing, explosives and blast agents, storing of gases, storing of anhydrous ammonia, safety management of highly hazardous chemicals, and lastly the hazardous waste operations and emergency response.
Fire safety wouldn't be complete without an overview on fire protection. Within the scope of fire protection, falls an entire list of application and definitions of which are applicable to items such as fire detection systems, extinguishers, and much more. Plans must be physically available for all employees in a facility ranging in genre of proper extinguisher use all the way to fire brigades. Although extinguishers are required, ones containing carbon tetra-chloride, or chlorobromomethane, are not permitted by OSHA. It is also necessary to inspect and maintain fire extinguishers in a fully charged and operable condition, of which are easily located and accessible.
With all forms of fire safety taken into full account, your facility and employees can confidently work with assurance that you are prepared for a fire. The process of creating a fire safety plan, can be long, grueling, overwhelming, and tedious, all the while entirely necessary. However, with the help of MedTrainer, fire safety planning has never been easier. With many templates already created, MedTrainer can increase your facility's preparedness for an unexpected fire. Schedule your free demo today at: http://medtrainer.com/demo/
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