Best Security Products blog

In a report released by the Nation Fire Protection Association Fire Analysis and Research Division, office fire statistics are analyzed and made public.

Here are a few highlights from the report. Read the entire analysis here.

The report gives information about structure fires in office properties which include business offices, banks, veterinary or research offices, engineering, mailing firms and post offices.

Peak times of day for fires were between noon and 2:00 PM. There were fewer fires on the weekends, since fewer people work on the weekends, but in spite of the lower number of weekend fires accounted for 31% of associated property loss.

The high rate of loss that occurred when the offices were less populated show how important it is to have automatic systems that can not only detect but also extinguish fires when no one is present.

• Greater than one in every four of the fires (29%) was a cooking equipment fire
• Intentionally set fires caused the biggest share of property damage
• Electrical and light equipment fires caused the second most office fires
• 22% of the fires started in the kitchen or cooking area
• 2% of the fires of the fires began in the attic or ceiling area, but these fires caused 13% of the property damage.

Wet pipe sprinklers were very effective in controlling fires and saving lives. When the fires were large enough to trigger the sprinkler system, they operated 90% of the time and were effective in 88% of the fires.

Compared to offices without automatic extinguishing equipment, deaths per 1,000 fires were 62% lower in those that had wet pipe sprinklers.

Is your office adequately protected from fire? If you are not sure, it is time to call a professional for help. Best Security Products specializes in business and commercial fire security systems.

October is Fire Prevention month, it is a great opportunity to review your company’s compliance with OSHA’s standard for portable fire extinguishers.

In a recent announcement, Gowrie Group (an insurance agency) stated that “blocked extinguishers are found in most workplaces. This is both unsafe and a sure way to a $7,000 OSHA violation fine…” (Kellie Crete, Gowrie's Safety & Loss Expert).

The Gowie Group offers several recommendations for placement of fire extinguishers in the workplace. Here are a few of their tips. For the full article, please click here.

• Be sure the fire extinguisher is attached to the wall at ‘grab’ height.
• Remove any clutter around the extinguisher.
• Do not block the extinguisher in any way (not even with temporary items you intend to remove later).
• Have at least 36” of clearance around the extinguisher. (The Gowrie Group suggests painting a red or yellow area on the floor to remind employees of this).
• Never hang anything on the extinguisher (such as coats or cords).

Along with being diligent to keep your fire extinguishers stored safely, there are other helpful workplace fire prevention tips to keep in mind. Safety Smart lists the following tips. Visit their website for more:

From Safety Smart:

1. Practice good workplace housekeeping. Clutter contributes to fires by providing fuel and by preventing access to exits and emergency equipment.

2. Place oily rags in a covered metal container. This waste must be properly disposed of on a regular basis.

3. Maintain machinery to prevent overheating and friction sparks.

4. Report electrical hazards. Many fires start in faulty wiring and malfunctioning electrical equipment. Never attempt electrical repairs unless you are qualified and authorized.

5. Maintain free access to all electrical control panels. Material or equipment stored in front of the panels would slow down the shutting down of power in an emergency situation.

6. Use and store chemicals safely. Read the label and the Material Safety Data Sheet to determine flammability and other fire hazards. Provide adequate ventilation when using and storing these substances.

At Best Security Products, we understand the necessity of having high quality, state-of-the-are fire protection systems for schools.

Between 2007-2011, there were approximately 5,690 structure fires in educational properties reported per year, according to this document by the NFPA. The document goes on to point out that, “These fires caused an annual average of 85 civilian fire injuries and $92 million in direct property damage. An average of one death occurred in daycare properties.”

With these kinds of statistics, it is critical to do everything possible to reduce the risk of fire in schools.

There are several components of a quality fire protection system. Those components include:

Addressable Fire System: An addressable fire alarm system will not only alert you to the presence of a fire, but it will also communicate where on the property the fire is located. This is especially important on a school campus with multiple rooms and buildings.

Sprinklers: Sprinklers can extinguish or control a fire before it is able to rage out of control. They are activated when the temperature in the room reaches a predetermined temperature. A common misunderstanding is that when one sprinkler is triggered, all the sprinklers in the system are also triggered. However, only the sprinklers in the affected area will activate.

Extinguishers: In a 2002 study conducted by FETA (Fire Extinguishing Trades Association) and IFEDA (Independent Fire Engineering and Distributors Association) it was found that in more than 2100 fires, 80% of them were extinguished using a portable fire extinguisher and in more than 75% of those fires, the fire department was not needed. 1 It is critical to have fire extinguishers in each room and to train your staff so they know how to use them in an emergency.

At Best Security Products, we use Honeywell products to deliver a state-of-the-art, customized fire security system to your educational property. For a consultation, please call or email our office: 1-800–988–2378, sales@bestsecurityproducts.com.

1 http://www.engaugeinc.net/life-and-fire-safety-blog/the-importance-of-fire-extinguishers