Riverside Business Owners Can Prevent Fires in the Break Room

6/28/2021 (Permalink)

Take steps to avoid break room fires!

Keeping your employees happy and safe is an important aspect of owning a productive business.

Let's talk about the beloved breakroom. A lunchtime escape from the cramped office cubicle. A place to eat doughnuts without shame and to converse with coworkers, it's a temporary getaway for many office employees and can provide instant relief for the workday blues. To keep the breakroom enjoyable for everyone, it's extremely important to make sure it's safe. Making safety a high priority, you can prevent the unthinkable from happening.

A breakroom fire is one key area that can bring your business to a halt or even worse cause harm to employees.  One way to prevent a small catastrophe grow into a large one is by having a fire extinguisher installed in the breakroom.  It's a good way to prevent a microwave mishap. Faulty wires and carelessness can easily turn a lunch break into a lunch fire. Provide new employees with instructions on fire safety to keep everyone in the office informed. Check smoke alarms to make sure they are working properly, run a fire drill to ensure organization, and display fire safety information on the breakroom bulletin board to raise employee awareness.

To avoid break room fires, we recommend making the following suggestions:

• Only use commercial or industrial-grade appliances that are UL listed.
• Remove all hot plates, toaster ovens, toasters or any appliance that has an open flame.  Place signs in the break room restricting their use.
• Plug all appliances directly into outlets that have the proper overcurrent protections (breakers, GFCI, etc.)
• Never plug appliances into extension cords.
• Provide all break rooms with smoke/heat detection devices that are monitored by a central station.
• Keep all appliances and outlets free from dirt and debris accumulation.
• Be sure there is a fully operational smoke detector in the break room. Checking the smoke alarm monthly to ensure it is operational may be the first step in proactively preventing an emergency

Do you have employees who smoke?  Employees in California should be made aware of laws and should have an understanding on where they can smoke. NOLO advises, "Workplace smoking laws apply to workplaces with more than five employees  In California, smoking areas must be in a non-work area. No employee may be required to enter that room as part of their job. The air must be exhausted directly outside with a fan and cannot recirculate to other areas of the building." 

Here are some smoking safety tips:

• Set up deep, sturdy ashtrays with a wide, stable base that are difficult to tip over and set ashtrays on something sturdy and difficult to ignite, such as a table.
• Make sure cigarettes and ashes are out before throwing them away.
• Never toss hot cigarette butts or ashes in the trash.
• Chairs and sofas can catch fire fast and burn fast. Don't set ashtrays on them.

Visit our website for more information on commercial fire restoration .  We also have blogs providing tips and best practices!

Remember, if disaster does strike, SERVPRO® of west Riverside City is Here to Help!® Give us a call 24/7 at 951-351-8033.