Fire Drill Tips for Managing your Commercial Business in Springdale

6/22/2023 (Permalink)

Have you put in place a strategic fire drill plan?

Most businesses are required by OSHA and fire department codes to conduct regular fire safety drills. However most employees don’t enjoy these drills because it takes away from their daily work tasks to plan for something that they would argue may never even occur. But, they do occur and they occur even more frequently whenever people aren’t being cautious and aware of their surroundings in the workplace. We’ve seen businesses not plan for a disaster and when a fire does happen, they aren’t able to put out the fire or coordinate a safe effort to leave the building without inciting panic.

Having a designated strategy as you conduct fire drills will keep your employees safe in the event of a fire, so let’s make the most out of it while we’ve already begun the conversation around fire safety.

Maybe it’s because we all practiced them in school or maybe it’s because of the time taken out of the day, but fire drills have developed a reputation as a sort of juvenile exercises. But these are not pointless requirements to meet; there is still a need for knowledge of fire safety in the workplace.

How to be effective while conducting a fire drill training session:

• Take them seriously.
• Your team won’t take it seriously if you don’t.
• Explain to them where they are to go in the event of a fire
• Show your employees the best routes to get out of the building quickly (including any fire escapes or exits that aren’t regularly used)
• If your facility provides fire extinguishers in your facilities, Show them where fire extinguishers are located and how to use them. Remember: Do NOT try to extinguish a fire that is already out of control. It’s best to use your judgment here but the most important thing is to get the employees out of the building.
• Don’t warn your employees that a drill is coming, and don’t blow it off when it happens.
• Prepare your team ahead of time. 
• Review your fire safety plan on a quarterly basis so that any new employees have a chance to participate.
• It’s more memorable to your team to have them physically go to the meeting location instead of showing them on a paper map or pointing.
• Create a script for customer-facing roles. 
• Many employees spend their days on the phone with customers in one way or another. Consider this when talking to your team and give them a “Script” to end a call in the case of an emergency. Usually the customers can hear the fire alarm going off in the background, so they generally seem to understand the situation.
• “Due to a local emergency this call must be disconnected. I’m sorry for any inconvenience. Please call back and we will be prepared to help you promptly, then.”

The most important part of a fire drill is remembering why you’re doing it and whom you’re doing it for. You’re not just exiting a building to check off a box, but to ensure the safety of the people you’re responsible for. Keep that in mind and make each fire drill matter.

SERVPRO of Fayetteville/Springdale should be your first choice for any residential or commercial restoration needs. Our team of professionals is trained to assess the damage and potential threats, extract and contain the affected area, dry, and restore your property to preloss condition. 

SERVPRO of Fayetteville/Springdale is available 24/7 by calling 479-318-6774.

For more about SERVPRO of Fayetteville/Springdale, click here.

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