How To Protect Your Business From Fire Damage

Listen in! Pick up some expert advice to a reader's question that we selected from CyberSchmooz.

Fire damage is one of the most common and expensive liabilities small businesses face. Large insurance companies estimate that at least 10% of small businesses will file a fire insurance claim within 10 years of operating. Therefore, any small business should have some sort of protection against a sudden fire.

In this post, we'll cover a few things you can do as a small business owner to protect one of your greatest assets from fire damage.

What Kind of Damage Can Fire Cause?

Other than creating a traumatic experience for you and your employees, fires can cause a significant amount of damage to your commercial property. According to IDC Fire and Water Restoration, a leading repair service, fires can cause soot and smoke to infiltrate your HVAC systems. Not only can this cause severe health risks for anyone inside the premises, but it can also cause a great deal of structural damage to the property.

As a result, you need to remove all the damaged items from the property to protect your building and its occupants. What's more, fires can put a business owner under severe financial stress. Fire damage is extremely costly and can take months to recover from.

How To Protect Your Business From Fires

Make Sure All of Your Fire Control Systems Are Up-to-Date

Every commercial property should have smoke alarms, sprinklers, and other fire control systems throughout the dwelling. Furthermore, all your fire control systems should undergo regular maintenance to ensure they're working properly. You should also have fire extinguishers throughout several areas of your property in case a fire does erupt.

Have a Fire Safety and Evacuation Procedure

The safety of you and your employees should always be a top priority. An integral part of fire safety is having a thorough evacuation plan. Your plan should be a clearly written document that maps out all the actions you and your staff need to take in the event of a fire. You and your team should also have routine fire drills, so everyone knows what to do when the time comes.

Store All Flammable Materials Properly

If your workplace contains flammable liquids, chemicals, or other compounds, then you're at higher risk of a fire. One of the best things you can do is purchase flammable storage containers to help minimize risk. You should also include a safety protocol for all workers handling flammable goods to reduce your liabilities.

Remove Unnecessary Paper

Large amounts of paper resting near appliances and heating mechanisms is a disaster waiting to happen. Paper is extremely flammable and can make it easier for a fire to spread throughout your dwelling. You should neatly organize all your paper documents and keep them away from anything that may cause them to catch fire. Not only will this help protect your business from fire damage, but it will also keep your office more organized.

Keep a Close Eye on Your Kitchen

Kitchens are often ground zero for commercial fires. If your business has a kitchen be sure to take extra precautions to prevent a fire. This includes having a fire extinguisher within reach, posting signs to inform employees to monitor appliances while they're in use, and always be present when food is cooking.

Bottom Line

The thought of your business catching fire is undoubtedly a scary one. However, all it takes is a little effort to ensure you're minimizing as much risk as possible. These small protocols may not seem worth the time, but they could potentially save your business and the lives of you and your employees.

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