For something that could often be avoided, fires in the work place are far too prevalent. Take a look at the following statistics regarding fires in the workplace.
Top Reasons for Commercial Fires
- 29% off all office fires were caused by cooking errors
- 12% due to electrical distribution and lighting equipment
- 11% due to heating equipment
- 10% intentional
- 9% smoking
When Do Fires Happen?
- Peak time of day for fires is between noon and 2pm. It contributes to roughly 69% of office fires
- However, that being said, fires occurring between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. caused 67% of total property damage reported
- And fires on the weekends accounted for 19% of all fires and 31% of all property damage
By looking at the latter statistics, one can see pretty readily that most fire damage occurs during times that employees are not on the premises for e.g. nights and weekends. The majority of fires take place during the daytime but very few of these fires actually caused fire damage due to employee intervention.
From the following information it can be deduced that two types of fire protection within businesses are vital. For the day time, during business hours, fire extinguishers are important for employee use. By looking at the statistics, apparently it is imperative for office kitchens to have a fire extinguisher installed within the room for quick user during cooking accidents. Though most fires do begin in the kitchen, extinguishers should be located throughout the building.
In order to remedy the issue of fires resulting in property damage, it is imperative that building have automatic sprinkler system and fire alarm protection. As the statistics showed above, most fire damage occurs during night time hours when no one is there to detect and report the fire. This is why having a monitored fire and sprinkler system is imperative to the health of your business.
As you prepare your business for potential fires, keep in mind that you should make contact with your local fire authorities in order to ensure that you are up to code. Make certain that you have the correct number of fire extinguishers in the correct places throughout your building, and that your fire alarm system and sprinkler system meet all requirements.
Want more information about fire protection for your business or organization? Call us at 618-548-5768 or contact us online.
Source: NFPA.org
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