If you are a manager of a high-rise building, it’s essential that you are aware and up to date with fire safety advice. The safety and security of your tenants should be your number one priority. Here are ways on how you can prevent fires from occurring and the steps you should take to ensure that every resident is far from danger.
Table of Contents
Fire Policy
As the manager of a high-rise building, by law, you should have a fire policy in place. A fire policy should outline the specific plan for your building should a fire ever occur. This will help you work out your emergency plan. Although high-rise buildings are built to resist fire, that doesn’t mean that you should take your fire policy lightly. Make sure that you look into your current fire policy, as there may be parts of it that are outdated and need to be changed.
Escape plan
It’s important that you let every resident in the building know of the exit routes should a fire occur. Residents will want to feel safe and secure in their homes, so having clearly labeled fire exit doors will help give peace of mind and ensure that residents know exactly where to go in the event of a fire. As fires can spread quickly in less than a minute, every second is vital in order to get everyone out the building as quickly as possible, so having an escape plan in place is essential.
Clear the Stairways
High-rise buildings are likely to have multiple stairways for residents to get to and from their apartment. At no point should there ever be any obstructions that block residents from getting up and down the stairs. If there are any boxes or garbage that have been left in the stairwell, ensure that you remove them immediately. In the event of a fire, residents will only be able to vacate the premises via the stairs (instead of using an elevator), so it’s important that the stairwells are clear from obstruction.
Smoke Alarms
Each apartment in your high-rise building should have smoke alarms fitted. As a manager of the building, it’s your responsibility to ensure that each apartment is fitted with an adequate number of smoke alarms. They should be fitted in key areas such as the kitchen and bedroom. A smoke alarm is usually the first sign to alert a resident on a fire. Smoke alarms should also be fitted in hallways and stairwells.
Other Equipment
There are other types of equipment that can be beneficial should a fire ever occur in your high-rise building. For example, an emergency generator is incredibly useful should your building lose power from a fire. Speaking to electrical engineers will give you more information on what types of equipment, including generators, you should have installed in your high-rise building in the event of a fire.
Being up to date with fire safety advice is incredibly important and should be one of your top priorities. Should a fire break out in your building, you will be able to follow the correct protocol to ensure every resident is evacuated safely and without any difficulty.