According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), National Fire Prevention Week came into being almost a century ago as a grave reminder of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. This famous fire "killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres. The fire began on October 8, but continued into and did most of its damage on October 9, 1871," the NFPA states.
National Fire Prevention Week is observed annually on the Sunday through Saturday period in which October 9 falls, and it gives good cause for pause for many of us who work in the seemingly low fire risk environment of the office. The NFPA claims there are 3,340 office building fires annually, causing an average of four deaths and 44 injuries every year. Where there's people, there's fire risk; office blazes are less common on weekends because fewer people on location means fewer opportunities for ignition. The bulk of office fires occur between noon and 2 p.m. on weekdays.
OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.303(b)(2) refers to personal appliance installation and use, and states that listed or labeled equipment shall be installed and used in accordance with any instructions included in the listing or labeling. Many OSHA inspectors cite this part of the standard by stating that the UL listing for the equipment in question, such as a toaster, is not approved for an industrial location. The solution? Keep toasters in a kitchen or breakroom area, if at all.
The most important way to ensure safety for employees in any facility or office, is to make sure they know where to go in the event of a fire. Preprinted fire and egress signage can easily point the way to exits. More information on enhancing safety through floor marking can be found in DuraLabel's Floor Marking Guide.
Floor Marking Guide Protect your crew in an emergency. Learn the best practices for floor marking and wayfinding. |