Top Three Facility Fire Safety Challenges for 2021
In 2020, business continuity planning and security protocols merged into new functional models for facility operations. COVID-19 changed everything for commercial building managers and business operations as we know it. The priority for 2021 remains: keep everyone safe, socially distanced, and virus-free. Despite the pandemic shifting our focus and priorities, fire safety and security remains top of mind. What can we expect for 2021?
Incident response plans must shift to reflect new conditions
The pandemic shifted how organizations react to varying stimuli. With more workers remote, some buildings are emptier than they’ve been in years. At the same time, new security risks include visitors that lack the proper health protocols. Our risk and security teams are operating under different parameters since COVID came to the forefront of our lives. From a practical perspective, it’s highly likely your incident response planning protocols have shifted under these new conditions as well.
Businesses must review and update their response plans to address the needs and expectations of today’s environment. Start by asking:
Are your key roles filled with managers who are experienced in emergency response protocols?
Are your suppliers positioned to respond appropriately to these new models?
What technologies could help your organization respond faster and in a more coordinated way to address some of the security threats we now face?
Does your incident response plan include surge capacity planning (if appropriate) or the reverse scenario of diminished building capacity?
Have you revised your incident response plan to more closely track building egress and health safety planning for social distancing, hand washing, and following current and future health requirements?
New fire safety risks
Facility Management points out the new risk you may not have considered: The safe use and storage of surface disinfectants and hand sanitizers. Although it may seem like the risk of fire is less with fewer people in the building, in fact, “people may also be taking actions that can actually increase the risk of fire.”
Hand sanitizers carry a high alcohol content above 60 to 70% and surface disinfectants technically are classified as a Class 1 flammable liquid, which could ignite even at room temperatures. This gives rise to questions about where you store these liquids, typically purchased in bulk gallon quantities. NFPA 30 flammable and Combustible Liquids Code specify storage requirements for these products which could include separating these products in different regions of the facility. It’s a good idea to reach out to your local fire departments to determine the requirements for your location. Although most buildings are now smoke free, it’s still a good idea to post signs by your smoking areas to remind people to be careful with open flames after using hand sanitizer.
Finally, if you have indoor planters, make certain they’re properly cared for even if the building is empty and workers are remote. Dry planters aren’t normally a fire hazard; however, they could become one. It’s the little things that can now pose a problem for buildings with lower occupancy. It’s easy to leave a box in an area that could cause a trip hazard with the thought that an empty building means you shouldn’t be as cautious. But staying vigilant matters even more now, so facilities managers should be counseled to not let down their guard.
Maintenance challenges
During the pandemic, we saw many building managers pushing back maintenance on fire life safety systems. That’s the bad news. The good news is that buildings are generally not at capacity, so scheduling these inspections is less risky. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recently issued a safety notice encouraging and reminding building managers to keep up on the critical tasks that decrease fire risk, such as inspecting and testing fire safety systems regularly.
While commercial buildings may be emptier than normal, schools, hospitals, apartment buildings, and condominiums are more occupied. This increases fire risks at a time when first responders may be facing shortages of staff. It may seem like a good move to save money or limit visitors to a building by delaying inspection, testing, and maintenance (ITM) programs, but it is most certainly not. All commercial and multi-occupancy residential buildings should maintain ITM of water-based, fire, and life safety systems. Public and private employers that perform these services are, in fact, essential workers, and have learned sanitary protocols to keep you and those in your facilities safe.
We know that COVID-19 has created new challenges for commercial facilities managers. The need to maintain fire life safety with a thorough ITM program hasn’t lessened, however, even if your building is well below capacity. But extra precautions, such as reviewing your incidence response plans to address new hazards, will ensure that your facilities are safe and operational for years to come.
TRL Systems can help your organization with the right tools, inspection, and maintenance of your critical fire life safety and security systems to ensure your buildings and people inside stay safe.