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According to the National Fire Protection Association, “an ‘electrical fire’ is a fire involving some type of electrical failure or malfunction.  Any equipment powered by electricity can have such a failure.”  In addition, in 2011 an estimated 47,700 home structure fires ad 16,400 non-home structure fires “reported to U.S. fire departments involved some type of electrical failure or malfunction as a factor contributing to ignition.”¹

Based on these startling statistics on electrical fires both in homes and in non-residential buildings, it is clear that understanding how to prevent electrical fires is important.

Following are some tips to reduce the risk of electrical fires:

1.  When possible, choose florescent lights over both halogen lights and incandescent lights.  This is because the risk of fire is higher for incandescent and even higher for halogen.²

2.  Pay attention to your light switches and outlets.  The Electrical Safety Foundation International notes if you notice some that heat up, have brown stains or make buzzing sounds, this could mean that the wiring is unsafe and needs to be checked out by a professional electrician. See the following video by the Electrical Safety Foundation International for more information:

3.  FEMA has another tip for preventing electrical fires.  Never use an extension cord with appliances.  Instead, plug them directly into the wall.  Click the video to see more:

4.  Did you know that your lamps and light sockets list a maximum wattage that is safe for that appliance?  To prevent electrical fire, FEMA points out that it is important to match the recommended wattage and not exceed it.

5.  Don’t over load your electrical outlets.  According to Tipmont REMC, you should “never plug more than two appliances into an outlet at once or “piggyback” extra appliances on extension cords or wall outlets. Use only outlets designed to handle multiple plugs.”³

6.  Finally, make sure you have a professional fire detection and alarm system installed in your home or business.  This system will detect and warn you as soon as possible that a fire has ignited.

At Best Security Products, we can help you with all commercial and home fire security and safety needs. Give us a call at 1-800–988–2378 sales@bestsecurityproducts.com

^{1 http://www.nfpa.org/research/reports-and-statistics/fire-causes/electrical
2 ibid.
3 http://www.tipmont.org/community/safety/dont-overload-your-homes-outlets}

According to the Fire Prevention Bureau, arson is the leading cause of workplace fires.¹  This means if you own or manage a business, you are at risk for being the victim of arson.

What is arson?

Wikipedia defines arson as “the crime of intentionally and maliciously setting fire to buildings, wildland areas, dumpsters, vehicles or other property with the intent to cause damage.”²

Because arson is the main cause of fires in the workplace, setting up precautions against arson should be a high priority in protecting not only the building itself, but also employees, customers and tenants.

How to protect your business from arson

Protecting your business from arson involves two strategy stages:

1.  Early detection of the arsonist
Your first line of defense against arson is to detect the arsonist as soon as he nears your building.  This can be done with outdoor perimeter protection.  Smart technology can alert you of the arsonist’s presence.  Motion detectors, video cameras, security fences equipped with vibration sensors and glass break sensors will let you know that someone is threatening the premises.

Once you are aware of the criminal’s presence, you or your monitoring service can alert local authorities and help can be sent immediately.

You also have the option of alerting the arsonist that his presence has been detected.  Using automatic security lights, sirens and even voice recordings to let the arsonist know he has triggered an intelligent security system might scare him off before he can do damage to your building.

2.  Rapid detection of the fire

If the arsonist does start a fire at your business, you need to know as soon as possible. And this is true whether a fire starts from arson or from another cause. The sooner you know that a fire has started, the sooner the fire can be contained with as little damage to your property as possible.

Make sure your business has top-quality smoke detectors, heat detectors and an addressable fire system.  And addressable system ensures that once a fire starts, your system can tell you exactly where the fire is located so it can be contained quickly and efficiently.

At Best Security Products, we specialize in Honeywell fire systems and can help you protect yourself against arson. Give us a call or email us at 1-800–988–2378 sales@bestsecurityproducts.com.  

^{1 http://www.poudre-fire.org/home/showdocument?id=86
2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arson}

The push for ‘greener’ buildings, both at home and at the workplace, no doubt helps the environment, but that benefit brings new dangers when it comes to fire emergencies.

Many building professionals, from contractors to architects to testing laboratories, are now using green technology and the standards put forth by LEED.  LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.  This organization works to set forth principles for environmentally friendly building processes.

However, The Fire Protection Research Foundation has reported that several green building practices may actually present new fire and safety hazards and challenges. 

Some green features increase shock hazards, some burn more quickly after being ignited and some may affect containment of a fire once it begins.  Examples of possibly dangerous components include solar power systems which can cause fire and home insulation with foil sheeting (can create both a fire and electrical hazard if incorrectly installed).

With this threat of increased fire and electrical hazards, it is more important than ever to make sure your fire system is up to date and functioning properly.

Even in green buildings, injury from workplace and home fires are largely preventable, which is why it is so tragic when lives are lost due to these disasters.  If your workplace and home are equipped with a quality fire system that includes smoke detectors and heat detectors, your chances of being injured or killed due to a fire emergency are greatly lessened.

Click here to find out more about green building hazards, and to identify any areas in your home or business that may fall under the categories of possible threat.

Best Security Products specializes in Honeywell fire protection.  Your business is unique and so is your fire security needs.  We will work with you to find a customized solution to protect your business and bring you peace of mind.  Give us a call or email us at 1-800–988–2378 sales@bestsecurityproducts.com.

Source:  http://www.nfpa.org/newsandpublications/nfpa-journal/2012/november-december-2012/features/easy-being-green