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Fire prevention is a critical component of commercial building management. Considering Baton Rouge’s recent renaissance, seeing many of its older buildings becoming modernized and repurposed, fire safety should be top of mind. If you’re concerned about your system or haven’t had it inspected within the last year, it’s wise to hire a professional inspector to review your building rather than suffer a loss later.
Family owned and operated since 1949, Louisiana Fire Extinguisher, Inc. is the region’s one-stop specialist in the prevention, detection and extinction of fires. Chief Executive Officer Sarah Grace Brooks knows how to protect your home and business. Brooks and her team cover all the bases, from fire extinguishers and fire alarms to emergency lights, sprinkler systems, back flows and kitchen fire suppression. They have Baton Rouge businesses covered from end to end.
“Many commercial building fires could have had minimal damage or even been avoided entirely by simply improving the fire safety system,” Brooks says. “The best way to protect your business, your customers and your employees is by installing a commercial fire protection system.”
1. Cooking: Yes, even in the workplace, cooking remains at the top of the list for the cause of both commercial and residential fires. Combustion can stem from human error or even faulty appliances. Fire alarms, sprinklers, and extinguishers that aren’t hard to reach are a wise investment, and Louisiana Fire Extinguisher, Inc. can help install these in your building.
2. Human Error/Unintentional Fires: These fires can be prevented with employee fire safety training in place and Louisiana Fire Extinguisher, Inc. can provide that training for you. Simple things like cigarettes not being discarded the right away, employees leaving heating devices too close to walls, or an employee overloading an extension cord can easily ignite. A monthly fire drill can help employees.
3. HVAC System or other electrical malfunction: Fires happen when an HVAC system malfunctions. This includes central heating systems, as well as water heaters, space heaters, and other appliances. Areas where the main HVAC system is housed, as well as any water heaters or storage rooms, should be outfitted with smoke alarms. Many of these fires are linked to an electrical system malfunction, often due to problems with wiring in the building.
Commercial buildings should have smoke and fire alarms throughout. Fire alarms are not only necessary to be code compliant; they also help to save lives and protect company assets. Additional equipment, like a sprinkler system, should also be installed for maximum protection of both employees and assets.
Brooks shares some simple actions that could prevent a fire at work. Contact her at sgrace@ louisianafire.com, click here, or 225.924.2421 to learn more about protecting your home and business.
CONTROL THE CONTROLLABLES
Appointing a safety captain to own this program can help get the rest of your team on board. Keep a handle on these everyday hazards to ensure you pass inspection and possibly even save a life.
• Keep all exit doors clear and check regularly to ensure you are able to open from the inside and maintain all stairways, pathways, aisles and/or walkways. Obstructions must never be left to create a hazard. In an emergency, a clear escape path could mean the difference in life and death.
• Check to see that all electrical outlets, circuit breakers, panels and junction boxes have at least three feet of clearance and use exten- sion cords only for temporary purposes.
• Ensure fire extinguishers are always visible and current on inspection by a licensed professional. This is a big one—if extinguishers are not properly maintained, they could prove useless when you really need them.
• Have your sprinkler system serviced prop- erly by a licensed fire protection official at least once a year. Don’t wait for a blaze to find out if they work.
• Store all hazardous material (chemicals, gases, solids) properly and with the appropriate permits.
Click here or call 225.924.2421 to learn more about protecting your home and business.
