It is always important to ensure safety wherever you go. Be it at home, in the office, or in a public place. It is important to ensure fire safety and prevention. Fires can destroy properties, cause injuries and take the lives of people that you care about.
To ensure the safety from fires, you can buy fire extinguishers, a fire sprinkler system and set a fire alarm system. They all do their part in helping to prevent fires from destroying things and killing the people we care about. It is relatively easy to get a hold of these items as it can be found online.
If you or your employees are unsure of what to do incase of a fire, you can sign everyone up for fire safety training. Fire safety training teaches people how to recognise fire hazards, conduct a fire safety risk assessment, prevent a fire, and how to respond when a fire occurs. This includes things like looking at emergency routes and exits, fire detection, emergency evacuation plan and more.
There are different types of fire extinguishers to counter the six classes of fire outbreaks. Classes of fire:
- Class A – solid materials like paper, textiles or wood
- Class B – flammable liquids like petrol, oil or diesel
- Class C – gases
- Class D – metals
- Class E – live electrical apparatus
- Class F – cooking oils like deep fryers
The six types of fire extinguishers:
- ABC Powder fire extinguisher – it sprays a fine chemical powder and acts as a blanket to suffocate the fire.
- Carbon Dioxide fire extinguisher – it extinguishes carbon dioxide (CO2). by extinguishing carbon dioxide, it removes oxygen from the fire.
- Wet Chemical fire extinguisher – holds a two-pronged assault on fires. The liquid mist spray acts to cool down the fire, then a thick soap-like substance forms to prevent the liquid to re-ignite.
- Water Mist (de-ionized) fire extinguisher – it lets out water in a fog like form, making the level of oxygen in the air decrease, which helps to suffocate the fire.
- Foam fire extinguisher – it sprays a type of foam that will expand when it comes into contact with air and acts as a blanket for the fire.
- Clean Agent fire extinguisher – it is stored in liquid form but converts into gas when it comes into contact with air. It extinguishes fire by reducing the oxygen levels.
Seeing as there are many different classes of fire and types of fire extinguishers, you may be wondering what is best for an office space. The water mist fire extinguisher is the most suitable one for an office.
Most offices will have general fire risks from things like carpets, wood, furniture and electrical appliances. These fire extinguishers are suitable to use on class A, B, C, E and F. The advantage of using these types of fire extinguishers is that they leave little to no residue behind. This happens due to the fact that the water mist turns into steam and evaporates when it comes into contact with fire.
Even with a fire extinguisher, there is no such thing as having too much fire protection. Setting a smoke detector or alarm can help too. A smoke detector is an electronic fire protection device that automatically senses the presence of smoke and sounds a warning signal.
There are two types of smoke detectors: photoelectric (optical) and ionisation (physical process). A combination of both types of smoke alarm is recommended for maximum fire prevention and security.
There are many ways to prevent fire in a workplace. As the leader of the company, It is crucial to know how to create a safer work environment for people in the office. Here are some ways to prevent fire in a office:
- Accessible equipment – it is crucial to make sure that all fire protection equipments are within reach and can be easily retrieved
- Regular maintenance – schedule maintenance every 3 months to make sure that all your fire protection equipment is working properly.
- Clean environment – make sure that there is not any clutter of boxes or plugged in appliances as they may start a fire.
- Smoking area – there should be a designated smoking area that is a safe distance away from the office.
- Store and use chemicals properly and responsibly – if your office uses chemical products, make sure that it is used safely to prevent any chemical fire outbreak.
If a fire were to start anywhere it is important to know how a fire extinguishers works. Also, remember to use the emergency fire escape plan and call the Singapore Civil Defence Force. Leave your things behind and save yourself first. If there is a must to escape through the smoke, remember to get low and crawl your way to the nearest exit. This is because hot air tends to rise while cold air sinks.
However, if you are blocked by smoke, heat, or flames, stay in the room with the doors closed. Place a wet towel under the door and call 995 immediately. If your clothes start to catch on fire, always remember to stop what you are doing, drop to the ground and roll over back and forth until the flames are extinguished.
In 2020, the Singapore Civil Defense Force (SCDF) responded to about 190,000 Emergency Medical Services calls. They responded to about 1,800 fire calls, a major decrease of 34.4% as compared to 2019. 29% of the fires caused in 2020 originated from electrical appliances and such, and 22.2% was caused by overheating of food. Through this, the Singapore Civil Defense Force continues to work with building owners to ensure fire safety and precaution.
To summarise everything, it is important to try our best and prevent fires from breaking out. We can all do our part by either attending fire safety training or setting up fire prevention equipment. From fire extinguishers to a fire sprinkler system to a fire alarm system. Small things and changes like that can play a huge part in ensuring our safety and the safety of others. Therefore each and every one of us should do our part to help minimise the risk of a fire outbreak.
