If you work in an office, you are probably used to the regular fire drills. Sometimes having to shuffle outside to line up in the cold can be a bit of a pain – but doing this is critically important because it could save your life. You may not think that there is much risk when it comes to working in an office, but there is the risk of fire in an office and there are many things that can cause it.
Learning the main risks of fire in the office, is something that everyone who works there should do, as it could mean that a fire is prevented, and hopefully you will only have to experience the fire drills, not the real thing! You should also have a professional come in to see where the risks are like this fire risk assessment Bristol based company keloscape.co.uk/areas-we-cover/fire-safety-consultancy-bristol/ – here are four common ways that fires can start in the office…
Clutter – Many of us are guilty of working in a cluttered area. Often, we can have a desk that is swamped with papers, coffee cups and other detritus, especially when we are busy and feeling up against it. But this is a massive fire risk, so you should take care to make sure that your area is kept clear. As well as the fact that many of the materials may be more flammable, they can also attract dust which makes it more flammable and helps a fire to spread.
Extension Cables – Offices are of course full of electrical items – they all need to be plugged in somewhere, so for many people the quick and easy answer to this is of course extension cables. Unfortunately, if extension sockets are too overloaded, this massively increases the fire risk, as the system gets to overloaded to be able to cope with it. When this happens, the sockets then overheat, and this is what leads to an electrical fire starting.
Dangerous Cables – Of course another electrical problem that can be present in an office are faulty cables. Over time, cables can get worn and wires inside the cable can be exposed which then can be at risk of sparks – this also can cause shocks and burns. The cable around the wires is there to protect the wires inside from coming into contact with something that could make them spark and then cause fire which could be something touching them, or a drink spilled on them for example. So, if you have cables in your office that have exposed wires, this is the time to get rid of them and replace them with something safer!
Personal Heaters – Offices can sometimes be chilly and if you are sitting down for much of the day you can really feel the cold. This is why many people like to use personal heaters, but these are not a good idea. They are a huge fire risk as they get so hot, and they can heat the things around them to the point that they can catch fire. It is much safer to wear extra clothes than to use a personal heater at work!
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