Is Your Office Building Prepared for An Unexpected Disaster?

3/17/2022 (Permalink)

If you own or manage an office building or other type of commercial space, fire safety and emergency preparedness should be a priority. Being prepared with a well-thought-out emergency plan can not only protect your property but potentially save the lives of the people in the property in case of an emergency. Keep reading below to see if your building is prepared should disaster strike!

Have Functioning Fire Extinguishers Readily Available 

You want to ensure that you have a suitable number of fire extinguishers readily available throughout the building, clearly labeled and accessible. Taking additional time to try and locate an extinguisher during an emergency can create a more dangerous situation and lead to more damage. Your fire extinguishers should be tested on a regular basis to make sure that they are functioning properly, as well as any fire suppressant or sprinkler system. 

Check Your Smoke Detectors and Fire Alarms 

Your smoke detector and fire alarm systems should be inspected regularly to ensure that they are functioning properly in case of an emergency situation. Also, confirm that your building has a clearly marked exit plan so that occupants know to safely exit the building. 

Implement Safety Training 

An important step for safety preparedness is safety training for both homeowners and business owners. Including a fire safety training course in your workplace will help the occupants to know exactly what they do should an emergency of any kind occurs such as a gas leak, a fire, severe weather, or flooding. You can also contact our local St. Johns County Fire Rescue for information available to help implement safety procedures in your place of business. 

Emergency Exits 

Having illuminated emergency exit signs can help direct occupants out of the building in case of an emergency. Make sure that the emergency exit is not obstructed and easily accessible at all times. 

Have an Evacuation Plan

Have your commercial building inspected for any potential fire code issues or potential safety hazards. From there conduct regular fire drills and educate employees on where emergency exits, fire extinguishers are at and how to properly use them. Another useful tool would be setting up your free SERVPRO Emergency Ready Plan. This no-cost assessment of your facility can help you get prepared with any issue that may come along, and if restoration work is required, ensure that the process is able to start as quickly as possible, keeping damages and costs down. 

SERVPRO of St. Augustine, St. Augustine Beach, S. Nocatee and World Golf Village is here to help 24/7/365 should disaster strike! Call us at 904-429-4457 to dispatch a crew or get more information on how we can help make it "Like it never even happened."