Fire can spread quickly through your home or facility, leaving you little time to safely escape. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) estimates that in the United States:
n A fire department responds to a fire every 24 seconds.
n One civilian fire-related injury occurs every 32 minutes.
n One civilian fire-related death occurs every 142 minutes.
Fire evacuation plans, smoke detectors, sprinklers, and properly maintained fire extinguishers can help save lives.
Evacuation plans must include a map of your facility or home showing two exits (windows or doors) and a path to the outside from each exit. Practice fire drills twice a year, at different times and using different exits. At home, teach children how to escape on their own in the event an adult is unable to help them. When evacuating a burning building, close doors behind you when you leave as this may slow the spread of smoke, heat, and fire. Once you get outside, stay outside. Never go back inside a burning building.
Nearly 2,500 people die in home fires every year in the United States. Most of these people live in homes that do not have working smoke detectors. Approximately 60 percent of home fire deaths result from fires in which smoke detectors were not present or didn’t work. To find out how old your smoke detector is, remove it from the wall or ceiling and look at the manufacture date on the back of the alarm. Smoke detectors must be replaced every 10 years.
Place smoke detectors on every level of your home, outside each sleeping area, and inside every bedroom. There are many brands of smoke detectors on the market, including alarms for people who are deaf or blind. These alarms may have strobe lights that flash or vibrate to alert those who are unable to hear standard smoke detectors when they sound. For the best protection, make sure all smoke detectors are interconnected. When one sounds, they all sound.
Have you checked your smoke detector to make sure it’s still working? A smoke detector with a dead or missing battery is the same as having no smoke detector at all. Test the alarm monthly and replace the batteries at least once a year. A smoke detector only works when you properly install and regularly test it. Some fire departments will install battery-operated smoke detectors in your home for free. Contact your local fire department’s non-emergency number for more information.
Don’t forget to check sprinkler systems to ensure compliance. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the NFPA require a minimum distance of 18 inches between shelves, furniture, and stacked materials located directly under a sprinkler head.
Fire extinguishers must be easy to identify and mounted so that they are readily accessible. There are four types of fire extinguishers — select the proper one for the type of fire you may have to put out. Portable fire extinguishers must always be fully charged and kept in designated locations. OSHA requires employers to inspect, maintain, and test all portable extinguishers in the workplace. Every fire extinguisher must receive:
n A monthly visual inspection,
n An annual inspection, and
n Maintenance conducted by trained professionals.
Record monthly fire extinguisher inspections by dating and initialing PS Form 4705, Fire Inspection Tag. You must record annual maintenance on a separate tag provided by service professionals. At home, remind yourself to check your fire extinguishers each month by marking dates on your calendar or by setting up notifications on your phone or other electronic device.
Use a portable fire extinguisher when the fire is confined to an area no bigger than a trash can, everyone has exited the building, the fire department has been called, and the room is not filled with smoke.
To operate a fire extinguisher, remember the word “PASS”:
n Pull the pin. Hold the extinguisher with the nozzle pointing away from you and release the locking mechanism.
n Aim low. Point the extinguisher at the base of the fire.
n Squeeze the lever. Slowly and evenly put pressure on the lever.
n Sweep the nozzle. Use a side-to-side motion to put out the fire.
For more information, check out the following resources:
n A–Z Occupational Safety and Health Index at blue.usps.gov/hr/safety/a-z-safety-toolkit.htm.
n NFPA public education web page at nfpa.org/Public-Education.
n OSHA fire safety web page at osha.gov/fire-safety/standards.
— Occupational Safety and Health,
Human Resources, 9-23-21
