5 Tips To Create a Business Fire Escape Plan

7/25/2022 (Permalink)

A fire escape plan for a commercial building.

It is estimated that there are more than 100,000 commercial fires every year. While a fire damage and restoration company may be able to restore the property, business owners in Layton, UT, need to ensure the safety of everyone inside. Establishing a fire escape plan is essential for that to happen.

Essential Parts of an Emergency Escape Plan

Every business may be different, but there are key ingredients to an emergency plan regardless of the size or type of business.

1. Identify Potential Hazards

While not all fires are preventable, many of them are. The first step in creating a plan requires determining what hazards your business may face. Inspect every part of the property to determine what may be a fire threat. Things to look for include overloaded electrical outlets, equipment near water, employees using space heaters and storage closets with flammable chemicals. If your business has a kitchen, it is ideal to establish rules to ensure that any equipment is being properly used.

2. Assign Key Roles

When a fire breaks out, it is often a chaotic situation. To help ensure your fire escape plan works, it is important to establish a chain of command and assign key roles to specific individuals. Along with a chief warden, who will take the lead during an event, other assignments should include an assistant warden, route guides and floor monitors. The route guides will work to help people calmly evacuate and keep the path clear while the floor monitors will ensure everyone is safely out of the area.

3. Establish Designated Escape Routes

Successfully evacuating requires knowing the best path out. Every plan should have both a primary and secondary escape route. These routes should also be kept clear of objects that may slow down the escape. A map should be created, especially if your business has multiple floors, that clearly shows the route and fire extinguisher locations. Along with getting out of the building, ensure that everyone knows where to meet up after exiting the building. This location should be a safe distance away from the property.

4. Have a Communication Plan

Communication is always important, especially in an emergency situation. It is important that one of the key roles established in the plan is in charge of calling emergency responders, as well as communicating with customers, employees and other business-related people. This is an important role to not only ensure that everyone on-site has up-to-date information but also to ensure that business operations will get back on track faster after the situation is over.

5. Practice the Plan

Practice makes perfect applies perfectly to being prepared for emergency situations. Just like kids in school, adults also need to regularly go through the fire plan and conduct drills. Doing so helps reaffirm that everyone knows what they should be doing as well as serves as an opportunity to make the plan as efficient as possible.

Every business should have a fire escape plan. Whether the business is small or large, ensuring that everyone knows where to go and what to do may help ensure everyone's safety.