Buildings are Being Used Differently but They Are Still at Risk of Fire
During this time in California our buildings are being used in ways that we aren’t used to. Hotels are mostly either left empty or filled with essential workers. Nursing homes are following strict quarantine orders. Grow rooms are being worked over time to meet California’s cannabis demand. Restaurants are under-staffed, trying to keep up with takeout orders. And schools and campus dorms are empty, waiting for people to return.
This drastic lifestyle shift has been going on for 2 months and it will be a long time until we go back to a life that resembles our old normal. In the past we have released blogs about these building types and the fire dangers that they face in normal circumstances. But, as we are not living in normal circumstances. There are some old precautions that need to be revisited and some new precautions that need to be brought up.
Hotels and Motels
Hotels and motels that are housing essential workers are now facing new health safety concerns. In order for their fire and life safety inspections to be done, both the hotel staff and fire and life safety company staff have to jump through many hoops in order to get their inspections done. Hallways need to be cleared, elevators need to be emptied, and personal protective equipment (PPE) is required for all persons involved in the inspections.
On the other side of this, hotels and motels that are not being used are left empty. This adds to a different set of fire and life safety concerns. While there are no people to accidentally start fires, empty buildings lead to relying on your fire alarm and fire sprinkler systems to alert and control the fire 100%. This is a reason why they save lives, but in order for you to have peace of mind that they will save lives, they need to be inspected by licensed and trained professionals to ensure that they are in proper working order.
You can find the entire blog post about Fire and Life Safety in Hotels and Motels here.
Nursing Homes
Nursing homes have their own unique challenges during this time. They are already full of people with mobility issues, but now these people are on lock down. In the event of a fire, the essential workers in these buildings need to have a well-practiced evacuation plan in place to get all of the residents out quickly and safely, for the health of everyone involved.
You can find the entire blog post about Fire and Life Safety in Nursing Homes here.
Grow Rooms
Dispensaries have been seeing a surge in business during this time. While it is great for their businesses, this means that their manufacturing is also booming to keep up with the demands. Between the hot lamps, electrical wires, and water found in grow rooms they are at great risk of fire. Sometimes when business is booming, it is easy to take shortcuts. But, it is important to remember to follow all of your property’s safety precautions and get your inspections done regularly to ensure that you fire sprinkler system will extinguish a fire if one were to start.
You can find the entire blog post about Fire Dangers in Grow Rooms here.
Eating Establishments
According to NFPA, 61% of fires in eating and drinking establishments are caused from cooking equipment each year. These fire types cause the most property damage. Even without patrons in your restaurants, you are still at great risk of fire. Make sure that the equipment in your establishment is being kept clean and that there are no electrical distributions. It is also important to have your kitchen hood system inspected regularly. This will help ensure that it will work in the event of a fire.
You can find the entire blog post about Fire and Life Safety in Eating Establishments here.
Schools and Campus Dorms
In normal circumstances it is important to make sure you have regularly fire drills at school. This ensures that the students know what to do in the event of a fire. But, since campuses and dorms are empty it is important for the maintenance workers to have an evacuation plan in the event of a fire. As a fire and life safety company we also know how difficult it can be to schedule inspections during the school year. And, since so much of next year’s school year is up in the air, now is a good time to get your inspections done, so you are prepared once your campuses can be filled with students again.
You can find the entire blog post about Fire and Life Safety in Schools here.
You can also find the entire blog post about Fire and Life Safety in Dorms and Greek Housing here.
-The IFS Team
