In Florida, running a business means understanding how fire protection systems work and how to keep them maintained. Your fire protection system protects your business from disaster. With the knowledge of their function and necessity, you can feel safe as a business owner. Here are five things you need to know about your fire sprinklers and extinguishers.
Learn the different types of fire extinguishers so you'll use the right one during an emergency. Class A extinguishers? They're meant for fires where rubber, paper, cloth, or wood is burning. Class B extinguishers are meant for grease, gasoline, alcohol, and similar substances. For electrical fires, you'll need a Class C extinguisher; for fires containing potassium or sodium, the Class D fire extinguisher will best keep your business safe.
Using the wrong kind of fire extinguisher can have disastrous consequences. The fire could continue spreading. The fire could burn faster instead of slower. Use an extinguisher meant for gasoline to stop an electrical fire, and your business could suffer. That's why employee education is so essential for a business owner. According to the NFPA, in 2018, there were about 1,115,000 career and volunteer firefighters in the U.S. Those firefighters want you to remember: not all fire extinguishers are the same.
As a business owner, dismiss the idea of forgetting about your fire sprinklers once installed. An inoperable sprinkler system is a disaster waiting to happen for a business owner. The various components of the fire sprinkler can malfunction due to faulty installation, corrosion, a poor connection to the fire department, and even freezing. A visual inspection of the fire sprinkler will pinpoint damage in the system that needs fixing.
A fire extinguisher doesn't belong in the trash. Inside are hazardous chemicals under pressure, including potassium citrate. In the garbage, tension builds, and these safety devices can become dangerous and unstable. When your fire extinguisher is empty, take it outside for your recycling or over to the nearest recycling center. You take your used extinguisher to the fire department when it's partially complete. Since the process could take days, your employees may never notice.
Store fire extinguishers in areas where the risk of a fire is higher. Have a fire extinguisher near wires and electricity, and make sure they're visible if your business has a kitchen. Your extinguishers should be handy on each floor of your office building. Keep additional extinguishers near hazardous chemicals and products.
A contractor will likely be responsible for installing sprinklers, but not always. Sprinklers should be in every room, with multiple sprinkler heads installed in larger spaces that hold more people. Since a pipeline catches fire every four days, fires can spread quickly in rooms that don't have sprinkler heads. After installation, check the sprinklers twice yearly for signs of damage or wear. One malfunctioning sprinkler can cause a fire to overtake your business.
Look no further than code NFPA24, which states that fire protection systems must undergo regular visual inspections and frequent functional testing to ensure they're up to date and working according to the way the manufacturer designed them. Workers complete these tests monthly and quarterly as well as semi-annually and annually. With tests being done at five-year intervals, your extinguisher will be reliable. If a fire breaks out, you're protected.
Inspect your sprinklers and double-check your extinguishers. While other business owners might make the mistake of improperly disposing of their fire extinguishers, now you know how. You can keep your employees safe. As long as your employees know how your fire protection system works, they can focus on the business. Hopefully, there will never be a day when you have to rely on your fire protection system.
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