How to protect your business from the aftereffects of a fire or other safety crisis? Both can take an enormous toll, emotionally and financially. Even if you assume no employee or customer injuries, there’s still damage to your company’s equipment, structures, and materials to consider.
And there are a host of things you might not consider right off the bat, like lawsuits, lost man hours, inventory loss, and flat revenue for the period during which your company may be unable to operate.
There’s no way, of course, to completely protect your business and your employees from safety risks and fires. But there are ways to decrease your business’s vulnerability and maximize its ability to recover from the crisis.
Protect your people
Your most valued and treasured assets are undeniably your staff and customers. So it’s essential that you plan for catastrophic events and implement systems designed to ensure that safety is upheld throughout the facility.
Fire and evacuation plans
Train employees on exactly what to do if fire erupts, from whether to pull an alarm or call 911 to making sure they know the safest and fastest way out of the building. Protect your people by posting signs directing them to the nearest exit, and plan several fire drills so that they can practice evacuating the building.
First aid training
Teach employees how to respond to a medical emergency. It should include the location of the company’s first aid supplies, what’s included and how to use it, and who to alert if someone gets injured.
Don’t assume employees know any of the above. Create a plan and a procedure, and train on it. If an accident should occur, you and your employees must be prepared.
Assess Your Level of Risk
Get proactive by walking through your facility, during each shift, to identify anything that could lead to safety issues. Look for:
- Damaged equipment
- Unsafe practices by employees
- Spills, especially near electrical equipment
- Improperly stored materials
- Overused outlets
- Fire detection system failures
- Unidentified or confusingly identified exits
Protect Your Business
Incorporating fire prevention into everyday activity is a great way to ensure that your staff and facility are safe. Take the time now to set up the procedures to protect your business.
If you’d like to discuss ways to insure business against risk, contact us here.
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