It doesn’t matter whether you have a small firm or own a big company; every workplace must have an appropriate fire protection strategy in your office, including a fire Training plan through which your employees can save their lives from the fire breakout at the workplace.
As a company owner, you must have established five evacuation plans at your firm, but you need to avoid specific major things in exit plans. This post shall discuss four things to safely avoid in-office fire evacuation to make your way out during a fire accident.
1. Avoid Placing Obstacles before Emergency Exits
You must be wondering why anyone would place obstacles in front of emergency doors, but many people unknowingly obstruct the emergency exits. For example, we have seen curtains, signs, a huge vase as a decorator, and many other things that can make it difficult to locate the exit gates.
Plus, these obstacles can act as hurdles while you and your employees are making your way out. Hence, it is important to maintain a clear way around the exits so that people can easily rush to the exits and make their way out safely.
2. Feeling Panicked
It is common to be panicked during a fire incident at your office, but that is what we should never do in case of a fire accident. Panicking can cloud your mind and prevent you from thinking clearly. Instead of losing the nerve, call 911 or your colleague if you are trapped in your cabin to inform the authorities about your location.
If you don’t have a phone, yell for help. If there is a window around you, hang a clothing piece out of it to alert the emergency squad to evacuate from the place. No doubt, fire accidents can scare you, but it would be best to keep your head clear to save yourself and your colleagues.
If you are not trapped, take a second to calm your brain and think about the ways through which you can get everyone out safely.
3. Not Covering your Mouth and Nose
You should know that, in fire accidents, heat and smoker are more dangerous than flames. Fire in the office can raise the temperature around the ground from 100 degrees to 600 degrees. If there is heavy smoke at the place, it would be best to crawl to the nearest exit instead of running or rushing to it.
While crawling to the exit, place cover your mouth and nose with your handkerchief or a piece of cloth. It will filter out the smoke and will save you from passing out due to excessive smoke. You should know that smoke rises, and therefore, breathable air will be low to the ground.
4. Avoid Leaving Fire Doors Open
It is one of the most important things you need to note to save yourself and your colleagues during a fire evacuation. Avoid leaving fire doors open for any length of time. These doors must always be closed as they can hold fire back for more than 30 minutes.
Hence, they buy you a valuable and life-saving time during an evacuation. Therefore, you need to close the fire door if you find it open, not only at the time of a fire accident but all the times when you pass through it.
The Final Words
Apart from avoiding the mistakes mentioned above during a fire accident, it is important to provide your employees’ fire training regularly so that they can understand your instructions or react accordingly quickly. This regular training will ensure that every employee is fully trained to evacuate themselves during a fire break out in the workplace.