Be aware of these common myths.
When you are a business owner, there are fire safety myths that will put your business at risk. By reading the fire safety myths below, you can avoid an accident or worse if a fire emergency occurs. When you fully understand fire safety, you’ll know what and what not to believe and how to be much safer.
All Fire Sprinklers Work All the Time
Fire sprinklers protect your property and save lives. A building with fire sprinklers provides the water needed to stop a fire. However, not all fire sprinklers work all the time. For that reason, regular inspections are critical. You can’t assume that all sprinklers will activate when you need them the most. Whether you manage a high-rise complex or a business, you must adhere to fire safety codes.
Fire Alarms Will Sound Before a Fire Happens
Another common fire safety myth is that smoke detectors will trigger before a fire starts. The old phrase “If there’s smoke, there’s fire” is accurate. A fire has to happen for there to be smoke. If you hear a smoke detector going off, you should evacuate the building quickly and safely because of a fire.
Stairs are Always the Safest Option for an Escape
It’s always best to take the stairs and not the elevator. However, a stairway might be obstructed if you’re in a building with multiple stories or a high rise. You can’t quickly leave the building because there are far too many stairs to reach the bottom floor. Therefore, you need to rely on exit areas. Fortunately, most buildings have two stairs leading to the lower levels. If the stairs of free of debris and fire, use them. Use whichever option is free and clear of fire and smoke.
You Can Use Any Fire Extinguisher to Extinguish Flames
If you’ve been reading our content for quite a while, then you already know that this is one of the most common fire safety myths. In case you need a reminder, or you didn’t know, there are five classes of fire extinguishers, including the following:
- Class A: Extinguishes ordinary combustibles like paper or wood
- Class B: Used to put out gasoline, alcohol, oil-based paints, and lacquers
- Class C: Used on electrical fires
- Class D: Used to put out combustible metal fires
- Class K: Used best in kitchen fires to put out oil and grease fires
Knowing these distinctions will stop a fire in its tracks, protect your property, and save lives.
Everyone Understands Where the Fire Exits Are
In a business or apartment building, customers or guests of an apartment tenant might not know the location of the fire exits. As a property owner, you should have maps that describe how to escape a level of a building and well-lit exit areas. With an illuminated space and easy-to-find exits, anyone can leave an area if a fire emergency happens.
Are you unsure if your fire sprinklers or other fire protection equipment is up to date? If so, you can count on our fire protection company to keep you compliant and safe. We hope that you’ve learned a lot from us debunking these five fire safety myths.
Contact Chesapeake Sprinkler Company Today!
Chesapeake Sprinkler Company is a leading fire sprinkler contractor in the region, which is now a 100% employee-owned (ESOP) company. As a full-service fire protection company, we offer design, fabrication, installation, testing, maintenance, and inspection of fire protection systems—everything you need from your fire suppression specialist.
For more information, please email or call our Odenton location at 410-674-7041, our Ashburn location at 703-729-5150, or for service/maintenance Chesapeake Protection Services at 410-674-7577. Feel free to keep in touch through Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn!