Warehouses face many safety issues not found in production or manufacturing areas. For one thing, it’s usually quieter, and sometimes workers are by themselves. However, it’s important to have equipment like fire fighting hose reels and extinguishers, but also important to practice good fire safety prevention. Here are some helpful tips to remember, to keep your business and employees safe.
Stacking Materials
If you use lift trucks to stack products, be careful about overhead space. In fact, you should never store racks or materials within 18 inches of sprinkler equipment. This is important for two reasons:
1. It’s easy to damage water lines or sprinklers when you get too close.
2. Materials too close to sprinkler heads may divert water and reduce the effectiveness of your sprinkler system.
Stocking Materials
By law, you must have, clearly marked rows for your fire fighting hose reels and extinguishers. They should have different colors, and your employees must never place items or vehicles in these lanes. Even if it’s only temporary, they should never use them.
Flue Space
Flue space is free space between racks, stretching from the floor, all the way to your ceiling. There are two types of flue spaces, longitudal and transverse. Longitudal refers to spaces between rows from forward to back. Transverse is the space between materials stacked on racks, running from left to right.
Adequate flue space is vital to fire safety so your sprinkler system can reach fires in the most effective ways. This way, you racks or materials don’t block the flow of water. Check local fire codes for specific flue space requirements.
The Importance of Your Equipment
Small businesses may not need fire fighting hose equipment, and they can use extinguishers instead. However, it’s important to talk to a fire inspector about your needs and contact a trusted source for fire safety equipment.
