Are you the owner or manager of a commercial building? There’s a lot that goes into making sure that it looks great. First impressions are key, which means they need to be properly cleaned and that appliances like HVAC units are inspected so that they work properly; both employees and clients need to be comfortable. Your building should be protected from potentially costly hazards like fire, which could also put people’s lives at risk. Here’s how you can provide proper fire protection.
Have Your Entire Fire System Scrutinized
Protecting a commercial building from fires is a lot different from doing the same for a residential one. There are fire protection systems that are put into place, and there are specific codes that need to be followed. Not doing that can be very dangerous and even negligent.
For example, there’s the NFPA25 Code, which states that the fire protection systems be inspected visually regularly along with functional testing. These allow the inspectors to ensure that everything’s up-to-date and working properly. As far as the frequency, they can be done anywhere from monthly to every 10 years depending on which component of the system needs to be inspected.
Make Sure Your Sprinklers Are Regularly Inspected
Speaking of fire protection, it’s nice to have water sprinklers on your commercial property. Within seconds, they can activate and help douse any fire. What’s not nice is having them malfunction, which can happen 14% of the time and cause property damage. You don’t want to be in that relatively small percentage.
The best way to ensure that you’re part of the 86% of those who do have functional sprinklers is to have professionals come to inspect them regularly. Don’t just assume that they are going to work, even if there was a relatively recent inspection. If you do that, you’re running the risk of having to pay a hefty price in insurance to have the property restored from fire damage.
Have Your Roof Checked Out Each Year
Your roof also plays a big part in protecting your commercial building from fire. This means both containing it inside and protecting it from outside fire that could threaten to otherwise engulf it. That means that you want to get the best roofing material.
You might want to consider a metal roof. They offer superior weather protection, fire resistance, and durability, and they can often last for as many as 50 years. That means that you won’t have to worry about replacing it for a long time.
While a metal roof might not need as much maintenance as other types of roofing material, it doesn’t mean that it should just be ignored. You should have a roofing professional come look at it at least yearly to make sure that nothing has happened since the last inspection. While the metal roofing material might make your roof more durable, it doesn’t mean it’s indestructible, and some things can damage it; have them fix anything glaring.
Follow Other Fire Prevention Protocols
There are other things you can do, like ensure that you have working fire extinguishers in easy-to-find locations. Your employees should be trained on how to use them if it’s a small fire so that it won’t spread and turn into a large one. Have an electrician check your electrical systems to make sure that there aren’t any wiring issues that could lead to an electrical fire, which can also be devastating.
It can seem like a lot, but if you have a clear plan outlined, you can follow it. Write down inspection dates in a database that others can access and schedule them in advance. That way, you can make sure that your commercial building is well protected from fires.
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