The largest single settlement Cal/ OSHA ever collected—$462,000—was for a work-related fire. In 1999, Tosco Refining Co. was cited for 33 alleged violations of state workplace safety regulations as a result of a fatal fire at its Avon plant near Martinez. Thankfully, most workplaces won’t experience such tragedies, but even so, OSHA reports that workplace fires and explosions kill an estimated 200—and injure more than 5,000—workers each year. We’ll explain Cal/ OSHA’s fire safety regulations and offer best practices for prevention and protection in your workplace.
Relevant Regulations
Under Cal/OSHA regulations, most workplaces are required to have a written fire prevention plan that documents the following:
- Potential fire hazards and their proper handling and storage procedures, potential ignition sources (such as welding and smoking) and control procedures, and the type of fire protection equipment or systems that can control a fire involving them.
- Names or titles of employees responsible for maintaining equipment and systems installed to prevent or control ignitions or fires.
- Names or titles of employees responsible for controlling the accumulation of flammable or combustible waste materials.
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The fire prevention plan must include training of employees about the fire hazards of the materials and processes to which they are exposed. The plan must be reviewed with each employee at the time they begin working for you and should be available for employee perusal. Employers with 10 or fewer workers can communicate fire-protection information orally, without a written plan.
Finally, the standard requires that employers “regularly and properly maintain, according to established procedures, equipment and systems installed in the workplace to prevent accidental ignition of combustible materials.”
A separate Cal/OSHA regulation governs employee use of portable fire extinguishers within the workplace, requiring you to provide approved extinguishers that are accessible to employees. You must ensure that the extinguishers are ready to use and easy to find. Extinguishers that use carbon tetrachloride or chlorobromomethane are not allowed. Note that employers with policies that call for total evacuation of employees on the sounding of an alarm are exempt from this standard.
The regulation also details the selection and distribution of fire extinguishers and explains when sprinkler systems can be used instead. Employers have to inspect, maintain, and test both kinds of equipment; an annual maintenance date should be recorded. The regulation also requires employee training in the hazards and use of extinguishers.
Additional Cal/OSHA standards cover fire safety in petroleum operations, tunneling, and numerous other workplace environments.
Don’t Forget the Office
Although most employers concentrate on production areas when it comes to fire protection, offices pose their own risks. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) notes that thousands of fires occur each year in business offices, banks, research offices, engineering firms, and post offices, usually because of electrical distribution equipment.
NFPA offers the following safety tips for you and your employees. You may wish to cover these in a safety meeting or your next fire-protection training session.
- Read and become familiar with the building evacuation plan.
- Count the doors or desks between your work area and the nearest exits.
- Know at least two ways out of the work area, and participate in regular fire drills.
- Post the fire department’s number by every employee’s phone.
- Know where the fire alarms are located and how to use them.
- Never ignore a fire alarm.
- Designate an outside meeting place where employees can gather and be accounted for.
In a fire, it is critical to:
- Sound the alarm.
- Leave immediately and close all doors behind you.
- Always use the stairs—never the elevators—unless directed to do so by the fire department.
- Try another escape route if you encounter smoke.
- If you must escape through smoke, crawl low on your hands and knees, and keep your head one to two feet above the floor, where the air is the cleanest.
Be sure your evacuation plan provides for the special needs of employees with disabilities. Also, train all employees in evacuation procedures, conduct regular fire drills, and include employees with disabilities in emergency planning.
For More Information
Because the implications of a fire are frightening—from loss of life and property to business disruption, cost, and negative publicity—it’s wise to make fire protection a top priority at your workplace. The Cal/OSHA website (http://www.dir.ca.gov/occupational_safety.html) and your workers’ compensation carrier both offer valuable information and resources.