The Most Common Warehouse Fire Hazards To Know

A fire is one of the most common disaster events you can expect to experience in a warehouse. A warehouse fire usually starts because a worker disregards the rules and safety procedures concerning fire hazards in the workplace. You can avoid this simply being aware of contributors to warehouse fires and how to address them. Here’s our list of the most common warehouse fire hazards to know and what to look out for to prevent them from destroying your workplace.

Electrical and Lighting

Electrical and lighting equipment are widespread warehouse fire hazards. In general, electrical equipment and lighting fixtures cause fires when they don’t receive maintenance. Exposed wires and faulty connections are usually to blame for these sorts of events. To combat this, you should take steps to examine these systems often for any problems that may be present. For this job, you’ll need to get an electrician to ensure that every one of these potential fire hazards gets attention. Remember, the upfront cost is a small price to pay to ensure your workers’ safety.

Heating Equipment

Heating equipment is another common cause of warehouse fires. In most cases, fires result from heating equipment that people have left unattended and placed in areas where they’re close to other flammable materials. In some cases, this heating equipment hangs from the ceiling, meaning that the shelves’ positioning is too close to the heating component. In other cases, the heating equipment is on or near shelves, causing it to overheat the surrounding area. In either case, you must take care to ensure these heating components have no chance of starting a fire by moving them to more secure locations.

Cigarette-Related Fires

Unfortunately, cigarette-related fires are also causes of warehouse fires. This is purely due to employees failing to follow proper safety procedures, as smoking is typically not permitted in any warehouse. The only way to rectify these problems is good training and strict rule enforcement.

Warehouse fires are exceedingly dangerous because they can happen easily and instantaneously. To combat this, you must control any element that could start a fire to the utmost degree. In most situations, a third party addresses the most common warehouse fire hazards through safety inspections. However, even with these resources, you must ensure that you address all hazards properly throughout the day.