Fire! Understand the Causes and Take the Necessary Steps to Avoid One In Your Business.

7/20/2018 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/ Brea has been helping commercial structure owners with fire damage restoration for over 11 years. We're #1 in California!

Fire!  Do you understand the causes and are you prepared to take the necessary steps to avoid one in your business?

Just the thought of a fire burning in your workplace is enough to raise your pulse and tighten your stomach.  Thoughts of danger, damage and terrible expense follow each other in rapid succession.  The National Fire Protection Association reports over 37,000 fires occur in industrial or manufacturing locations every year.  The average cost of a fire in a work-place is nearly $90K per fire although the cost for a work-place fire   The good news is, among all causes, fires and explosions account for the smallest percentage of annual workplace deaths.  It’s the heavy cost of a workplace fire that is the true concern.  The majority of businesses that experience commercial fire damage do not recover.

Common Causes of Commercial Building Fire Damage

• Cooking Fires - The leading cause of nonresidential fires (29%) is cooking fires. While these fires tend to have a lower cost impact than other causes, they can be avoided easily by having alarms and fire extinguishers at the ready and ensuring that all employees know how to use them.
• Intentional Fires – 21% of all nonresidential fires. In the United States, there are three types of arson activities included in this category, including outside fires, structures and vehicles.  Although 19% of intentional fires involved structures, these fires accounted for 87% of civilian deaths, 84% of civilian injuries, and 86% of direct property damage resulting from intentional fires.   In California, there were over 7,000 arson fires in 2016 and while this sounds like a large number, it actually represents a 39% decline versus 2006.  Arson is responsible for the most direct property damage.
• Careless Acts and Human Error – This would include actions like accidental leaving space heaters on, or discarding still lit cigarette butts into trash cans.
• Heating Fires –Accounting for approximately 9% of all nonresidential building fires, heating fires stem from central heating units, fireplaces, water heaters, and other heating appliances and systems. Regular inspection would reduce the number of these events.

You can reduce the risk of a nonresidential fire by committing to several important steps and actions.  These would include:

• Identifying the Risks: Understand the root cause of the types of fires most common in your industry.  For instance, restaurants should be sure their employees are aware of the risks of fire around the cooking equipment and know what to do if a fire should break out. Cooking staff should also never leave the cooking unattended.  In addition, the kitchen should be outfitted with regularly inspected and maintained kitchen fire suppression systems.
• Invest in the proper equipment: As mentioned above, commercial kitchens should include fire suppression systems.  Other necessities will include common sense items like ifire extinguishers, fire sprinklers, fire alarms, emergency lighting, exit signs, and more.
• Training and Education: All the equipment in the world is not going to help if your staff is not properly trained in their use. 
• Regular Maintenance and Inspections: Does your business have a fire sprinkler system? When was the last time it was activated? When was the last time it was inspected and tested? Without regular maintenance and inspections of your entire life safety system, you are putting your property and your employees at risk.

During our more than eleven years of fire damage restoration, SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/ Brea has had the pleasure of helping business owners with fire damage restoration.  The tips we’ve shared with  you in this blog are things we’ve learned during all that time. 

Are you presently addressing commercial/ nonresidential fire damage?  We can help you get back to business quickly, and efficiently.  We’re the #1 SERVPRO franchise in California.  Our focus on urgency, integrity, cleanliness, knowledge, commitment to consistently excellent work, and establishing and maintaining positive relationships with our customers and colleagues.  To read testimonials from our customers, click here.  https://www.yelp.com/biz/SERVPRO-of-yorba-linda-brea-anaheim.   Need mold remediation services NOW?  Give us a call; 714-701-0207.

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