Business owners have a lot on their minds. They have to worry about things like employees, taxes, crime/theft, and, of course, safety. One of the things that helps protect business owners, businesses, and people in general are smoke alarms. Without them, we might never know there’s a fire in the building we’re in. But thanks to smoke alarms, we can be alerted to a potential problem, and escape from harm in time before the fire gets near us, right?
What are some smoke alarm facts that business owners should know?
Manual and Automatic
First, there are different types of alarms. Some are automatic and others are manual. Automatic alarms go off once they detect smoke or heat in a room. With manual alarms, you (or some person in general) has to manually pull the lever on the alarm in order to make it sound, thus alerting the building that there’s an issue.
Routine Maintenance
Next, smoke alarms need regular maintenance and check-ups. It’s not enough to just have them installed and forget about them. People’s lives depend on working smoke alarms. When’s the last time your alarms were dusted, inspected or tested? Do you keep good records about your alarm(s) and system(s)?
Also, keep in mind that if your business is ever doing renovations or is an a severe dust environment, you might want to invest in a dust protector for your smoke alarms.
Testing
Ideally, your smoke alarms should be tested once a month to make sure they’re operational. Batteries can die. Wires can be chewed through by mice in the walls. Thankfully, smoke alarms have test buttons that can be pressed, and you should be able to hear a loud, piercing sound. If not, something’s wrong.
Interconnectedness
Business owners should consider interconnecting a building’s smoke alarms. That way, if one goes off, the rest do, too. This helps alert people everywhere in the building, rather than in just one space.
Life Safety Consultants helps business owners with their smoke alarms and fire alarm systems in general. Perhaps you need replacement parts, or you need some good advice on systems? Call Life Safety Consultants today at 1-888-557-0558 for more information.
