What are some fire safety practices you should know about?

The measures and practices employed by businesses and homeowners to prevent and suppress fires are many and varied.

However, in professional circles, the four principal areas of fire prevention, which act as the foundation upon which all fire safety practices hinge upon are:

·         Engineering

·         Education

·         Enforcement

·         Evaluation

In this post, we’re going to take a closer look at each of these pivotal fire prevention elements and the role they play in preventing fires both in the workplace and at home.

Area of Fire Prevention #1 Engineering

Civil engineers work hand-in-hand with architects to plan, design and construct buildings across Canada.

They follow many guidelines including the National Fire Code of Canada 2015 (NFC) which lays out the technical construction regulations that must be followed during the construction or demolition of buildings.

Engineers working on building projects must submit their project proposals alongside fire protection plans to the city building officials for approval. Work can only begin when a building permit has been granted.

Engineering is considered such a major fire prevention pillar that Ontario’s government has called upon local engineers to support building permit approvals.

Without engineers working on construction projects, it can be difficult to get a building permit approved because the building plan might not meet the city or municipality’s minimum safety and construction standards.

You never want to ignore the prescribed regulation, especially the laws governing safety aspects because the fines associated with fraudulent building practice are prohibitive.

And after a building is complete, what happens when people move in and start working in these structures? Does fire prevention end with engineering? 

Not all. The real work, is in fact, just starting now. For, from here onwards, there will be a continual need to educate the general public – especially those living and working in these new buildings on fire safety best practices. 

This takes us straight into the next key fire prevention area….

Area of Fire Prevention #2 Education

An investment in fire prevention training is never a waste. In fact, the more people are aware of how fires start, the different fire hazards in their environments, and what to do in the event of a fire, the better.

Education is probably the most important of these four principles as it underscores all of them.

People cannot take the necessary precautions if they don’t know what to look out for. However, if employees are cognizant of the dangers then you’re already halfway to winning the fire prevention battle already.

Fire specialists, as well as fire departments, are able to conduct annual fire inspections of your business premises and or home. During this process, you will learn more about fire code inspections, the importance of these inspections, and just how these codes help to mitigate fire risk.

If you don’t know when was the last time you had a fire inspection done, it’s probably time to schedule a fire inspection appointment.

And speaking of Fire Codes and their importance, we can’t overlook the aspect of enforcement…

Area of Fire Prevention #3 Enforcement

Do you know what the total cost of fire to Canada is per year? It’s north of $11 billion according to the National Research Council. These costs are broken down as follows:

Source: National Research Council of Canada

Why are we telling you all of this?

You see, the resources that are channelled to fire service, protecting structures, and purchasing fire equipment could be significantly much lower if enforcement was taken more seriously.  Ultimately, lack of enforcement only hurts the taxpayer.

Enforcing good fire safety practices isn’t merely a stipulation that’s designed to make life difficult or uncomfortable for people, but to safeguard and protect them. It’s undeniably an integral fire prevention strategy that should be encouraged across industries and in every business.

But just how can businesses go about enforcement?

It’s simple – by working in tandem with the Ontario Fire Department and fire specialists like All Protect Systems.

These entities will instruct your employees and fire wardens on how to better understand the Fire Code as well as issues directly related to fire inspections that will be carried out on-site. This point brings us to the final area of fire prevention…

Area of Fire Prevention #4 Evaluation

Fire Codes are not static and are periodically reviewed to keep up with the latest in fire safety practices. This evaluation is done to see how well the community is interpreting and applying the existing codes.

Continual evaluation allows for Fire Codes to be refined and improved upon. And it’s not just the Fire Codes that are weighed but the Building and Electrical Codes as well.

Who does the evaluation of these codes you’re asking?

A construction commission is appointed by the city or municipality. This commission consists of workers from different trades including engineering, fire, construction, and electrical.

What are they reviewing exactly?

They are tasked to systematically comb through each of the codes during public meetings and give their professional insight as to the worthiness of the codes as they apply to the community in which they are meant to be implemented. 

Now that you know the four areas of fire prevention, what should your next step be?

Schedule a Fire Inspection

What is the fire readiness of your business and home? What are the fire safety practices that you’re relying upon to keep you and your employees safe? You cannot effectively protect your property if you’re not sure what fire hazards exist and also don’t have an up-to-date fire safety plan in place.

Thankfully there is a solution.

The best way to rectify each of these problems is to schedule a fire inspection with your local fire specialist.

For businesses and homeowners in Waterloo, Ontario our team here at NuTech Fire Prevention is more than happy to hop onto a call with you and set an appointment for an in-person visit.

On top of fire inspections, we also offer a comprehensive line of emergency backup generators, fire alarm systems, fire warning systems, fire extinguishers, emergency lighting, exit lighting, fire safety plans, sprinkler systems, and gas detection services.

Request a free quote today.