An office may not pose much of a fire hazard, but office fires do occur and they can be very dangerous and even downright deadly. However, a few simple steps on the part of management and the staff can reduce and even eliminate these risks and keep everyone safe. Note a few tips for how to improve fire safety in the office and then ensure your staff follows these tips every day.

1. Separate cardboard waste

If your office receives a number of deliveries every day, the trash bins may be constantly full of cardboard boxes. Cardboard is very flammable and can pose a fire risk to the office; it's good to break them down and flatten them, and then put them in a separate metal container that is away from plugs, cords, the backs of computers and printers where warm air is vented, space heaters and the like.

Be sure this metal container is also not stored in the kitchen, where someone might inadvertently toss out hot liquids or another material that could cause a fire. Also, keep it away from a smoking area, where someone might put a stray cigarette butt into the container and risk starting a fire.

2. Keep the outdoor area clean and well-maintained

Tall grass, leaves, twigs and other debris may not seem like a fire hazard, but if someone were to toss a cigarette butt onto the lawn, this could cause a fire. This debris drifting toward an air conditioner unit or other equipment that vents warm air could pose a hazard, as that air might ignite dry leaves and twigs. Keep the exterior of your property well maintained; have your landscaper gather grass clippings or use a mulching mower so these clippings don't blow around the yard, and ensure that the property is raked and cleaned regularly.

3. Regularly check sockets and outlets for overloading

Overloaded sockets are a big fire hazard in an office, but it's not unusual to see office workers plug far too many cords into one outlet; today's workers may have their own printer, fax machine and other equipment at their desk as well as wanting to charge their smartphones and other devices, increasing their demands for outlets. Invest in power strips for each outlet or consider having an electrician install more outlets as needed. Remove extension cords that could easily be pulled from a wall, sparking a fire, and rearrange the furniture and cubicles as needed, to keep workers closer to those outlets.

For more tips, contact a fire protection service.

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