Fire prevention is obviously important, but doesn’t seem to be taken as seriously as it should. Businesses not having a good fire exit strategy in place or not following safety codes and blocking safety exits are in high risk of injuries and deaths in their workplaces.

We need to learn from our past.

In 1911 the infamous fire at Triangle shirtwaist factory occurred in New York, where 150 workers died due to blocked exits and insufficient fire extinguishers.

In Hamlet North Carolina 25 workers died in a fire at a poultry processing plant, due the extinguishing system failing and exits being blocked.

Recently the Dollar Tree was investigated by OSHA due to having blocked emergency exits; leading to Dollar Tree implementing a comprehensive safety and health program in all their facilities.

Prepare for the worst.

How does the old saying go? “I would rather have it and not need it, then need it and not have it”. Except in this case – it’s actually foolish to not have it at all. A fire exit plan is important and needs to be implemented in any work place. Just having a plan isn’t enough, you need to take action. Have signage indicating where all fire exits, first-aid, and fire extinguishers are located. Learn from history and make sure all extinguishing systems are working and emergency exits are clear and free of obstacles.

Fire extinguishers are needed in any emergency plan but there have been new developments in ways to suppress a fire. The “Xtinguish FST” is designed to suppress flash-over and back-draft. Basically, it helps in preventing even a late stage fire from spreading. Just pull a pin and toss in the middle of a burning room and the unit will begin to suppress the fire, lowering its temperature and making the fire easier to extinguish.

A plan of escape, proper equipment and maintenance are all you have to do to prevent deaths from fires in the workplace. It takes 3 steps to save lives, there really is no reason for unpleasant history to repeat itself.