October 7 – 13 Is Fire Prevention Week
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has designated the week of October 7th-13th as Fire Prevention Week. This date was chosen as the Great Chicago fire started on October 8, 1871. Each year a theme for the week is chosen in an effort to keep fire safety present in people’s minds. This year’s theme is “Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware – fire can happen anywhere.”
Those 3 words are simplistic but necessary when it comes to fire prevention, preparedness and risk. It carries over from the home, to the workplace and more. Look is for people to look around their home, office and workplace. Listen is mainly focused on the sound of smoke or fire alarms. Learn is about knowing multiple ways out of a room. Here are some further thoughts on each word for you to consider.
Look for places fire could start:
- Cooking areas
- Heating equipment
- Electrical and lighting equipment
- Candles
Listen for the sound of the smoke alarm:
- Take them seriously
- Know where are they located in the home, office and workplace
- Test them monthly
- Replace any over 10 years old
Learn two ways out of every room:
- Have an escape plan in the home, office and workplace
- Set a meeting place
- Know the path from each exit to the outside
- Keep the areas near the exit points easily accessible
The NFPA site has a wealth of information as always for this year’s theme. Anyone with “Safety” as a part of their job title, description or responsibilities should check it out. Go to https://www.nfpa.org/fpw. There you will find links to resources for your community, school and workplace. There are tons of activities, videos, games, and apps available, too. The site even introduces Simon who is a new friend for Sparky the Fire Dog®. Take note, the information is not just for children. There are many items dedicated to adults.
Give ICC Compliance Center a call today. We have a whole line if items to help. Should you need workplace signage for halls, doors, fences or pipelines, we can customize any size or shape you need. We also have various spill kits available along with salvage drums. Talk to one of our Regulatory Specialists about OSHA and WHMIS SDS as well as workplace labeling under those regulations. You can also request one of our new catalogs. It takes one phone call to our Customer Service Team to get you started.
Much of this information was reproduced from NFPA’s Fire Prevention Week website.
