Every day, firefighters throughout Canada are called into workplaces for firefighting operations as well as rescue calls. As we all know, fire does not wait for human presence and can occur at all hours of the day and night. Workplaces are however, becoming more and more dangerous for firefighters and making it more difficult for them to do their jobs properly and do their best to save your property and your products. Factors that affect the safety and efficiency of firefighters in your workplace can include blocked exits, debris in aisles, product obstructing sprinklers and more.

Blocked Exits: Blocked exits can create a hazardous situation not only for firefighters but also for workers trying to escape from an emergency. Emergency exits must remain clear at all times and exit signs must be lit and visible from all directions. Although this may be hard to maintain due to storage in some workplaces, efforts must be made to ensure that firefighters and other emergency workers have access to exits as well.

Debris in Aisles: Debris in aisles can create difficulty when searching for lost or trapped victims in an emergency. Firefighters rely on workplaces to maintain clean aisles in order to be able to fully search the area. When low visibility conditions are present due to smoke and fire, firefighters must rely on touch to search an area, using tools and their hands to physically feel every area of the building to search for lost or trapped people.

Product Obstructing Sprinklers: Sprinklers are a major fire suppression tool that when present, can not only save lives but also property and products. Sprinklers can stop fires from spreading as well as moderate the temperature, keeping it at levels that increase survivability. However, when blocked by product on shelves or equipment, sprinklers can be limited in their effectiveness as well as early detection. Sprinklers need to be kept unobstructed and maintenance must be followed on the system regularly. The video below shows a comparison between sprinklered areas and non-sprinkelered areas in the event of a fire. Big difference!