14 Safety Tips to Avoid Electrical Fires in Your Building

With so many people coming and going and operating on different schedules in an office setting, fire safety precautions and procedures can slip through the cracks—potentially resulting in dangerous electrical fires. Keep reading to find out our safety tips to avoid electrical fires in your office building.

Cooking Equipment Safety Tips

Among the most common causes of electrical fires are the misuse of cooking equipment and faulty cooking appliance wiring. It can be easy to get sidetracked while operating office kitchen appliances. Phones ringing, meetings approaching, coworkers chatting—all of these common workplace occurrences can cause an employee to become distracted and forget about whatever kitchen equipment they are using. In addition to distraction, communal cooking appliances that are handled more frequently can suffer from damaged wiring, resulting in a potentially dangerous electrical fire.

1. To help prevent fires in your office kitchen, make sure new-hire orientations include information on how to properly operate and clean kitchen appliances and equipment.
2. In addition to training, displaying signs on how to safely operate kitchen equipment can serve as helpful reminders.
3. Eliminate hot plates and any other appliances with exposed heating elements, and warn employees of the risks of operating such appliances.
4. Make sure all cooking appliances' wiring is free of damage and that all kitchen electrics are safely stored and unplugged whenever not in use.

Lighting and Other Electric Safety Tips

Another common source of office electrical fires is faulty or damaged lighting and other electric equipment. Here are some tips on how to avoid electrical fires due to lighting in your office building.

1. Hire professional licensed contractors to ensure electrical wiring is up to code and safe for use. Office buildings may change hands fairly often, which can allow code violations and other safety precautions to fly under the radar. Making sure your office's electrical wiring is in safe working condition is crucial for fire prevention.
2. Have licensed contractors train office employees on the proper usage of electrical equipment, including lighting equipment outlets, extension cords, and surge protectors.
3. Never make modifications to electrical wiring without a professional contractor's assistance.
4. Regularly inspect cords and electrical appliances to make sure they are not damaged or at risk of becoming damaged.
5. Have light bulbs installed professionally and ensure you are using the proper bulbs for your office's light fixtures.

Heating Safety Tips

Office buildings can be difficult to keep at a comfortable temperature for all employees. This may lead to the temptation to use individual space heaters or other potentially unsafe methods for keeping comfortable while at work. Here are some tips on how to keep your office's heating equipment safe from fires.

1. Discourage or prohibit employees' use of space heaters.
2. Have a licensed contractor regularly inspect and perform necessary maintenance on heating equipment.
3. Train staff on proper usage and upkeep of heating systems in the office.

General Fire Safety Tips

While proper training and precautions are the best prevention measures, it is also important to have fail-safe systems in place in case of an electrical fire in your office.

1. Maintain automatic sprinkler systems in your office building.
2. Utilize passive fire protection whenever possible.

How Synergy Electric Can Help

For professional assistance in planning your office's electrical safety policies and procedures, contact Synergy Electric online or call (862) 251-7280 to work with our team of reliable, expert commercial electricians!