Author: Mick Van Kampen

What Is An Emergency Evacuation Plan?

In simple terms, an emergency evacuation plan is a clear, well-rehearsed plan of what you and your employees will do in the case of an emergency. It usually details the best escape routes, meeting places to head to, and anything else of importance that could help you escape a dangerous situation safely. Emergency evacuation plans should be practiced regularly, and new staff should be briefed on them. They should be visibly present in every room in your building, within reason.

Why Do I Need A Clear Evacuation Plan?

A clear, well-defined emergency evacuation plan will allow you and your employees to safely escape from your building in the case of an emergency like a fire. Some of the reasons you should always have an emergency evacuation plan include:

• You are required by law under OSHA legislation.
• It will reduce confusion in the event of an emergency, reducing the risk of the emergency escalating and spiraling out of control – and avoid any legal issues following avoidable accidents.

What Should My Emergency Evacuation Plan Include?

At a minimum, the plan must include but is not limited to the following elements:

• Means of reporting fires and other emergencies
• Evacuation procedures and emergency escape route assignments
• Procedures for employees who remain to operate critical plant operations before they evacuate
• Accounting for all employees after an emergency evacuation has been completed
• Rescue and medical duties for employees performing them
• Names or job titles of persons who can be contacted

Although they are not specifically required by OSHA, you may find it helpful to include the following in your plan:

• A description of the alarm system to be used to notify employees (including disabled employees) to evacuate and/or take other actions. The alarms used for different actions should be distinctive and might include horn blasts, sirens, or even public address systems.
• The site of an alternative communications center to be used in the event of a fire or explosion.
• A secure on- or offsite location to store originals or duplicate copies of accounting records, legal documents, your employees’ emergency contact lists, and other essential records.

Call Reliable Fire & Security for all your fire protection needs at 708.597.4600

Many people don’t realize how quickly a fire can spread. But a small fire can become a large one in an extremely short amount of time. Here are eight common fire hazards you may have overlooked so please keep them in mind.

Walking away from something cooking in the kitchen:

 Unattended gas/electric burners, toasters & hotplates, dishes that are not microwave proof, cookbooks near gas flames are common causes of fires.

Worn out electrical cords:

Frayed or chewed electrical cords start many house fires. Exposed electrical wires will light your floor or rug on fire in a fraction of a second.

Overloaded power strips:

Power strips, when overloaded, can cause a spark. If they’re anywhere near anything flammable, a fire is very likely.

Malfunctioning electrical appliances:

Most of us own more than a few electrical gadgets, all of which can malfunction at any time. Sparks from faulty toasters, coffee makers, televisions, computer monitors, clothing driers are among many electrical and gas appliances that can cause serious fires.

Unattended candles:

Candles cause hundreds of fires every year. Even with a safe holder, candles should never be left unattended. It only takes a minute for a pet or child to knock a candle over – or just a little too close to flammable material.

Fireplace or woodstove used incorrectly:

Fireplaces and wood stoves can be fire hazards when not properly used. Make sure your chimney is clear and clean before burning anything. Never throw away ashes that aren’t 100% cool- even the tiniest smoldering coal could easily start a fire in your trash bin.

Burning cigarettes unattended: 

 Smoking in bed, leaving a pipe or cigarette unattended and emptying ashtray contents before they are cold cause hundreds of fires each year.

Call Reliable Fire & Security at 708.597.4600 for all your Fire Protection & Security needs.  Visit us on the web at www.reliablefire.com for a complete list of our services.

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Every day, managers are faced with issues related to keeping their employees safe. Aside from the standard PPE, what about protecting your employees from the very air they are breathing? Certain manufacturing and/or production processes can create harmful gases, as can different lab experiments among many other scenarios that employees find themselves in during their work. Basic gas monitors can provide precise, low-cost, low-level monitoring of a variety of gases such as hydrocarbons, solvents, alcohols, and toxic gases.

Is your company prepared for a carbon monoxide leak? If undetected, carbon monoxide can build up inside your building until it reaches deadly levels for living beings. Carbon Monoxide has no smell. If there is a carbon monoxide leak in your building, you won’t know unless there is a carbon monoxide detector that sounds an alarm. That is why it’s important to contact Reliable Fire & Security for carbon monoxide detector installation and maintenance.

Carbon monoxide can be deadly. It is caused by breathing in carbon monoxide, which blocks the body’s absorption of oxygen. If you or someone you know has carbon monoxide poisoning, call 911 and seek emergency medical treatment.

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning:

• Dizziness
• Headache
• Weakness
• Upset stomach
• Vomiting
• Chest pain

Carbon monoxide poisoning can occur during variable lengths of time.

Depending on the severity of the leak, carbon monoxide poisoning  can happen over a short or long period. This is why you need to make sure your carbon monoxide detectors are always in working order. A small leak may go undetected for a while, creating health risks for you and your employees. If you suspect you or a coworker may have carbon monoxide poisoning, call 911 immediately.

Call Reliable Fire & Security at 708.597.4600 to install or make sure your Carbon Monoxide detectors are working properly. 

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Providing a safety standard for healthcare facilities can be challenging because healthcare facilities contain operating rooms that need to maintain a sterile environment and imaging rooms with sensitive equipment. Telecommunications rooms also require fire safety measures that will not destroy computers and other devices.

The NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) released 99 standards that were updated in 2018 to specify the required type of fire extinguisher to be used in different areas of healthcare facilities. Certain fire extinguishers can disrupt or destroy the functionality of some devices in healthcare facilities.

NFPA 99 standards clarify any that rooms that contain MRI scanners or other magnetic imaging devices must have non-conductive fire extinguishers. Fire extinguishers for rooms with these devices must be non-ferrous, which means they are not affected by magnetic fields. MRI scanners run on extremely high voltages and generate very strong magnetic fields, making conductive fire extinguishers a potential risk.

NFPA 99 also requires that healthcare facilities must provide Type K portable fire extinguishers in areas where other fire extinguishers could negatively react to ingredients in cooking areas. Type K fire extinguishers don’t react to combustible cooking oils and fats. This measure has been included in kitchen fire protection safety standards for some time.  It has only recently extended to healthcare facilities. In addition, automatic fire suppression systems are also required to protect cooking appliances.

NFPA 99 also requires healthcare facilities to provide clean agent portable fire extinguishers for telecommunications equipment rooms. Clean agent fire extinguishers are non-conductive and gaseous fire extinguishers that do not leave a residue upon evaporation. The revised NFPA 99 standards require clean agent fire extinguishers because water fire extinguishers can destroy sensitive electronic equipment that stores information about patients and the hospital.

The revised standards also require operating rooms to use water-mist or clean agent portable fire extinguishers to maintain the required sterile environment of the room. 

If you would like more information on Suppression Systems for Health Care facilities, please call Reliable Fire & Security at 708.597.4600.   

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Deep Fryers

Deep fryers can quickly become a vat of fire fuel if proper precautions are not taken. The fire from your stovetop or range should be at least 16 inches from your friers. The fryers should be equipped with an automatic shut-off valve in case the unit catches on fire. This valve will stop the flow of combustible fuel from feeding the flames.

The Oven

Commercial ovens should be cleaned regularly for not only health safety but for fire protection as well due to a build-up of combustible substances. Make sure your oven is placed away from other equipment to avoid heat transfer from one to the other. 

Hood and Ventilation Systems

According to NFPA code 96, every commercial kitchen must have a hood and ventilation system to prevent fire. The hood and ventilation system should be cleaned and maintained often to prevent buildup from accumulating on the outside and inside of your system. Every vent should have a grease filter that should drain into a non-flammable container. The hood should cover your entire cooking station including the ovens and fryers. It should also be structurally sound and made of noncombustible material. These systems should be cleaned and maintained regularly to keep them free of greasy buildup. 

Trash Cans

Trash cans should be emptied regularly to prevent the accumulation of fire fodder and be kept at a safe distance from open flames. Every trash can should also be equipped with a sturdy lid to keep its contents from becoming fuel in the event of a fire.

Call Reliable Fire & Security at 708-597-4600 to help you keep your commercial kitchen safe from fires.

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Manual pull stations generally fall into two main types, single-action, and dual-action. With a single-action alarm box, a person can activate the alarm by simply pulling the handle down. Dual-action alarm boxes require the user to perform two actions to activate the alarm. They may first need to lift the handle before pulling it down.  They may need to break a glass panel to access it. On all types, pulling down the handle completes the circuit and locks the handle in the activated position, which sends a notification to the fire alarm control panel to trigger the alarms.

Once a manual pull has been activated, it must be restored to its ready position. This requires a special tool, which is used to open the alarm station. Opening the alarm station allows the handle to revert to its ready position. Once this happens, the station is closed, which will allow the alarm to be reset from the fire alarm control panel.

The placement of fire alarm pull stations is critical to ensuring they provide the protection intended. The requirements for their placement are intended to ensure that occupants leaving any area of the building can quickly and easily find and pull the alarm to warn others of the emergency on their way out and must be accessible for those who may have disabilities.

Manual fire alarm boxes must be tested annually per the manufacturer’s instructions. Annual testing is required by NFPA 72 also. This testing is typically done as part of a more comprehensive testing of the fire alarm system, which is also required annually.

If you would like to have your Fire Alarm Pull Station tested, or installed, call Reliable Fire & Security at 708.597.4600.  

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Industrial and Manufacturing Properties

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports electrical and lighting malfunctions as the top causes of structural fires in industrial properties. Heating equipment leads the list as the cause of structure fires in manufacturing facilities. These facilities are also at an increased risk of fire due to the storage of combustible materials and the use of flammable liquids and gasses. It’s vital to store flammable and combustible materials away from potential ignition sources.

Hotels and Motel Fires

Commercial Kitchen equipment is the #1 cause of fires in Hotels and Motels.  Kitchen fires caused approximately 50% of all motel and hotel fires, making them the primary cause.

Healthcare Fire

Fires at hospitals and healthcare facilities can be caused by several different sources. Faulty electrical wiring, improper storage of combustibles and flammables, and heat-producing equipment are all major causes. Like many other industries, cooking is the primary cause of fires in medical facilities, accounting for approximately 60% percent of all fires. Electrical and equipment malfunctions are major contributors.

Gas and Oil Industry  

Improper hot-work practices, the ignition of flammable liquids from a generator, and malfunctioning electrical motors are the leading causes of fire in the oil and gas industry. From welding operations to a vehicle’s catalytic converters, there are so many sources for ignition in this industry. Sparks from machinery can cause explosions from igniting flammable gases and vapors.

Call Reliable Fire & Security at 708.597.4600 to make sure your business is properly protected against fires.

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Need to add a sprinkler system to part of your building but concerned about freezing temperatures? A dry pipe sprinkler system will provide the coverage you need without the risk of burst pipes. 

A wet pipe sprinkler system is the most common form of fire protection.  However, they cannot be used in temperatures of 40 degrees F. and below. The standard way to add a fire sprinkler system to exposed building areas such as an open garage, freezer storage, or unheated spaces is to install a dry pipe sprinkler system.

A dry pipe sprinkler system contains pressurized air instead of water.  The sprinkler head is activated during a fire, causing the air pressure to drop. This removes the pressure from the valve, which releases the water into the pipes.

Dry pipe sprinklers are used in applications where you can’t protect pipes from freezing temperatures.  A minimal amount of water frozen inside the pipe can plug the fire sprinklers main feed and prevent the valve from tripping during a fire.

If you would like more information on Fire Sprinkler Systems, call Reliable Fire & Security at 708.597.4600

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For fires to survive, three things must be in place; fuel, oxygen, and heat. Like a fire sprinkler system, the kitchen hood suppression system gets activated when it detects flames or excessive heat. When the system is activated, it discharges wet chemicals through the sprinkler heads. These nozzles are over the appliances and in the ventilation system over the hood of your cooking station. The wet chemicals quickly put out fires by covering the flame and depriving it of oxygen.

Kitchen hood suppression systems also come with a manual pull station that allows the kitchen staff to activate it when the system does not sense the heat of a fire early enough. The hood fire suppression system will also cut off the power to the appliances and outlets under the hood to eliminate any shock hazards or sparks that could ignite another fire. To deplete the fire of its fuel, the suppression system will also shut off the gas to all appliances. This method helps to stop fires in the kitchen without allowing them to spread to other areas.

Kitchen fires are dangerous and can quickly get out of control. It is important that hood fire suppression systems are in all restaurants and commercial kitchens. It serves as a safety measure to help keep fires under control. The system helps to put out fires without shutting down the entire operation of the kitchen.

Reliable Fire & Safety can help you with your Kitchen suppression systems. Call us at 708.597.4600 and visit us on the web to see a complete list of services we provide at www.reliablefire.com 

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In today’s world, in just about any business, there is a chance that an angry or unstable customer, disgruntled employee, someone with a mental illness, or a thief will cause or threaten violence in a commercial establishment. Installation of a panic button is a great way to potentially diminish this danger.

A panic button is a strategically placed or hidden button that automatically alerts police to an emergency situation. These buttons are usually placed in a discreet location, like just under the lip of a desk or retail counter. It’s important to place buttons in locations where employees will likely be at the time of a situation. When a robber yells “freeze” an employee should be able to hit the button quickly and discreetly. Law enforcement in the area will be dispatched to your location immediately.

If you would like more information about Panic Buttons for your facility, call Reliable Fire & Security at 708.597.4600

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