Autocall Small Business, Big Protection Common-Sense Steps You Can Take Now to Keep Going When Fire Strikes

Small Business Big Protection Common Sense Steps Can Take Now to Keep Going When Fire Strikes news headlines about devastating fires have left building owners and small business proprietors like concerned about what a fire loss would do to their and operations Unlike larger organizations you have the luxury of employing risk management and prevention experts to analyze your risk and develop to ensure business continuity don have the budgets that large companies spend protecting their businesses either As a percentage of your cost of compliance with fire code regulations higher than that of big enterprises Despite that you can emulate the successful habits of these big companies key is to be judicious about how and where you allocate resources to protect your business white paper provides practical advice on how best to your business protect itself and recover quickly a fire 1 DON PUT ALL YOUR FAITH IN smaller businesses see their insurance policies as ultimate protection against fire losses according to Art of Carmel Fire Protection Associates fire protection and a former firefighter and fire marshal of the fire protection systems that are installed are there because the building or business owner wouldn a certificate of occupancy without them says Black they think my building burns down insurance cover it and we get it all back Black asserts that view is shortsighted and irresponsible depending on your coverage your insurance policy may for replacement of your property and the restoration of facility But some things cannot be restored Consider revenue lost while your business is disrupted What your loyal customers forced to take their business in your absence some of whom may never when your operations resume A fire can also essential files and records upon which your business moral Even if you have insurance making a reasonable in time and resources to prevent a fire can ensure your business remains in operation major are averted and valuable customer relationships preserved 2 DON NEGLECT YOUR FIRE AND SPRINKLER SYSTEMS some building owners and small businesses fire alarms sprinkler systems represent a large cost with appreciable benefit That why many of them are only to pay for the absolute minimum fire protection required to achieve compliance widespread attitude is not going to happen to and the perceived value of a fire protection or sprinkler is low because it just sits there says Black you share that perception the last thing you want to do investing in a fire protection system is to pay even money to have it maintained like it or not fire and local codes mandate regular and maintenance Even though they may seem to working perfectly fire protection and sprinkler systems regular maintenance to ensure proper operation devices gather dust gradually becoming less and effective Over time water in sprinkler systems stagnate and turn into a smelly black sludge how can you keep those systems working without paying arm and a leg Art Black recommends that you talk to your contractor ensure they provided you with all the information and you need to test and maintain the systems With information you can then decide how you want to testing and maintenance Do you want to perform yourself Do you have a staff member who can take on responsibilities What process will you put in place to testing and maintenance happen on schedule and all are properly maintained the do it yourself approach seems too onerous Black has better idea an annual service contract he recommends will be than worth the cost Black points out when you engage a service provider offloading the responsibility of maintaining the system an expert Who better to ensure it gets done right are many other benefits to a service contract that it money well spent For starters it ensures that you code compliant which means you will avoid citations local authorities If an issue arises your service is responsible for remedying the situation Regular by a service provider will also reduce disruptive alarms and free your internal staff to focus more on activities Black sees a psychological benefit as well peace of mind he says one less thing to worry Plus you don have to think about maintenance course the greatest benefit of having a service contract knowing that your fire protection systems are ready and to do their jobs if fire does strike 3 DO THE SIMPLE STUFF THAT CAN MAKE BIG DIFFERENCE Black reminds us that it doesn cost much if anything all to follow common sense steps to keep your facility employees safe Among his recommendations Maintain flammable liquids properly In 2006 an at an ink manufacturing facility in Danvers destroyed the plant and damaged than 90 homes The cause was the unintentional heating of an ink mixing tank containing solvents If your business requires the use of liquids follow the recommendations of the and OSHA You can find an excellent reference here Control smoking Smoking is a fire hazard To reduce in your workplace develop a non smoking inform new employees about the workplace regarding smoking and offer staff access to quit programs If smoking is permitted restrict it to designated outdoor area Avoid the use of extension cords When overloaded or over time extension cords can overheat and a fire According to the NFPA in a recent four period 10 of fires 12 of property damage and of civilian deaths from electrical fires were caused faulty cords and plugs Spend a little money to have electrician add a permanent circuit and eliminate risk Get your fire extinguishers serviced annually When the last time you had your fire extinguishers Annual servicing is inexpensive and can issues that can affect their performance such as leakage damage to pull pins and clogged hoses minimal time and cost you can address all of these fire and reduce your risk considerably And don think one will notice if you don fire marshals will be looking all of these hazards when they do an inspection YOUR BUSINESS IS BETTER PROTECTED CAN FOCUS ON GROWING IT a small business operator or building owner you have than enough to keep you busy on a daily basis Fire shouldn be one of them Fortunately with a amount of time effort and expense you can ensure your business is as well protected from fire as the big And that means you have more time to focus on your business and becoming one of the big guys for more guidance The full range of products can provide optimum fire for businesses of all sizes To learn about Autocall visit www autocall com Johnson Controls Inc Box 423 Milwaukee WI 53201 rights reserved worldwide displayed are for visual representation only Actual products may vary in USA US ON SOCIAL Fire Detection Systemsfirealarmresources com