Items Tagged with 'Fire safety'

Knowing how and when to exit a building is critical in an emergency situation. All employees should be properly trained on emergency exit procedures, and evacuations should be routinely practiced.

Portable fire extinguishers can be vital in preventing a small fire from turning into a major catastrophe. But the devices provide no protection if they are not properly maintained.

Maintaining access to emergency exits in the workplace is vital to protecting workers in the event of a fire or other evacuation. OSHA requirements on the number of exits vary according to the size of the workplace and the number of employees, but typically at least two emergency exits are needed.

Canned air is commonly used in offices to clean dust from equipment such as computers and shredders. These products often are used without incident; however, lack of training in proper use can lead to flash fires and injuries, warns the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries.

Having a fire hose available at a mine can be a lifesaver – but only a hose that is in good condition and in the right location.

While prevention is the best way to avoid fires in your workplace, knowing how to quickly and correctly respond in the event of a fire can save lives.

Two 35-year-old workers using floor sanders were killed and two others were seriously burned in a house fire after the lacquer floor sealer they were using ignited.

According to NIOSH, a number of fires have spontaneously ignited when workers attempted to fill portable gas cans in the backs of pickup trucks with plastic liners or in cars with a carpeted interior surface.

Portable fire extinguishers can be vital in preventing a small fire from turning into a major incident. But the devices cannot provide protection unless they are properly maintained.