It’s not something that we like to talk about, but building fires are very common. Both residential and commercial properties go through hundreds of thousands of fires a year. What’s worse, even though the number of fires has gone down, the number of people killed in fire accidents has only increased.
As the owner of a growing business, you need to recognize that the threat of commercial fires is not only possible but very likely to happen. To protect your workers, your wares, and yourself from these risks, you’ll want to recognize the causes of fires and ways to practice fire prevention.
This article is a great way to start learning how to do just that. Keep reading to find out the biggest causes of commercial fire damage and how to prevent fires!
1. Malfunctioning Appliances
By far one of the biggest reasons behind a commercial fire is a malfunctioning appliance. This tends to be a great problem for residential properties as well.
Commerical appliances and machinery have come a long way, and they’ve incorporated numerous safety features as well. That said, they aren’t perfect. As appliances are used and as time goes on, the risk of fire continues to grow.
The best way to fix this is to have maintenance periodically completed on your equipment. That way, you can stay up-to-date on your appliances and know when they need to be repaired or replaced to prevent damages.
2. Errors Caused By Humans
Let’s face it: the only thing more prone to causing problems than machines are the humans who made them. Human error has always been a factor in the causing of commercial fires, and the problem grows as you add more employees and attract more customers.
What’s more, the fires can start from something simple, such as from a cigarette near the building that wasn’t put out properly. An easy way to deal with this is by adding strict rules around the premise stopping smoking and preventing the use of dangerous equipment without company approval.
3. Arson
An unfortunate trend is that seems to be growing is arson. Unlike the other causes mentioned above, arson is the act of deliberately starting a fire on a property.
It’s hard to counter the effects of arson, as you likely won’t know who is planning the attack and they usually come by surprise. That said, the best thing to do is to incorporate sprinklers and extinguishers to reduce the damage from the fire as much as possible.
Do Your Part To Prevent Commercial Fires
Now that you know some of the most common reasons behind commercial fires, you’ll want to be proactive in making your place as safe as possible. We’re ready to work with you to make it happen.
At United Fire, we take fire safety very seriously, and our Floridian clients can attest to our work. Our company handles fire safety protocols in multiple industries, and our services include fire alarms, fire sprinklers, fire extinguishers, inspection services, and much more.
Ready to make your commercial property fire safe? Take a look around our site to learn more about what we have to offer, or reach out to request a free quote today. Let’s work together to make your company safe!
