Are You Ready to Respond to a Fire at Your West Hartford Business? (Part 1: Prevention)

10/8/2020 (Permalink)

A fire at your commercial building can be financially devastating and life-threatening. Help prevent one from occurring by following our tips.

As a small business owner, you have a legal responsibility to protect your employees and customers from the risk of a fire at your commercial building. And while no one plans to have a fire at their place of business, the truth is that it could happen to you:

• One out of ten small business insurance claims are for fire-related damage
• Upwards of 140,000 commercial structures suffer fires each year in the U.S.
• The average cost of a commercial fire damage incident is $35,000

You need to have plans and policies in place to both prevent and safely handle a potential fire at your facility. The time to develop and put these into place is now, before a fire starts.

Know Your Risks

Start by understanding what your fire risks are. For most types of businesses, fires start when:

• Electrical cords are damaged or extension cords are in use
• Older electrical systems are overloaded
• Space heaters are in use
• Equipment that heats up is too close to combustible items

Office fires most commonly occur at lunchtime, and almost 70% of office fires start between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. The greatest causes of fires in business offices are cooking and equipment.

Fires at manufacturing facilities are usually caused by heating equipment and malfunctioning mechanical equipment.

Fires at restaurants are typically due to a buildup of grease on cooking surfaces and in the ventilation system and ductwork.

Ways to Prevent a Commercial Fire

Once you understand what your greatest fire hazards are, you can take concrete steps to reduce your risk.

• Consider asking your local fire department to inspect your facility and evaluate it for fire risk. This also gives the fire department a chance to become familiar with your building and its physical layout. The professionals at your fire department can also help you create a plan to prevent fires, as well as escape from one.
• Have and maintain smoke detectors and fire extinguishers throughout your facility.
• Store and dispose of paper and other dry waste at a safe distance from electrical equipment.
• Leave space around all machinery or electrical equipment that may heat up. Regularly inspect and maintain all your electrical equipment.
• Inspect power cords and replace damaged ones. Never use extension cords or overload outlets.
• If your building does not already have one, consider investing in a sprinkler system, which can quickly suppress a fire before it spreads.

Continue reading Part 2 of this article for ways to save lives and reduce property damage if a fire does break out at your facility.

Help Is Here

The team at SERVPRO of West Hartford has specialized training and experience in water damage restoration services, fire and smoke damage restoration services, biohazard cleanup and natural disaster prevention and cleanup. Call SERVPRO of West Hartford (860.206.6141) any time.

For commercial water, fire, smoke, mold, storm or other disaster restoration needs, call SERVPRO of West Hartford today at 860.206.6141

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SERVPRO publishes educational articles on how to protect your home or business from disasters and how to deal with water, sewage, storm, mold, fire and other damage.

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For commercial water, fire, smoke, mold, storm or other disaster restoration needs, call SERVPRO of West Hartford today at 860.206.6141