Archive for the ‘NFPA’ Category

Fire Exit Signs: Your Way to Safety

February 26, 2013
Illuminated Fire Exit Signs

Choose illuminated fire exit signs for better visibility.

Fire exit signs are just as important as fire drills, exit routes, and emergency products. Fire exit signs can show your employees and visitors their way out during an electrical outage or major disasters such as a fire or earthquake.

Installing fire exit signs is not as simple as making a purchase and posting them wherever you want to. Your exit signs must comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Here are the basics you need to know about fire exit signs:
(more…)

Posted in Egress, Evacuation, Exit & Fire Safety, General Safety, NFPA, OSHA, Regulations, Safety & Security Solutions, Safety Compliance, Warehouse Safety and Inventory, Work Zone Safety, Workplace Safety | 1 Comment »

National Fire Prevention Week: Ensure Fire Safety

October 9, 2012
NFPA logo

October 7 to 13 is National Fire Prevention Week!

Save the dates October 7th to 13th for National Fire Prevention Week 2012! This year’s theme, Have 2 Ways Out!, stresses the importance of having two escape routes. What if your exit is blocked by smoke or fire? Your second route could save you then.

Below, you can find more tips from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) on how to safely evacuate your building. (more…)

Posted in Evacuation, Exit & Fire Safety, Exit, Fire and Emergency Signs, Fire Extinguishers, General Safety, NFPA, Safety & Security Solutions | Leave a Comment »

Research says elevators may be a safer option to stairs in a high-rise evacation

September 22, 2010

According to “Experts Reconsider Elevator as Fire Escape”, an article by Anthony M. DeStefano, elevators in skyscrapers may be used in future mass evacuations based on research by a special National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) panel that studied the evacuation of the World Trade Center towers on September 11, 2001.

“Don’t use elevators in fires is one of the most successful public education [safety] campaigns in history,” added Jason D. Averill, an expert on fire safety for NIST.  This idea brought about some of Emedco’s most successful signs in glow-in-the-dark and standard sign material – ‘In case of fire, do not use elevators, use stairways’ signs. But due to the events of Sept. 11 and taller buildings sprouting up all over the globe, elevators are being looked at as  safe evacuation option in mass evacuations, especially fires. Major national safety organizations, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), are preparing or proposing standards for the use of elevators in high-rise evacuations.

The elevator push comes after years of analysis of the Twin Towers showed how inadequate stairs were, said Edwin Galea, a professor at the University of Greenwich in England.  NFPA’s life safety code published in 2009 states elevators should be in “noncombustible hoistway” with fire resistant shafts separate from the building.

Currently there is no federal building code that includes elevators in an evacuation process so states and cities are coming up with their own requirements. For example, New York City requires all new high-rise construction to include impact-resistant fire stairs and stairwells must be spaced away from each other.  Also, protected/hardened elevator shafts and vestibules should be available where people can safely wait until it is their turn to evacuate.

It’s important to remember that the use of elevators is still being considered. Take the stairs in case of an emergency in most buildings.

Posted in Egress, Evacuation, Exit & Fire Safety, NFPA, OSHA, Regulations | Leave a Comment »

Stylish evacuation marking

April 28, 2010

Every building is required to mark evacuation routes in case of an emergency – why not do it with style?

Emedco has a line of Interior Decor Signs that not only glow in the dark for safer evacuations, but contain braille for the visually impaired.  Basically you’re getting 3 signs in 1!

Why these signs are great:

  1. Interior Decor signs are Emedco’s upscale sign, perfect for offices or really any place that has a nicer image than the inside of  a warehouse.
  2. Adding Grade II Braille makes these signs compliant with ADA which improves the safety of the visually impaired who work or visit your building.
  3. Glo-Mor glow-in-the-dark material lights these signs up for over 6 hours and they meet 5 safe evacuation regulations.

The Glo-Mor Braille Interior Signs cannot be scratched or defaced, and they are safer in an emergency than standard non-glow signs.

Posted in Evacuation, Exit & Fire Safety, NFPA, Regulations | Leave a Comment »

NFPA released new edition of NFPA 1600® available for free on nfpa.org

March 25, 2010

NFPA 1600® Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs

“NFPA 1600 establishes a common, high level set of criteria for disaster and emergency management and business continuity programs to develop, implement, assess, and maintain these programs. The programs address management, planning, prevention, mitigation, implementation, response, recovery, testing and improvement.”

A major difference between the 2010 version and the 2007 version is omission of one chapter: Program Elements, and the creation of new chapters: Planning, Implementation, Testing and Exercise, and Program Improvement.  The contents of 2007′s Program Elements chapter was broken down and added to these new chapters, then expanded upon.

Chapter 4 – Program Management, has been elaborated to create specific guidelines for individuals who are leaders for their company’s disaster and emergency plans. Leadership and commitment has been added to this chapter along with performance objectives, finance and administration, and records management.

Chapter 5 – Planning, includes planning process, risk assessment (carried over from the former chapter 5), business impact analysis, mitigation, and more.

Chapter 6 – Implementation, includes much of what was Chapter 5 in 2007 along with new additions: employee assistance and support, Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs), training and education.

Chapter 7 – Testing and Exercises reminds Emergency Leaders that practice makes perfect when it comes to implementing an evacuation plan.

Chapter 8 – Program Improvement has been added in order to recognize that emergency plans are “working” documents. As regulations and recommendations are updated by NFPA or there are changes in personnel at your facility, your emergency policy must be updated accordingly.   This chapter also calls for reviews after each incident to reevaluate your program and learn from lessons.

2010′s 1600 seems like a more thought-out version than the 2007 1600. Please make your safety officers aware of these updated changes.  Well-practiced emergency procedures keep employees safe from injury or even death – do not take these recommendations lightly.

Source: nfpa.org

Posted in Egress, Evacuation, Exit & Fire Safety, NFPA | 2 Comments »

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