Equip yourself to combat your fire risk
The devastating fires in California are an important reminder of the dangers of fire – whether bushfires or fires that originate within the workplace. Fires may be a risk within any workplace, and may be caused by a number of common issues such as poor storage of hazardous substances, damaged or overloaded power boards, and accumulation of combustible rubbish and other material.
In most businesses, if a fire does occur, the response system is to activate alerts, contact emergency services and evacuate safely.
To ensure your business is ready for such an emergency, you should ensure that your emergency procedures should cover the following:
- evacuation procedures, including a safe route of escape and an assembly point;
- directions on who will notify emergency services;
- agreed communication methods between fire wardens and workers and others at your workplace during an emergency;
- training workers in emergency procedures; and
- provision for giving first aid and other necessary medical treatment and assistance in the course of the emergency.
Being proactive in relation to fire safety issues is critical in all workplaces. The start of the year – with bushfire season well under way – is a good time to review your fire safety system to ensure you are doing everything you can to prevent a fire from happening in your workplace and that workers are trained in the emergency response.
As always, the Health & Safety Handbook can guide you through this. Visit the chapter Fire safety for important advice.

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