Fire Protection in A Company
Correct Behaviour in Case of Fire
What should you do if there is a fire? Fire protection - structural, technical and organisational - is always the responsibility of the employer. To ensure that employees act correctly in the event of a fire, it is important that everyone familiarises themselves with the safety equipment in the company beforehand.
Escape and Rescue Plans:
Escape and rescue plans should be displayed in the workplace and in clearly visible places in the building - for example in all corridors, in the entrance area and in stairwells. The locations of fire alarms, fire extinguishers, fire blankets and fire hoses are marked on them. In addition to the employee's own location, the plans also show where emergency exits, escape routes and assembly points are located. This way, employees know how to get out of the building as quickly as possible in the event of a fire.
Report the fire
Fire alarms to trigger the alarm:
If there are manual fire alarms in the building, break the window and press the alarm button in the event of a fire. Call the fire department by phone or use the emergency call system. Try to stay calm and warn people who are at risk.
Make an emergency call:
Dial the emergency call number, press the emergency call button on your phone or call 112 for help. You must answer the control center's questions:
Where did something happen?
What happened?
Who is calling?
How many injured?
Waiting for questions
Important: The control centre ends the call.
Get to safety
Emergency exits:
Green and white illuminated signs mark the emergency exits and show the way out of the building. Try to help people in need of assistance out!
Other escape routes:
If the windows on the ground floor can be opened, it may be possible to escape through the window. Do not jump from a great height! The risk of injury is too great. There may be emergency windows with escape ladders on higher floors.
Elevators:
Never use the elevator in case of fire! It could get stuck or stop on a floor that is already full of smoke and flames.
Assembly points:
When the building is evacuated, all employees go to the specified assembly points located outside the building. They are marked on the escape and rescue plans.
Fire extinguishers:
There must be enough suitable fire extinguishers in the building. The locations are marked or clearly visible. Companies should instruct their employees on how to use fire extinguishers at least once a year. Employees should also find out where the fire protection equipment is located. Try to extinguish the flames as far as possible without endangering yourself !
Use of fire blankets:
Personal fires are rare but extremely dramatic events, as the consequences for the life and health of the person involved can be particularly serious. People who are on fire often run away, trying to save themselves, and may resist the use of fire blankets for fear of burning under them.
How to Use Fire Blanket?
The use of fire blankets brings additional risks for the person rescuing the fire and for the person on fire. If you want to extinguish a burning person with a fire blanket, the person must be wrapped in the blanket. The blanket should then be pressed as tightly as possible to extinguish the fire everywhere. When the blanket is pressed, burning or glowing pieces of fabric are pressed intensively against the skin, causing additional serious burns. It is therefore better to use a fire extinguisher to extinguish a burning person. Fire extinguishers enable fires to be extinguished safely and quickly in all cases without any additional risk of injury to the person being rescued.
Instructions on fire protection
Only those who know the emergency procedures, for example those who have already walked escape routes or used fire extinguishers, can react safely in an emergency under pressure. Annual fire safety training is therefore important and helpful . Employers are legally obliged to instruct their employees about fire hazards, measures to be taken against fires and explosions, and how to behave in the event of danger (Section 10 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act; Section 4 of the DGUV Regulation 1 ). To avoid panic and incorrect behaviour in an emergency, fire drills should be held regularly: raising the alarm, fighting the fire, and making an orderly escape. This way, employees are prepared for fire situations and can save lives in an emergency.
Who supports company management with fire protection?
Preventing and fighting fires is a community matter in companies. That is why there are fire safety officers and fire safety assistants .
First aid
Companies are obliged to train their own first aiders. Their should must be a first-aider right away on site every time.
What to do if you find an injured person:
Keep calm
Pay attention to your own safety
If necessary, rescue the person from the danger area
Make an emergency call
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