CHAPTER 21
FIRE
Burning Down the House

Books have the same enemies as people:
fire, humidity, animals, weather, and their own content.
—Paul Valéry

INTRODUCTION

A fire can severely damage a business in many ways. The extent of the damage is determined by the fire’s location, timing, and size. Fires damage a business’s property through heat, smoke damage, and damage caused when putting it out. (Did you ever see the gusto with which a volunteer firefighter swings a fire ax?) Stolen objects can be recovered and returned. Water-damaged objects can be cleaned and restored. But burnt objects and documents are destroyed forever.

A fire can have far-reaching impact on a company’s profitability. Depending on the size and location of the fire, the damage may include:

Structural Damage. A fire can destroy or weaken walls, floors, ceiling/roof assemblies, and structural supports. Smoldering fires often make a home within walls, which must be opened so the fire can be suppressed.

Loss of Valuable Documents and Information. Financial records, personnel files, and a wide range of vital company records can disappear in a fire. Some of these documents can be reconstructed from other information sources; some of this information can never be recovered.

Injury or Death. Fire threatens the lives of your employees. Some of the physical injuries will take a long time to heal, and the mental injuries can take even longer.

Customer Relations. Your customers are expecting that the goods they have ordered will be delivered on time. A delay due to a fire will lessen their confidence in your reliability and may cost them lost profits.

Vendor Relations. Vendors deliver their goods on credit (terms often delay payment for 60 days or more). A fire that temporarily disables your business may delay your payments to them, thereby damaging your credit—or they may demand immediate return of goods already delivered!

Building Security. A fire is a major security threat to your business. Massive volumes of smoke pouring through your facility will sow panic among the employees. This makes an ideal opportunity for theft. Intentional fires are also set to cover up crimes.

THE ANATOMY OF A FIRE

A fire is a chemical reaction in which a fuel mixes with oxygen and is heated to a point where flammable vapors are created. A typical workplace contains numerous items that can become fuel for a fire, including furnishings, business records, interior finishes, display cabinets, office equipment, laboratory chemicals, and machining lubricants. Look around your office or workplace. Anything that contains wood, plastic, paper, fabric, or combustible liquids can fuel a fire.

The key ingredients of a fire are:

1. Fuel. Any combustible material.

2. Oxygen. The air we breathe is approximately 20 percent oxygen, more than enough to nurture a fire.

3. Heat. Something to raise the fuel’s temperature until it combusts.

Remove any of these elements and a fire will cease to burn.

A typical fire begins as a slow-growth, smoldering process. The smoldering stage may last from a few minutes to several hours, depending on the fuel type, arrangement of the fuel, and available oxygen. During this stage, heat will increase, and the fuel will begin producing smoke. A smell of smoke is usually the first indication that a fire is under way. Early detection (either human or mechanical) at this early stage can trigger fire suppression efforts before significant loss occurs.

As the fire reaches the end of the smoldering phase, flames will become visible. Once flames have appeared, the fire will begin to spread. The temperature of the burning object will quickly exceed 1800 degrees Fahrenheit. At this point, a room’s contents will ignite, structural fatigue becomes possible, and occupant lives become seriously threatened. Within 5 minutes, the room temperature will be high enough to ignite all combustibles within the room. At this point, most contents will be destroyed, and human survival becomes impossible.

As a fire progresses into open flames, some chemical interactions occur. Let’s use a piece of wood as an example. Wood contains all sorts of stuff, such as water, minerals, and volatile organic compounds. As the heat source applied to the wood exceeds 300 degrees Fahrenheit, the volatile organic compounds begin evaporating. This is typical of a smoky fire. Eventually, the fire gets so hot that these vapors begin to burn, which is typical of a fire with a lot of flame and not a lot of smoke.

Fires are classified according to their fuel, and the method used to attack a fire is generally based on the type of fuel that is burning. Each class of fire has some basic concepts that can be used to reduce the likelihood of an occurrence. The classes of fire are:

Class A fires are made up of ordinary combustibles, such as paper. Class A fires can be prevented through good housekeeping practices, such as keeping all areas free of trash and the proper disposal of greasy rags.

Class B fires are based on gases or flammable liquids. These fires can be prevented by never refueling a running or hot engine, storing flammables away from spark-producing sources, and always handling flammable liquids in well-ventilated areas.

Class C fires are ignited by electricity, such as an overloaded wall outlet. Sometimes, the electricity is still running when you move in on the fire. Class C fires can be prevented by inspecting for worn or frayed electrical wires and promptly replacing them. Never install a fuse with a higher rating than called for by the manufacturer. Keep electrical motors clean and monitor them for overheating. Always have a wire guard over hot utility lights to prevent accidental contact with combustibles.

Class D fires feed on flammable metals, such as magnesium. These fires are very difficult to extinguish and must be suppressed by use of a special firefighting agent.

RISK ASSESSMENT

Given the seriousness of a fire, what can you do to prevent one? The easiest and cheapest thing is to identify and eliminate potential fire hazards, and educate employees about these risks.

Begin by identifying what you are trying to protect. Offices move around, interiors get redecorated, and vital records repositories spring up in new executive offices. Rarely are a company’s fire protection plans updated to protect this ebb and flow of equipment and documents around an office. Begin by making a list of your facility’s critical areas and ensure they are adequately protected.

Next examine your building’s layout. Minimal fire safety is governed by local building codes and fire safety regulations. Violating these codes can shut your business as quickly as any fire! Hire a fire safety engineer consultant to evaluate the adequacy of your existing fire alarm and suppression systems. If money is an issue, invite the local fire inspector to perform this task. Inspectors will provide free evaluations of a structure’s fire risk, indicating both recommended and required changes.

An added benefit to using the local fire inspector is that the inspector can explain something about the fire potential of other occupants in the building or surrounding buildings, such as a facility that stores or uses combustible liquids, etc. Inspectors can also provide a wide-area picture of your fire threat and the ability of local services to contain it. Is there something in your facility that will require special fire suppression equipment to control a fire? For example, how quickly should you expect the first fire truck to arrive on scene? (This indicates the volume of fire suppression you should provide yourself.) Is your facility in the country or in the city? If your facility is in a rural location, do you have a pond nearby to refill the fire trucks?

Evaluate your facility’s fire program. If it isn’t written and available to employees, then it isn’t worth much. Ensure that the fire safety plan is incorporated with your other emergency plans as well. Things to look for include:

Automatic fire suppression systems to contain a fire. The most common approaches are gas fire suppression systems or sprinkler systems.

Internal barriers to a fire in the form of fire doors and firewalls to hinder the spread of a fire. Place special fire barrier emphasis on expensive computer and telecommunications rooms.

Well-marked emergency exits that are kept free from clutter.

Automatic fire detection to alert occupants and the local fire department. Automatic fire detection systems are especially important in areas that are not normally occupied, such as closets, attics, and empty rooms.

Manual fire alarms as a means to quickly alert all occupants to evacuate.

A system of fire extinguishers and fire hoses that can be used to contain small fires. Both types of equipment require trained operators.

Many fire hazards in the workplace are employee-related items, such as space heaters and coffee pots. Review any existing policies concerning the use of these items. Consider including these issues the next time that your company safety policies are reviewed:

Personal Space Heaters. These are popular in colder climates in the winter time. As companies economize by lowering workplace temperatures, some people compensate by purchasing personal heaters to place under their desks. The danger is that the heaters can start a fire. Heaters provide the elevated temperature necessary to start a fire, and fuel is all around it. Heaters may be overturned, left on after hours, or have something pressed against them that could catch fire. If possible, heaters should be banned. If that is not practical, then an acceptably safe heater must be identified by the company for all who need one.

Coffee Pots. Banning coffee pots is a fast way to make enemies all across the company! However, like all electrical appliances, the issue is that they may be of low quality or left on with no one to attend them. The best strategy is to select a high-quality coffee maker that is as safe as you need it to be in your environment (office, factory, warehouse, etc.). Require that someone occasionally checks to ensure that the appliance is turned off when not in use. A timed electrical outlet set to normal business hours can be used to ensure the pot is turned off at night.

Overloaded Outlets. Sometimes the tendency is to add more and more extension cords and surge protectors to a single outlet to feed the ever-growing flood of office electronics. This should not be allowed. A periodic safety inspection should be made of all work areas, and overloaded outlets should be immediately addressed with either the addition of more outlets or the removal of the extension cords.

General Housekeeping. Simple housekeeping can be a major source of fire prevention. Some people seem to want to keep their offices and workspaces as simple and uncluttered as possible. Others seem to be following them around and stuffing their papers into the recently cleaned-out areas. Excess papers and other materials are potential fuels to a fire. If you have valuable documents that you must retain, then treat them as such and store them properly. Utility closets and rarely used facility areas must be inspected regularly to ensure no one has started an unauthorized storage depot.

Another easy housekeeping issue is to ensure that nothing is blocking emergency exits or the paths to them. Sometimes boxes and factory components find their way into aisleways and around exit routes. These must be moved immediately. If they are truly needed, then an adequate storage place will be found. Otherwise, they need to go! Use Form 21-1, Sample Fire Poster, on the enclosed CD to help get the message out about fire safety.

BUILDING A FIRE SUPPRESSION STRATEGY

Once you have controlled the possible sources of fire, the next step is to look at how you will suppress a fire if one occurs despite all your efforts. Handheld fire extinguishers and automatic detection and sprinkler systems are the most common means of fire suppression.

Fire Extinguishers

Fire extinguishers can be used to contain very small fires, but they lack the capacity to attack large fires. The contents of a fire extinguisher determine the type of fire for which it is best suited. For example, using a water-filled fire extinguisher to fight an electrical fire would be a dangerous thing to do. Electricity from the source that started the fire may still be active and could travel up the stream of water and injure the extinguisher’s operator. The “class” of the extinguisher corresponds to the previously described class of fire. The types of extinguishers include:

Class A uses pressurized water to cool the material below its ignition temperature. This deprives the fire of its fuel. Never use a class A extinguisher on an electrical fire!

Class B uses foam, carbon dioxide, or a dry chemical to smother grease or flammable liquid fires. This deprives the fire of its oxygen.

Class C uses carbon dioxide, a dry chemical, or halon to smother the fire.

Class D uses a dry powder specifically for the metal fire being extinguished. In most cases, the powder dissipates the heat from the burning materials so it will cool below its combustion level.

An ABC-rated extinguisher is a multipurpose dry chemical extinguisher that is good for class A, B, or C fires. However, the extinguishing agent may leave a residue that is mildly corrosive and potentially damaging to electronic equipment.

A BC-rated extinguisher is a dry chemical extinguisher that is good for flammable fluids and electrical fires, but not suited to containing class A fires.

Fire extinguishers have conspicuous labels that identify the class of fire for which they are suitable:

ABC-rated extinguishers are almost always red and have either a spray nozzle or a short hose. Halon extinguishers look identical to ABC-rated units. These units are lightweight.

Water-based extinguishers are generally chrome colored and are quite large.

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) extinguishers are usually red with a large tapered nozzle and are quite heavy. Care must be taken when handling these units because the contents are under very high pressure. CO₂ extinguishers must be weighed to evaluate the volume of their contents.

After any use, fire extinguishers must be inspected and recharged. You cannot “test” a unit and then return it to its rack. It may not be ready for you when it is needed most! Most organizations have an ongoing maintenance program to inspect fire extinguishers monthly and to promptly recharge and repair leaky or discharged units.

Fire extinguishers are useless if no one knows how to use them. Include basic fire safety and the proper use of fire extinguishers in your company’s annual safety briefing. Rules for using fire extinguishers are:

1. Always fight a fire with your back to your escape route. If the escape route is threatened, leave immediately.

2. Remember the acronym PASS:

Pull the pin.

Aim at the base of the flames.

Squeeze the trigger.

Sweep from side to side.

In summary, know the location and type of fire extinguishers in your work areas—and in your home. Ensure they match the types of fires that are most likely to occur in these areas.

Detection Systems

Fire detection systems are required in most states to alert you to the presence of a fire and to protect human life. These systems enable you to contain a fire with minimal damage. The earlier that an alarm detects a fire, the more expensive the alarm will be and the greater maintenance it will require. However, in some areas of your facility, the extra expense will be well worth the cost.

Detection systems provide early warning to allow for evacuation and fire containment. Fires do not always occur when people are standing nearby. They can occur at night, in vacant rooms, in back closets, or even behind cabinets. Be sure that you have the proper detection system in all these places—and a way for someone to react to it. A fire alarm system that sounds at night when no one is there does you little good. It must be connected to a remote alarm monitoring facility (usually the same company that monitors your burglar alarms).

There are two signs of a fire that can be detected: heat and smoke. Both of these can damage your facility without flames ever touching an object. We already briefly discussed the characteristics of both a smoky fire and a fire that was more flame than smoke. As we cannot be sure if a fire will be a slow starter (smoky) or fast and furious (little smoke), you should install both types of alarms in sensitive areas.

There are three basic types of fire detection alarms.

1. Photoelectric detectors detect smoke from smoldering fires. These are fires that generate a lot more smoke than heat because of the type of fuel that is burning and the temperature of the fire. This is the most common type of detector.

2. Ionization detectors are better at detecting fires that have more flame than smoke. Flash fires can be ignited based on the fuel and heat source combination, such as in some industrial applications.

3. Temperature detectors detect excessive temperatures from fires or other heat sources.

A fire alarm system must do more than just ring a bell. It should:

Trigger the closing of fire doors.

Activate the early fire suppression system (usually CO₂ or halon) if the fire is in that room.

Release electronic locks so that people can get out and rescue crews can get in.

Notify the people within the facility to evacuate. This should at least include both audible and visible (strobe lights) alarms.

Notify the fire department of the emergency.

In some cases, shut down automatic factory equipment.

Sprinkler Systems

Fire protection experts believe that automatic sprinklers are the most important feature of a fire management program. Properly designed, installed, and maintained, sprinklers are your first line of defense against a fire.

Fire sprinklers are the cheapest method of containing a fire while people evacuate a facility. They are most effective during the fire’s initial flame growth stage and will contain a fire’s growth within a few minutes of their activation. More than half of all fires are contained by one or two sprinklers. A typical sprinkler system will deliver 25 gallons of water per minute. Sprinkler systems offer several benefits to building owners, operators, and occupants.

These benefits include:

Sounding the alarm. Most sprinkler systems are connected to an alarm system that sounds when the sprinkler head is activated. Sometimes this is by detecting the flow of water in the pipe.

Sprinklers are always on duty. Even if no one is present when a fire starts, the sprinkler will activate.

Early detection reduces the amount of heat and smoke damage and allows for a more orderly evacuation of the facility.

Sprinkler control of fires minimizes intrusion opportunities because the fire is contained and detected early.

Insurance companies normally offer reduced premiums for buildings with sprinkler systems as compared with buildings without them.

When selecting a sprinkler, consider:

Desired response time. How fast do you want the sprinkler to kick on?

Criticality of what you are protecting. The value or importance of what the sprinkler protects can move you to a more expensive quick-reacting sprinkler system.

The volatility of what you are protecting.

Aesthetics.

Normal room temperature.

For most fires, water is the ideal extinguishing agent. Fire sprinklers apply water directly onto flames and heat. Water cools the combustion process and inhibits ignition of adjacent combustibles. Basic sprinkler systems are a relatively simple concept that consist of three primary elements:

1. A dependable water supply. Water must be available even if electrical service is lost.

2. Connecting the sprinkler heads to the water supply through a network of water pipes. Rusted, weak, clogged, or too-narrow pipes will reduce the effectiveness of a sprinkler system.

3. The sprinkler head. At intervals along these pipes are independent, heat-activated valves known as sprinkler heads. The sprinkler head distributes water onto the fire.

The sprinkler head is a valve attached to the pipe that is “plugged” by a fusible link. This link might be plastic, solder, or anything that melts at the desired temperature. While a fire is in the smoldering stage, the heat output is too low to activate a sprinkler. As the heat increases, the sprinkler’s thermal linkage begins to deform. If the temperature remains high, as it would in a growing fire, the sprinkler’s thermal linkage will fail within 30 seconds to 4 minutes. This releases the sprinkler’s seals and allows water to flow.

A sprinkler head has five major components: a frame, a thermally operated linkage, a cap, an orifice, and a deflector. Sprinkler heads vary among manufacturers but all use the same basic components.

Frame. The frame provides a structure that holds the sprinkler components together. Frame styles can be low profile, flush, standard, or concealed mounts. Selection of a frame type depends on the area to be covered, the type of hazard to protect, and the visual effect desired.

Thermal Linkage. The thermal linkage controls the water release. In normal use, the linkage holds the cap in place and keeps water from flowing out of the pipe. When the link is heated and gives way, the cap is released allowing water to flow. Common linkage types include soldered metal levers, frangible glass bulbs, and solder pellets.

Cap. The cap provides the watertight seal over the sprinkler orifice, held in place by the thermal link. When the thermal link fails, the cap is released and water flows out of the orifice. Caps are always made of metal.

Orifice. The opening in the water pipe at the base of the sprinkler valve is called the orifice. As its name implies, this is the opening in the water pipe where the water comes from. Orifices are about 1/2 inch in diameter. The orifice size may vary from larger for hazardous areas to smaller in home sprinkler systems.

Deflector. The deflector splatters the water stream shooting out of the orifice into a pattern that is more efficient for fire suppression. The deflector styles vary: mounted above the pipe, mounted below the pipe, and sideways in a wall mount. Deflectors mounted above the pipe are found in ceiling plenums. Below-the-pipe deflectors are commonly found in office ceilings—just look up!

A key element in your sprinkler system is a reliable water source. This can be from public water systems, rural lakes, or water cisterns. Wherever your water comes from, it must be ready when the sprinkler cap pops off or it has all been a waste of time.

If your water source is not reliable, then water must be provided from more than one source. The supply of water must be sustained until the fire is extinguished. Along with the sprinklers, the water supply may be called upon to support the fire department’s fire attack hoses. If so, then both requirements must be met. Things to consider when evaluating your water supply:

It must be resistant to drought. Dry conditions outside increase your fire chances. If drought dries up your water supply, sprinklers may not work to full capability.

Pipe failure can keep water from where it is needed. If your pipes cannot support the water flow, then again the sprinklers will not work to full potential.

In conjunction with the need for water flow is a need for water pressure. The water supply must be able to maintain a steady water pressure or a pressure tank system must be added.

Sprinkler water pipes are the way to ensure a steady water flow to the sprinkler head. Steel is the traditional material used. There are many other features available for sprinkler systems:

Alarms. The most basic fire alarms that are built into a sprinkler system are based on gongs that sound as water begins flowing in the sprinkler pipes. There may also be pressure switches and detectors at the sprinkler head to identify where the water is flowing to.

Control Valves. A control valve allows you to shut off the flow of water to sprinkler heads. If the fire is out, the sprinkler cannot stop by itself. Remember, that open sprinkler head is spewing about 25 gallons of water per minute over your carpets, desk, and down the hall. Once the fire is extinguished, the sprinkler’s water source must be shut off promptly. Shutting off the water to the sprinkler system is also useful for allowing periodic maintenance on the pipes and sprinkler heads. There is also a drain valve to allow the water in the pipes to drain out for easier maintenance. The control valve is kept locked to prevent an arsonist from disabling your sprinklers, so ensure a key is available when needed.

There are four basic types of sprinkler systems: wet pipe, dry pipe, preaction, and water mist. Wet pipe is by far the simplest and most common type of sprinkler system. In a wet pipe configuration, water pressure is constantly maintained in the sprinkler pipe. The advantage is that the only delay in action is however long it takes for the link to fatigue. The disadvantage is that the pipe may leak or the sprinkler head may become damaged and accidentally discharge.

Wet pipe systems have the fewest components and are the easiest to install. They are the easiest to maintain or modify. After a fire, they are the easiest configuration to restore to service. The major disadvantage to a wet pipe system is that the pipes must not be allowed to freeze. Frozen pipes may burst or weaken joints. Therefore the temperature of the building spaces with these pipes must be maintained above freezing at all times. This can be particularly troublesome if the pipes are run along exterior walls or in high ceilings in buildings located in very cold climates.

A dry pipe system uses a valve to hold the water out of the pipe. Instead of water, the pipe holds pressurized gas or air. When the thermal link is melted by the fire, the cap is released and the air in the pipe escapes. The water pressure pushing against the valve overcomes the declining air pressure and water flows to the sprinkler head.

Dry pipes are useful in unheated areas in cold climates. This prevents freezing of pipes, especially for exterior applications. Some people believe that a dry pipe is superior to a wet pipe because, if the sprinkler head is damaged, the surrounding areas will not be hurt by unneeded water. This is not the case. A dry pipe system would also leak and just deliver the water a bit later.

There are several disadvantages to using dry pipe systems. First, they are more complex to install and maintain. Second, the maximum size is limited, which makes it difficult to add on to an existing system later. Finally, there may be a delay of up to 60 seconds in the water flowing to a fire.

The most sophisticated approach is through the use of a “preaction” configuration. A preaction system uses a dry pipe approach, but the valve controlling the water is activated by a fire detection system. The preaction system uses a two-step process to fire suppression. The first step is when a fire detection system detects a fire. This releases the valve and allows water to enter the pipe. The second action is when the sprinkler head’s thermal link fatigues and allows water to flow onto the fire.

Disadvantages of the preaction system include higher initial costs and higher maintenance costs. There is also a short delay while the air in the pipe is displaced by water.

A variation of the preaction configuration is the deluge system. A deluge system is triggered by a fire detector and releases water through all the sprinkler heads over a given area. Deluge systems are used wherever high-velocity suppression is required, such as a paint booth and in chemical storage areas.

An emerging technology is a sprinkler system that uses a water mist to suppress fire. Micro mists discharge fine water droplets at a very high pressure, which has been shown to control fires with very little water. This technology minimizes secondary water damage to your property.

An automatic sprinkler system is your best first line of defense against fires. A properly designed and installed system is very reliable. If your sprinkler water pipes will be subject to freezing temperatures, use a dry pipe or preaction system. Remember, most system failures are due to poor maintenance. Always consult a sprinkler system professional before selecting or modifying a sprinkler system.

ACTION STEPS FOR YOUR PLAN

Two areas that should be included in your plan are storage that can resist the fire for your important documents and the evacuation of personnel safely from the building.

Fire-Resistant Storage

One defense against the damage caused by fire is the use of fire-resistant storage, which can be anything from a small cabinet to a large room. Fire-resistant storage is based on preventing combustion by removing oxygen from a fire (remember the three key ingredients of a fire?).

“Fireproof” containers consist of thick walls and a tight-sealing door. These containers are called fireproof because their thick insulated walls will protect documents and other valuables against a small, short-duration fire. The containers themselves are fireproof and will not burn, but the contents are what you really want to protect.

In a large or long-duration fire, the benefit of these containers is less complete. As the heat outside the container rises, the thick insulation walls slow the flow of heat into the container. If the container remains in the midst of a hot fire, eventually the interior temperature can rise high enough to begin a smoldering fire. This incipient fire will quickly die as soon as the oxygen within the container is consumed.

Depending on the amount of heat applied to the container, the contents can still be seriously damaged. At high interior temperatures, flammable materials will still char (until the oxygen runs out). Magnetic media will deform at temperatures above 125 degrees Fahrenheit and 80 percent humidity, much less than the heat required to burn paper.

Underwriters Laboratories has a standard for evaluating the protection value of a storage container. A “one hour fire rating” interior will not exceed 350 degrees Fahrenheit when exposed to an external temperature of 1700 degrees Fahrenheit. A “two-hour-rated” container would withstand this temperature for 2 hours and withstand a drop of 30 feet (since a fire of this magnitude would probably also cause structural failure).

After the fire has passed, you must allow adequate time for the interior to cool below the fuel’s flash point. Remember, the container starved the fire for oxygen. The interior still has fuel (your valuable documents). If high heat is still present and you open it, then you get to see your documents flash into smoke before your eyes! Always allow plenty of time (at least a day) before opening a fireproof container after a fire.

What does a typical business need to store in a fireproof container? Begin with:

Cash, checks, and securities.

Software licenses.

Magnetic backup media (use a container specifically rated for this).

Engineering documents, including work in progress.

Any legal papers difficult or impossible to replace, such as tax documents.

Works of art.

Precious materials.

Other steps to take include:

Make copies of critical documents and magnetic media and store them in a different building.

Place fireproof storage containers in your facility where they won’t fall through a floor weakened by a fire (such as in the basement or on a ground floor) and where there is minimal material overhead to fall on it and crush the container. Ruptured containers will let the fire in to burn your documents!

Evacuation Planning

An essential part of any emergency plan is to provide a way to safely evacuate the building. A well thought out evacuation plan will ensure that everyone has left the building and that no one was left behind. This helps the fire and rescue squads to focus their efforts on locating people known to still be in the building. Without an accounting of who may be still inside the structure, the fire department may needlessly risk their lives searching the entire structure, wasting time they could be using to contain the fire damage.

Evacuation plans come in many forms.

1. Evacuate the Building. Everybody out, due to perhaps a fire or earthquake.

2. Evacuate the Area. Everyone must leave to avoid a natural disaster such as a hurricane or a forest fire.

3. Evacuate into a Shelter. Leave your offices for the storm shelter for safety against a tornado, etc.

Normally, evacuation involves getting everyone out of the facility as quickly as is safely possible. Evacuation planning is an 11-step process.

1. Determine the conditions that would trigger an evacuation.

2. Establish “evacuation supervisors” to ensure areas are clear, to assist others, and to account for everyone at the rendezvous site.

3. Pull together a system for accounting that everyone is out of the building or in the storm shelter.

4. Assign someone to assist anyone with disabilities and those who may not speak English. This is important in your customer areas, reception room, delivery driver lounge, or any other area where outsiders may be in your facility. They need someone to show them what to do and where to go.

5. Post evacuation procedures around the facility. Also, post maps showing the nearest building exits. Identify primary and alternate evacuation routes. Ensure they are clearly marked.

6. Designate key people to shut down critical or dangerous operations during the evacuation. This might be transferring toxic chemicals, halting automated paint spraying operations, or disconnecting power to high-voltage equipment.

7. Designate someone to quickly secure the petty cash box, close the safe, and lock all cash registers before evacuating the area.

8. Ensure evacuation routes are always kept clear and unobstructed by material. They should be wide enough to handle the volume of people that may need to use them. The route should not take anyone near other hazardous areas in case the disaster spreads rapidly.

9. Install emergency lighting in case electricity fails during the evacuation. Some companies also install “knee-high” exit signs near the floor so that anyone crawling under the smoke can still find a building exit.

10. Designate outside assembly areas for each section of the building. Assembly areas should be well clear of the structure and clearly marked so they are easy to find. Some companies use signs on their parking lot light poles. Assembly areas should be located away from the roads required by the emergency crews so they do not interfere with incoming fire trucks.

11. Actions in the assembly areas should be clearly understood by the evacuation supervisors. To facilitate the headcount, department rosters should be kept adjacent to the evacuation exits so they can be picked up on the way out. These rosters list the name of every employee and long-term contract worker by department.

a. Keeping rosters up to the minute is an impossible task. Instead, use the roster to see if the normal staff is accounted for. Ask if the missing are out sick that day or known to be working elsewhere in the facility.

b. Ask if any other contract employees were working in the area that day.

c. Ask if any visitors were in the area that day.

d. Forward the completed roll call results to the Evacuation Command Center as soon as possible. Note the names and last known locations of any missing people. DO NOT reenter the building as these people may be at a different rendezvous point.

In some emergencies, you will evacuate your workspaces and head to the storm shelter. This might be as protection from a tornado. Evacuation supervisors will ensure the orderly entry and exit from the shelter and ensure that space is fairly allocated.

Employee training is essential if plans are to be executed as written. Training should be a part of initial employee (and long-term contract worker) orientation. An annual refresher class along with an evacuation drill will improve employee understanding and reduce some of the panic and chaos of an actual emergency.

CONCLUSION

Fire is one “natural” disaster that knows no geographic boundaries. Where there is fuel, oxygen, and heat, you can have a fire. The key elements to avoiding a disaster caused by fire are:

1. Assess the risk to your business.

2. Have policies in place to reduce the risk from fire.

3. Have appropriate detection mechanisms in place.

4. Know how to extinguish a fire as quickly as possible.