Protecting Yourself Against Fires: The Vital Equipment Every Office Should Have

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Tragically, fires at homes and properties claim many lives in Australia every year. In the event of a fire at your place of work, having access to various pieces of fire-safety equipment can mean the difference between life and death. If you're a business owner, you are responsible for implementing and maintaining a variety of fire-safety measures and equipment to ensure the safety of your employees. If you're an employee, knowing how to use the supplied equipment yourself means you have the power to combat the dangers a fire can pose on your own. This is invaluable. In any case, you should double-check that your place of work has the following safety measures in place and make sure that they are regularly checked for functionality. 

1. Fire alarms

Working fire alarms save countless lives in Australian homes and businesses annually. When a fire occurs, smoke and carbon monoxide tend to spread very quickly. Often, suffocating on the latter "invisible killer" causes fatalities before the fire even has a chance to spread. For this reason, heat or smoke-detecting fire alarms should be installed all around the building. This ensures that anyone on the property is made aware of the fire and can find an adequate escape route before the fire spreads.

2. Fire extinguishers

Fire extinguishers can be used to put out small fires before they can spread and are therefore a vital part of any office space. Extinguishers come in a variety of types, including extinguishers that use foam rather than water. Water fire extinguishers are more common, but foam extinguishers can handle a wider array of fire types. Whichever type you have, it is important that you know how to use it. The acronym to remember is PASS: pull the pin, aim the extinguisher low at the base of the flames, squeeze the lever evenly, and sweep the spray from side to side.

3. Fire blankets

Fire blankets also help in putting out small fires, so it's important to know how to safely handle them. If the fire is a kitchen fire, make sure the gas is off first. With your arms outstretched, evenly place the blanket over the entire fire. Fire blankets work by blocking off the oxygen that fuels flames. 

4. Sprinkler system

A wide-reaching sprinkler system is a vital addition to any business and even any home. Sprinklers effectively work to slow down the spread of a fire and sometimes even extinguish fires altogether. Since sprinkler systems are triggered quickly, they are able to mitigate the effects of fire before fire emergency services arrive. For this reason, they have saved many lives. Like all fire-safety equipment, they must be regularly checked and maintained.

While this equipment is useful in fighting fires, your priority if a fire does occur should always be your safety and the safety of others. Before you do anything else, call a fire emergency service. If the fire is particularly big, you will not be able to control it on your own and should evacuate immediately. Knowing your evacuation procedures goes a long way toward saving lives and property.

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8 December 2016

Appliance Repair: How I Fixed My Commercial Refrigeration Unit

Hi, my name is Pip. I work in the kitchen of a large hotel as a chef. Unfortunately, for a few months, the commercial refrigeration units in the kitchen kept breaking down. The manager of the hotel was very slow to act, so I had to figure out how to fix them myself. I searched the internet and read DIY books. In the end, I realised it was a faulty coil which was causing the problem. I replaced it, and the refrigeration unit has worked flawlessly ever since. Doing this inspired me to use my new found knowledge to fix other appliances, and I decided to start a blog to document my repairs