In any kind of business, there is always a risk involved in every situation. Whether it is with investments or hiring a new employee, we all have choices to make that can affect the entire organization. However, there are certain circumstances in which no matter what happens, it is out of our control. Stocks might plummet because of economic crisis; production might be slowed down by dwindling supplies. However, if there is a thing that is truly out of the control of anyone, that is the occurrence of disasters. It might be a tornado, hurricane or earthquake, there is nothing we can do it about it but hope that it will end soon. No matter how much we prepare for them, they still have the ability to devastate us. But there are certain disasters we could prevent or avoid. Let us talk about fire.
Fire, as much as it is one of the greatest discoveries of man, is also a great foe. If it is still under control, it helps in our daily activities like cooking and cleaning. It also keeps us warm on those cold winter nights while you’re watching the hockey playoffs. However, if it gets out of control, let’s just say the effect can be devastating. It can destroy years of investment and effort of any company whether it’s a start-up or Fortune 500. Lives can also be lost along with the injuries and other casualties that might happen. Forests that have been lying dormant for hundreds of years can be eradicated in a single instant. You can also develop trauma because of your exposure to such a life-threatening event. As you can see, the effects are not just physical but also on the emotional and mental well-being of every person involved.
It is already a well-known fact that being prepared and educated is the answer to this situation. As a company or business, it is important to teach your employees or colleagues about the risks involving fire in any situation. There is no reason to be fire in a typical office, but we may never know for sure. Electric wires and other equipment might catch fire if they have internal damage or malfunctioning parts. One of your employees or colleagues might be secretly smoking near a paper stash. Your dumpster might catch fire and explode. Some of these accidents can be a little far-fetched, but you will never know what is going to happen. Learn more about what you can do if you are in the middle of a fire by clicking here.
On the other hand, factories and related industries have higher rates of fire incidents due to the nature of their work. There are a lot of fire hazards in manufacturing companies, especially if their products are incredibly volatile or flammable. Plastic and nuclear plants have a higher risk as their products and services can actually harm the ecosystem if fire is involved. This is why many of these plants have strict regulations when it comes to fire hazards and risk reduction management.
The government has its own way of keeping fire incidents in check. Annual inspections are always done in each building or establishment to see whether it is going to be a fire-prone area. The fire department usually handles these investigations, as they are the ones responding to these incidents. They would usually check the fire safety equipment, possible faulty electrical wirings and other fire hazards. Also, they would check the age and stability of your building and the materials which composes it.
No matter what kind of business you have, it is important to follow these regulations for the safety of your business or company. However, there are so many instances wherein that the fire safety of an establishment was neglected for various reasons. One of the most common reasons why they do not follow these rules is the likelihood of a fire occurrence is along the lines of:
“Fire accidents are rare anyways. Why would we even bother to update all of that? It’s just going to be an additional cost to the company.”
A usual yet a selfish reason as there are lives on the line. Neglect of a possible fire hazard will eventually lead to an accident which can be double or triple your maintenance cost. Fires are not jokes, and as mentioned before, can lead to major casualties. It is not just for the financial aspect of the company but for the sake of the people staying in your building. You might also be residing in a very populated environment like Vancouver. It is not just your building which can be affected by the fire; your neighbors will also be in danger. This is why those buildings or establishments which did not pass the inspection can face foreclosure until the hazards are fixed. If you cannot do it on your own, there are a lot of fire safety testing experts in Vancouver whom you can ask help from to fix your issues before the inspection.
In this modern era of technological advancement, we are still prone to accidents that are out of our control. We need to be ready in facing these situations as much as possible. Education and preparation is good but without action and constant improvement, we might be going nowhere at all. These incidents can happen in just a quick period; you do not even have the time to blink. Always maintain your surroundings as hazard-proof as possible so that it will help you be productive and worry-free.