It’s best to keep your company safe from fires all year long. According to the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA), heating, holiday decorations, winter storms, and candles contribute to an increased fire risk during the winter. While this data might apply to commercial fires, it doesn’t mean you don’t want to be proactive about fire safety during the winter. Here are some winter commercial fire safety tips.
Prioritize your fire safety this winter.
Ensure all Holiday Lights and Cords Comply with Safety Standards
It’s normal to want to add a little razzle-dazzle to the office or employee break room during the holiday season. Since fall and winter holiday decor involves strings of lights and extension cords, you want to ensure that all electrical decorations meet fire safety codes and your company’s safety standards. It’s also best not to overload extension cords because they can overheat and consume more watts than they can handle.
Monitor the Use of Space Heaters
Every office has that person or a few people who become cold while working during the winter and use a space heater to warm themselves. However, older heater models might lack safety features and could be dangerous. Also, plugging a space heater into an extension cord could pose a threat.Too many heaters running at once could also overload your electrical system. Therefore, it’s best to ban the use of extension cords to power space heaters. We also suggest you monitor the use of space heaters by keeping quantity, safety features, and unit age in mind.
Pay Attention to Your Building’s Humidity Levels
Many people don’t know that static, a byproduct of dry winter air, can be hazardous. A spark might damage equipment and cause a fire or explosion if your airflow is not primed for humidity, which is relevant to facilities that generate flammable fumes. We suggest you monitor your building’s safety levels and keep enough moisture in the air to prevent sparks from flying.
Keep Riser Rooms Heated
Sprinkler riser rooms are typically located on exterior walls and may not have heat, or a space heater might supply heat to these rooms. The problem with this is that it risks the fire sprinkler freezing. We advise heating the riser room and checking it daily to ensure enough heat to keep the fire sprinkler system from heating. We hope you’ve learned a lot of information from these winter commercial fire safety tips. Contact Chesapeake Sprinkler to ensure that you keep your building safe and your fire protection systems well-equipped all year long.
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. For emergencies, call 800-298-3473 (FIRE). Feel free to keep in touch through Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn!