Oct 13, 2014

By: Chelsea Haley, DKI Ventures, LLC

So far this month, we have covered which items to have around your office or building, having an evacuation plan, and how to use one of the main tools to combat a small fire – the fire extinguisher.

Here are some everyday tips to prevent an office fire:

Tidy up

Throw away all waste papers, trash and other combustible items. Do not leave these loose on your desk, where they can add fuel to a fire.

In addition, organize your supplies and papers to properly be filed or stored, so as to not contribute to clutter blocking doorways and escape routes.

Check your circuits

Ensure cords are not out in the open to easily be stepped on, vacuumed over, or caught on something that may damage or deteriorate the outside coating. Replace all faulty or stripped cords.

Also, be sure to limit the number of plugs in your outlets. If you notice that appliances are not working properly, you may have overloaded the circuit, which could cause a fire. Electrical fires are very common in homes and workplaces.

Turn it off

Not just to reduce electricity costs, but to prevent fires, ensure every appliance is turned off before you leave the office. Most appliances are not meant to be unattended for long periods of time, and can overheat. Even some appliances, such as computers, copy machines and coffee makers quickly overheat and must be monitored and maintained.

In the case a fire does occur, call DKI for all of your repair needs.  DKI contractors are available nationwide 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.