Warehouses contain many different types of goods and equipment. While this is a necessity, the high amount of inventory and other components within warehouses can make them very susceptible to fires. Warehouses have to follow strict guidelines to ensure their premises are safe. This means owners and employees need to be constantly vigilant of fire hazards at every turn. Learn some ways to prevent a fire in your warehouse by reading below.
Review All Fire Protection Laws for Warehouses
There are several laws and codes that are designed to ensure all warehouses meet certain safety standards to prevent fires and protect workers in the event a fire should happen. They cover regulations for details such as the inclusion of sprinkler systems, proper aisle spacing, storage heights, distance between racks, and proper fire extinguishers, to name a few. Make sure your business is staying up to date on all these laws and codes. Train and educate your employees on these laws, so they uphold these regulations throughout your premises.
Assess Any Risks Around Your Building
There are many areas throughout a warehouse that could create fire hazards. While employees may be able to spot some risk factors easily, such as high amounts of clutter and blocked fire exits, there are other risks that can go unnoticed. Check the configuration of your storage racks throughout your warehouse. Check to see if you have stored any flammable items too closely together. For example, enough space between stacks to prevent fires is a major aspect of proper wooden pallet storage. This, as well as other details such as aisle space and storage, can change frequently, which means your risk assessments should be ongoing.
Be Aware of the Products You Carry
This is a crucial way to prevent a fire in your warehouse. You need to know everything that you are stocking. If you are not keeping track of any hazardous chemicals with flammable properties in your storage, you could end up mixing them with other flammable materials, which could further spread a fire. Different chemicals will require different storage units. These items should be stored separately from other products and clearly labeled for all employees to see. Any other dangerous products that present safety risks should be kept in their own designated areas.
Have a Clearly Defined Evacuation Plan
You should always have a clear, well-laid-out evacuation plan that you can put into place in the event that a fire does break out. No matter how many other safety measures you take, fires can still happen. This means you need a plan to get everyone out of the building safely. Make employees aware of all exits and the locations of fire extinguishers. You should designate a safe location where everyone can meet outdoors, a safe distance from the building.
