Each October, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) sponsors Fire Prevention Week and this year (October 9-15) marks the 100th anniversary of this important program. The NFPA website Fire Prevention Week (nfpa.org) contains numerous resources for families regarding implementing a plan for fire prevention to the theme of “Fire Won’t Wait. Plan Your Escape.” This theme reinforces the critical importance of developing a home escape plan with all members of the household and practicing it regularly. In homes, active smoke detectors are one of the best ways to alert residents of a house fire. Please share this with your families and workers.
Fire prevention for companies is important for several reasons. Protecting workers from injuries resulting from fire and explosions is the number one motivation for preparing for these incidents. However, risk management principles also encourage companies to protect against losses including the valuable physical assets that could be damaged or lost from a fire or explosion and the losses associated with regulatory non-compliance. While numerous local, state and federal agencies promulgate and enforce fire safety related codes and standards, the two main national regulatory bodies dealing with fire protection and fire prevention are the NFPA and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).