Plan to Keep Fire Out of Your Workplace

OSHA requirements concerning workplace fire prevention are just about everywhere in the general industry standards. For example, fire safety is an issue in:

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  §1910, Subpart E, Means of Egress
• §1910, Subpart H, Hazardous Materials 
• §1910, Subpart L, Fire Protection
• §1910, Subpart N, Materials Handling and Storage
• §1910, Subpart Q, Welding, Cutting, and Brazing
• §1910, Subpart R, Special Industries
• §1910, Subpart S, Electrical
• §1910, Subpart Z, Toxic and Hazardous Substances

Standards for the construction and maritime industries also contain numerous fire prevention requirements.

So fire prevention should be a big compliance issue for everyone. But it’s also a big issue in other ways. Even if there weren’t any OSHA requirements concerning workplace fire prevention, it should still be among your top safety priorities.

What Are the Costs?

Fires strike all kinds of workplaces across the country every year—offices, industrial plants, retail establishments, healthcare facilities, and construction sites. Some of those fires destroy buildings, equipment, and materials. Others injure and kill employees.

A major workplace fire is a costly, crippling disaster—something you can’t recover from easily or quickly. Even little fires can shut down operations and work areas temporarily.

What Are You Doing?

Of course, there’s a very high probability that you won’t have to deal with the aftermath of a fire if you fully appreciate the risks and pay careful and consistent attention to fire prevention.

What are you doing right now to prevent fires in your workplace? For example, when was the last time you:

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  Performed a thorough inspection of your workplace to identify fire hazards?
• Discussed fire prevention with top management?
• Reviewed and updated your fire prevention plan?
• Held safety meetings about fire prevention?
• Featured a fire awareness campaign like a fire prevention week or month?
• Conducted fire prevention training for all employees?

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What’s Your Plan?

According to OSHA’s fire prevention plan standard (29 CFR 1910.39), your plan must provide up-to-date information about:

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  All major fire hazards
• Handling and storage procedures for hazardous materials currently used or stored in the workplace, including any recently acquired materials
• Potential ignition sources and the means used to control them
• Fire-protection equipment necessary to control each fire hazard
• Procedures used to control accumulations of flammable and combustible waste materials
• Procedures for regular inspection and maintenance of safeguards installed on heat-producing equipment
• Names or job titles of employees responsible for implementing the fire prevention plan

Is your plan current and complete? If not, now’s the time to bring it up to date and make sure it contains all the required information.

Fire Prevention Training

Section 1910.39 also requires you to inform employees about your plan. You must:

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  Explain the fire prevention plan to all employees, including new hires when they come on board.
• Identify fire hazards to which employees may be exposed.
• Review the plan with specific employees when they are assigned to new job duties with different potential fire hazards.
• Go over the plan again with all employees whenever any changes are made to the plan.

Does your training cover all this information about the plan? Do you also train employees in fire prevention procedures? You’ll sleep better at night knowing that all your workers know how to prevent workplace fires.

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Can you picture safety training in effective, 7-minute sessions? Get the details.

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Tomorrow, we’ll talk about fire extinguishers and the requirements of OSHA’s portable fire extinguisher standard. And we’ll also tell you more about how 7-Minute Safety Trainer can make it easy for you to train employees in basic fire safety—no stress, no worries, no fires.

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