The Fire Protection Products That Every Office Should Have

In order to ensure fire safety in an office environment, every office should be equipped with essential fire protection products. For example, when it comes to fire sprinkler systems, QLD businesses and offices are required to have them installed. That’s just one example in one state. Let’s take a look at the essential fire safety and protection equipment that every Australian office should have to protect staff and visitors alike.

Fire Extinguishers

The humble fire extinguisher seems to be everywhere and for good reason. They are one of the first and fastest ways to attack a fire and extinguish it before it has a chance to develop into a raging inferno.

The Class A fire extinguisher is one that’s commonly found in an office environment as this extinguisher is designed to extinguish wood, paper, and fabric fires. You may also find a Class E fire extinguisher in an office, which is used for electrical fires.

Your fire protection company will be able to advise you on what type of fire extinguishers you need and how many you should have.

Fire Blankets

A fire blanket is used to wrap around an individual whose clothing has caught on fire. The blanket will rapidly suffocate the flames and help to prevent the person from receiving serious burns. Fire blankets are another piece of important fire protection kit that every office should have.

The Fire Axe

You’ll often see these in hallways encased in a cabinet with a glass door. While a fire axe doesn’t put out a fire, it can come in very handy if someone is trapped in the premises, for example behind a locked door. The axe is used to smash through the door and set the trapped person or people free. A fire axe can also be used to clear debris to create an escape route to safety.

Fire Sprinkler Systems

As mentioned in the introduction regarding fire sprinkler systems, QLD requires all offices to have sprinkler systems installed as an added line of defence. If a fire breaks out, when a room reaches a certain temperature, the sprinkler system will be activated.

In order to avoid water damage to areas of the building that are unaffected by fire, modern sprinkler systems have been designed to only activate in areas where they are required, dousing the flames and helping to prevent the fire from spreading. When a fire sprinkler system kicks in, it also enables people to escape to safety by creating a pathway through the flames.

A Fire Alarm System

Just as fire sprinkler systems in Qld are mandatory for office space, so too are fire alarms and smoke detectors. An effective fire alarm system is there to sound an early warning that danger is imminent and all staff should evacuate the office immediately in an orderly fashion.

Fire alarms are especially handy for detecting the presence of smoke early in a room of the building that may not be occupied. Fires in these rooms can present an added danger as they are unattended and people may not even become aware that there is a fire until it’s raging out of control. A fire alarm system will sound a warning no matter where the fire is located.

Emergency Exit Lighting

Larger size office buildings really need to be equipped with illuminated exit lighting. These signs let everyone know where the exit doors are, or the way that leads to an emergency exit door. The exit signs must be illuminated at all times and also that the lighting has a battery backup in case of a power outage.

Emergency exit signs can save lives by guiding building occupants to safety, especially if the building is rapidly filling up with smoke and reducing visibility.

Fire Hydrant and Fire Hose

Many modern buildings will have a fire hydrant and fire hose at various locations inside and outside the building. While these are generally designed for the fire department to use, employees can also use the fire hoses in the case of extreme emergencies where it’s required to save the lives of others who may be trapped by flames.

In Conclusion

If your office is equipped with all the fire safety equipment mentioned in this post, you’ll be providing a very safe and secure workplace.