Fire safety plan helps to ensure effective utilization of life safety features in a building/workplace to protect people from fire. It prevents the occurrence of fire by the control of fire hazards in the
building, ensures operation of fire protection systems by establishing maintenance procedures, and provides a systematic method of safe and orderly evacuation of the building in the event of fire.
However, any workplace fire safety plan has three (3) primary objectives:
- Fire Hazard Control
- Fire Protection System Maintenance
- Emergency Evacuation
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Fire hazard control
All fire hazards in the workplace should be properly controlled in order to prevent fire. This is the first step covered by the fire safety plan. Some of the fire hazards that should be controlled are:
- Storage of combustible material in unapproved spaces such as stairwells or fire escapes.
- Fire and smoke barrier door wedged open or not operating properly.
- Improper storage of flammable gasses and liquids.
- Defective electrical wiring and appliances and over-fusing.
- Poor management of hot work.
- Careless disposal of cigarettes, etc.
Fire Protection System Maintenance
This involves maintaining fire suppression system like fire extinguisher, sprinkler system, fire detection devices, fire-resistant walls, fire resistant doors, etc, to help mitigate the unwanted effects of potentially destructive fires.
Emergency Evacuation
This is the last line of action in the plan. The emergency evacuation will be required if the first two fire safety plan objectives fails. This emergency evacuation will ensure the safest and most efficient way to remove occupants from the affected risk environment.
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Benefits of Implementing a Fire Safety Plan
- Reduces the incidence of fire through awareness, prevention and training.
- Promotes fire hazard identification and elimination
- Promotes employee safety and awareness
- Increases employee morale by allaying safety concerns
- Coordinates business and fire department resources during a fire emergency.
- Reduces the potential impact of a fire on the business and community (injuries, dollar losses, liability, etc.)
- Enhances Fire Code compliance.
To setup this plan, some steps should be followed:
A. Identify materials that are potential fire hazards and ensure their proper handling and storage procedures;
B. Distinguish potential ignition sources and the proper control procedures of those materials;
C. Describe available fire protection equipment and/or systems used to control fire hazards;
D. Assign Responsibilities: Fire safety is everyone’s responsibility, hence all management staffs and employees should know how to prevent and respond to fires, and individual responsibility during fire emergency assigned.
E. Plan implementation: This include good housekeeping, safe system of work, fire equipment maintenance, etc. This implementation will ensure that the fire safety objectives are achieved.
F. Provides training to employees with regard to fire hazards to which they may be exposed.
G. Fire evacuation plan: This will be captured in the plan
G. Attachments: Some attachments accompanying this plan include:
- Fire Risk Survey
- General Fire Prevention Checklist
- Exits Checklist
- Flammable and Combustible Material Checklist
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Fire safety plan template – PDF
The above template can serve as a guide.
For questions and contribution, contact us today.
