Portsmouth’s business community is the heart
of our city’s economic health. Losses due to fire and workplace
injury have a substantial negative impact on the employees and
businesses affected as well as the community as a whole.
Over 6,000 workplace fires occur in businesses each year.
There are three leading causes of workplace fires:
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 Arson - The most effective means for preventing
arson is to pay strict attention to basic security measures. Ensure
that doors and windows are locked after business hours. Keep areas
around your business clear of combustibles. Keep dumpsters away from
the building when possible. Follow good housekeeping practices.
Report suspicious activities in and around your business.
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 Smoking Materials - Limit smoking to specific areas
away from combustibles or dumpsters. Where smoking is allowed, make sure you provide
large, non-tipping ashtrays and make sure that they are used. Make sure
all smoking materials are cold before emptying ashtrays.
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 Electrical Wiring and Appliances - Designate someone
to unplug or secure all electric appliances at the end of the workday. Do
not overload outlets. Extension cords should only be used for temporary tasks.
Replace broken or worn extension cords.
Following are a few precautions that our business
owners and managers can use to help prevent or minimize
incidents:
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Establish and practice a fire response plan
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The plan should be well thought out taking into
consideration the nature of the business, your employees and your clientele.
The plan should be in writing and available to all employees. New employees
should receive training on the fire response plan during orientation.
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Keep an up to date employee roster with your plan.
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Make sure that your plan includes an employee meeting place
away from the building and responding firefighters. This ensures that you can
assist firefighters with accountability of employees after an evacuation.
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If desired, you may contact the Fire Marshal Office at 393-8689 for
assistance in developing your plan. Keep the plan up to date.
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Fire Extinguishers
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Place fire extinguishers throughout your business as required
by Virginia’s State Fire Prevention Code. Ensure that your extinguishers are inspected
annually by a licensed inspector.
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 Fire extinguishers should only be used by trained employees for
small container fires such as waste cans. Extinguishers should never be used when
there is risk of injury to an employee. Notification of 9-1-1 should never be delayed
while attempting to extinguish a small fire.
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If you desire assistance in placing fire extinguishers or in
training your employees in their use, contact the Fire Marshal Office at 393-8689.
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Fire Alarms
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Fire Suppression Systems
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When a fire occurs …
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DO NOT silence an alarm until advised to do so by arriving
firefighters or by the 9-1-1 operator. DO NOT reset an alarm until the fire
department has investigated the source of the alarm. All fire alarms shall be
investigated by the fire department.
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Exit the building immediately as directed in your fire response plan.
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Close doors when exiting. This will slow t he spread of smoke and fire.
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Exit by stairwells only. Never use
elevators during a fire emergency. They may fail, trapping
the occupants. Elevator shafts may fill with smoke or carbon
monoxide. Additionally, responding firefighters may need to
utilize the elevators during their response.
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Once outside, call 9-1-1 immediately. Be prepared to provide the
following information to the 9-1-1 operator:
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If you are unable to evacuate, create an area of refuge:
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Seal the room. Use cloth (wet if possible) to seal around doors and
vents to protect against smoke and fire gases.
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Do not break windows. This can result in more rapid spread of fire or
let fire and smoke in from outside. If air is needed, crack a window.
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Stay low under smoke. The cleanest air will be near the floor. Keep
a wet cloth over the nose and mouth. Breathe through the nose.
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Signal for help. Call 9-1-1 by phone or cell phone. Hang something from a window.
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Remember: Treat all alarms as if
they are real! Even if the cause of an alarm is unknown,
call 9-1-1 immediately. If it is later determined that
the alarm is false or caused by a malfunction, call
9-1-1 again and pass on the information. Never delay
calling 9-1-1 to investigate an alarm. In the event of
an actual fire, the delay will give the fire time to
grow. |
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pull stations and how to operate them. Hold fire
drills annually to ensure employees know what to do.
If your business has manually operated fire suppression systems
such as range hoods or deluge systems, make sure that employees are trained in their
use. Ensure that systems are NEVER overridden to prevent activation.