This guide forms a business checklist for essential safety equipment needed in every workspace.
Do you own a business with office premises? Running your own business can be a one-way ticket to success. Sure, you’ve got to put in the hours and have all the responsibility sit on your shoulders, as well as having to manage your teams and the daily operations, but your success can be unlimited. Just look at Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates’ humble origins starting from their garages to multi-billionaire status.
However, operating from an office comes with a set of responsibilities, including being accountable for providing safety equipment for a safe workplace for your staff. Depending on your location, different legislations govern safe work environments.
And ensuring your office is prepared for emergencies is a top priority for a business owner. After all, your team are as important to your livelihood as the other aspects of your business.
Essential safety equipment checklist
This helpful checklist will cover office emergency essentials. It will detail a checklist for businesses that you can tick off to ensure your office space is safe for your staff. Read on to discover more.
Fire Extinguishers and Testing
Your office should have appropriate fire extinguishers and schedule routine fire extinguisher testing. As a safety equipment rule of thumb, an office should have a few extinguishers suitable for paper fires and a carbon dioxide one to deal with burning liquids or computer equipment that most offices will have.
As well as ensuring you have enough fire extinguishers, they must be inspected and serviced regularly to ensure they are in working condition. Failure to do this can be a criminal offence in some parts of the world, so don’t neglect this super important workplace safety task.
Sprinkler Systems
Another emergency defence piece of safety equipment you can install in the office is a sprinkler system. This automated system will turn on water sprinklers if special sensors detect smoke or fire. This can be a life and property-saving line of defence to install in your office, and while the installation fee is high, the cost of a life is higher.
The same company that looks after your fire extinguishers might be able to install this for you. Otherwise, you can compare quotes with plenty of fire safety companies.
Hold Emergency Evacuation Drills
Another office emergency tip is to schedule regular emergency evacuation drills using safety equipment, where you can also simulate a rapid evacuation from the office to ensure your staff know what to do in the event of a real emergency. You should have an emergency evacuation assembly point outside the office; this could be a carpark, park or open area nearby.
You must not warn staff when a drill may occur, as the whole point of a drill is to practise for a real emergency. There are no warnings for a fire or bomb threat, so only your dedicated emergency staff, such as fire wardens or First Aid officers, should know about the drill in advance.
Have Emergency Policies and Plans
Any workplace should have a written emergency policy and plan that details the steps and safety equipment to employ in an emergency. This is even legally mandated in some places, and failure to have one can result in steep penalties.
As a business owner, the responsibility sits with you, so it’s up to you to prepare the policies and plans or delegate the task to a manager as part of their usual duties.
A First Aid Kit and Defibrillator
Another safety equipment item to check off your emergency checklist is ensuring you have a fully stocked First Aid kit and an Emergency Defibrillator.
The First Aid kit is there in case any staff injure themselves while at work, and should contain medical equipment such as Band-Aids, bandages and pressure bandages, scissors, eye flushing solution, and other miscellaneous supplies.
In addition to the First Aid kit, you should also have an emergency Defibrillator used in conjunction with CPR in case someone has a cardiac arrest. This machine helps the heart restart, is automated with instructions to use, and can be life-saving. It’s essential to have one in the office and to ensure it is serviced regularly per the manufacturer’s instructions.
Emergency Exits
In addition to the other safety equipment items for the checklists mentioned above, it’s essential to have clearly signed emergency exits and fire escapes in the office and that they are free of obstruction and have easy access. Depending on your offices’ requirements and layout, you can get LED-lit exit signs and fire escapes linked to a fire alarm.
Conclusion
This helpful checklist has covered an office emergency essentials checklist for businesses. You should ensure that you have appropriate emergency safety equipment, such as fire extinguishers and sprinkler systems.
Also, it’s essential to have adequate plans and policies in place to safeguard your business. A well-stocked First Aid kit and emergency Defibrillator are also necessary, as are well-signed emergency exits. Follow this checklist, and your premises should be highly prepared in case of an emergency.
Photo by Mikhail Nilov
