Employee drills are an important aspect of commercial property fire safety regulations. Practicing and regularly reviewing emergency plans are essential elements in both fire and hurricane preparedness for commercial buildings. Thinking about possible emergency scenarios, and taking precautions to protect people, business, and property is good business planning.
The professionals at Paul Davis Restoration of North Dallas can help assess commercial property risk and assist with disaster planning. Our experience restoring properties that have been damaged in fires and storms dictates many of the commercial services that we provide in North Dallas and the surrounding areas.
Commercial Property Fire Safety Regulations
Most business and property owners understand that they must comply with fire safety regulations. Working closely with local fire departments and other municipal departments is a good way to gather information. Taking advantage of official inspections when they occur can yield great benefits when it comes to the safety of your personnel or problems with building structures.
If your business is located in a region that experiences hurricanes and other large storms, emergency planning should include scenarios for handling these types of crises, as well. Regularly reviewing plans and setting up employee practice drills are two excellent methods for encouraging emergency preparedness.
Emergency Reviews and Drills for Employees
Employee training helps everyone know how to react when emergencies arise. Taking time out of the workday to practice emergency drills is valuable in many ways. This type of practice helps employees survive storms and fires, and it also helps protect business operations. With forethought, preparation, and practice, people faced with challenging emergencies can act quickly and decisively to save their lives and secure business systems.
Drills for employees can take many forms, but they all revolve around a support structure where key employees know what to do and can direct others. Depending on the size of your commercial operation, people can be divided into teams with assigned duties.
Here are some helpful principles for employee safety drills:
- Have a clear chain of command that designates responsibilities
- Outline scenarios for evacuation, as well as when to shelter in place
- Create drills around both scenarios
- Allow participants to become familiar with emergency tools and equipment
- Set up systems where everyone is counted
- Include procedures for helping visitors and anyone with physical limitations
- Make sure all employees know where emergency supplies and first aid kits are stored
- Mark all exits and exit routes, and practice quickly and efficiently leaving the buildings
All personnel should know which door to exit, and where to gather outside the building. Assign responsibilities to individuals, such as unlocking and locking doors, assisting specific colleagues, calling emergency numbers, and interfacing with emergency responders.
Keep Up with Maintenance and Required Inspections
Scheduling regular maintenance checks and repairs is a good way to decrease commercial property risk. Electrical systems and other equipment can be a source of fire when they break down. Developing a relationship with qualified restoration professionals is another way to protect your business interests in the face of fire and storm danger.
Hurricanes can destroy building structures and often result in considerable water damage. Paul Davis Restoration of North Dallas has decades of experience in successfully restoring commercial properties after fire damage, as well as flood damage. We work with our customers to put plans in place should an emergency repair or full-scale restoration be needed.
Commercial Property Insurance
When fires and storms do cause damage, it’s best to know who to call. While your insurance agent is usually the first contact, the sooner contact is made with qualified restoration professionals, the better. Paul Davis Restoration of North Dallas is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We work closely with insurance professionals and can provide the detailed estimates needed. Our ability to coordinate all services, including mitigation, mold remediation, content recovery, and all required reconstruction makes things simpler and time-effective, both for the commercial property owner and the insurance company.
Choose Emergency Partners Before Disasters Strike
Paul Davis Restoration of North Dallas can help put plans in place for emergencies that affect your business investments. For more information, contact us today.