Did you know that first responders across the nation are dispatched to address fires every 24 seconds? According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), a fire occurs in commercial structures every 63 seconds and in homes every 87 seconds.

These numbers are shockingly high and equally tragic, especially when you consider that many of them could have been prevented through more effective fire protection efforts.

At HarvPro Fire, we’re committed to helping you reduce the risk of a fire devastating your business. In today’s post, we’re going to discuss a few of the most common workplace fire hazards that can put your property — and your future — at risk.

If you’d like to learn more about fire sprinkler systems right now, contact HarvPro Fire in Solano County to schedule a risk-free estimate for your property!

Six Major Fire Hazards in the Workplace

Smoking

Improperly discarded cigarettes are one of the most common causes of workplace fires. It only takes one cigarette thrown into a trash bin or a smoldering piece of ash to blow in the bushes to spark a blaze right outside of your building.

If you allow smoking on your property, make sure that your designated smoking areas are away from grass, bushes, and other flammable aspects of your landscape. You should also have clearly marked areas for smokers to extinguish their cigarettes.

Dust

Whether you have a cleaning crew or your staff takes care of the majority of your business’ cleaning duties, you should always make sure that dust is being removed from out-of-sight areas. Dust can accumulate near power outlets, behind vending machines, and in other areas that significantly increase your risk of a fire occurring.

Flammable Liquids

Your building may not need many flammable liquids for day-to-day operations, but you should still take care to ensure that any you do have are safely stored. Cleaning products, paint, and other frequently used products should be stored in a well-ventilated cabinet that’s far away from heat sources.

Combustible Solids

Paper, cardboard, and paper towels are some of the most common combustible materials found in workplaces across the United States. Make sure that break rooms have disposal areas that are placed away from heat sources such as microwave ovens and vending machines, and be sure to check the rest of your workplace for improperly stored objects that could catch fire, too.

Cords and Circuits

Electrical fires are commonly caused by overloaded circuits. Check all of the cords throughout the building and make sure that none of them are frayed or damaged. You should also ensure that you’re never overloading a single outlet by adding plug extensions. If you do need to plug multiple cords into a single outlet, invest in extension bricks that have a high wattage rating and surge protection.

Faulty Fire Sprinkler System

A faulty fire sprinkler system is like an alarm that won’t go off when a burglar enters your home. If it can’t do the one thing it’s intended to do, then what’s the point of having it at all?

That said, the issue that most business owners encounter isn’t that their fire sprinkler systems don’t work at all. It’s that they don’t work well enough.

At HarvPro Fire, we’ve seen far too many business owners invest in our fire protection services only after a fire has devastated their property due to a fire sprinkler system that simply couldn’t handle the blaze or didn’t activate soon enough.

You shouldn’t have to wait until you’re facing serious losses to evaluate your current fire suppression system. HarvPro Fire offers all of the following fire sprinkler system services for your peace of mind:

Get in touch with us if you would like to learn more about any of our services!

Appoint a Fire Safety Specialist

Once you’ve considered everything discussed above, you should think about how you’ll maintain a safe working environment moving forward.

You might be thinking to yourself, “I know that I should keep up with my building’s risk factors and fire mitigation strategy, but I just don’t have time as a business owner.”

As business owners ourselves, we understand that your to-do list never gets any shorter, and that’s why we recommend delegating your business’ fire safety efforts to an employee you can trust. In some areas, you may be able to contact your local fire department for a free inspection that helps you identify and address risk factors. Either way, delegating this responsibility to someone with more bandwidth allows you to focus on running your business without sacrificing safety.


Would you like to have your fire sprinkler system inspected? Contact HarvPro Fire in Solano County and let us help you protect your property!