It’s hard to watch the news or read a newspaper without finding a story about a devastating fire in a commercial property. Almost 80,000 commercial fires occur in the United States each year and result in about 3,000 deaths and 18,000 injuries, along with billions of dollars in property damage. Fire is also one of the top causes of accidents in the workplace.

There are several fire hazards in the workplace, which are found here. Knowing what they are can help business owners take steps to prevent issues in the future.

Careless cooking – Most people think cooking fires only occur in the home. However, they are also a leading cause in the workplace. According to the NFPA, approximately 25% of fires in office buildings result from cooking equipment.

Electrical issues – Loose wiring, faulty wiring, overloaded circuits and other electrical system issues are all some of the most common problems present.

Careless smokers – Today, the majority of workplaces are required to establish designated smoking areas. However, concentrating all the smokers in a single location can create a fire hazard. Some smokers may also try to sneak in a cigarette in an off-limit area and not properly extinguish it.

Protecting Your Workplace
Installing a professional-grade commercial fire detection system can help to significantly reduce the risk of a destructive fire occurring at your place of work. The systems that are the most effective including a combination of sprinklers, smoke detectors, fire alarms and 24/7 monitoring services.

If you don’t currently have a fire system in place, now is the time to look into having one installed. This is the best way to reduce the potential of serious damages and injuries if a fire does occur.