Fire safety in buildings is an important area of concern for employers and landlords. Property damage of hundreds of thousands of rupees, death and injury can be caused by a single loose wire. However, there are steps that you can take to ensure that you, your staff and your property are protected as much as possible if a fire does start:
Ensure you are aware of the location of the fire extinguishers in your workplace. A diagram of where they are not good enough, you need to be familiar with where you need to walk to in order to be able to use it. Fire safety in buildings is important.
Don’t assume that every fire extinguisher is functional. You will need to check that the pressure gauge is indicating that the extinguisher has enough pressure to operate. A surprising amount of fire extinguishers can leak and then not be functional in the moment of need. By looking at the tag, you’ll be able to identify when the last service took place, which should be less than a year ago.
Every person in your business should know the location of fire exits. In addition, there should be a lighted sign indicating an exit positioned above the door. The lighted sign will show where the exit is in the case of an emergency, if there is not any other light available. Each sign should have a backup secondary battery installed. Both bulbs and batteries should be checked yearly to ensure that they are functional in order to contribute to the provision of fire safety in buildings at an acceptable level.
There should be a plan in place in case there is a fire. Each person should know what is expected of them in this situation. Hold a fire drill at least once per year.
Every year a business should have a survey undertaken to ensure that there are enough fire extinguishers and other equipment to put out a fire if one were to occur. You will also need to ensure that your staff are trained to put out a fire. You might wish to do this on the same day as the fire drill.
By ensuring that your workers are prepared to do what they can to contribute to fire safety in buildings, you could save lives. Establishing that your environment has the equipment and functional exits that are necessary in order to help your staff deal with this type of emergency is critical for the prevention of injury or fatalities. Be safe and call us for guidance on preparing for emergencies and fire safety in buildings.
It’s s law in Mauritius that every building, that has more than 20 employees at any one time or 10 persons to be present at any one time elsewhere than on the ground floor, needs a fire certificate. If your building or tenancy does not have any fire certificate, call us on +230 660 4545 for a visit in your workplace to assist you in its application to the Government Fire Services.
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