Best Security Products blog

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

At Best Security Products, we specialize in fire systems for business and home. One important component of your fire security system is a heat detector.

There are two main types of heat detectors available:

1. Fixed Temperature. This type of heat detector works by monitoring the ambient temperature in the room. When the temperature reaches a predetermined level, the detector will activate and sound an alarm.

When a fixed temperature heat detector is activated, it cannot be reused. Activation destroys the device. This is the most common type of heat detector.

2. Rate of rise. This kind of heat detector is designed to activate when the ambient temperature in the room rises at a particular rate, which is programmed when the device is manufactured. This type of heat detector may not activate in a fire that is slow to build and spread.

For a demonstration of how a fixed temperature heat detector works, click the video below by New Age Server Alarm. A head detector is dismantled to show exactly what happens when the temperature reaches the predetermined level. 

It is important to keep in mind that heat detectors are not meant to replace smoke detectors in bedrooms or hallways outside of bedrooms. Heat detectors are better used in areas that are less than ideal for smoke detectors, such as the kitchen. However, when choosing a heat detector, consider the normal activities that will be going on in the area you want to protect.

If your business operates out of a garage where you use equipment that causes the temperature to elevate quickly during use, you may want to use a rate-of-rise heat detector to avoid false alarms from a fixed temperature detector.

Fire safety is our specialty at Best Security Products. Give us a call at 1-800–988–2378 or email us at sales@bestsecurityproducts.com for customized fire security in your business or home.