While theft may be the first thing that comes to mind as a risk factor of owning a retail store, fires are another hazard that you should prepare for. At United Steel Products, we offer a variety of fire doors and fire shutters to help keep your business protected in the event of a fire.
While these are helpful mechanisms, there are other things you can do to protect your business from fire hazards. Continue reading for more fire safety tips for your retail store in New York City, and contact United Steel Products to order your fire doors and fire shutters.
Obtain A Permit
In order to ensure that your store is safe, the Fire Department should inspect your store to make sure you’re storing hazardous items properly. These items include cleaning products, paints, and aerosols.
If you pass the inspection, you will be issued a Fire Department Permit and Certificate of Fitness. This proves to other inspectors like OSHA, your employees, and your customers that your establishment has been inspected for fire dangers and issues have been corrected.
Properly Store Dangerous Items
In order to store items safely, it’s important to identify any merchandise you sell that could be flammable.These items include aerosols, like shaving cream, window cleaner, rug shampoo, hairspray, deodorant, antiseptic, spray paint, and any other continuous sprays; certain liquids are also flammable, like nail polish remover, sanitizer, rubbing alcohol, oil-based paint, varnish, wax, and other polishes.
While not every store needs certification, it is required if you carry more than five gallons of highly flammable liquids, more than 10 gallons of flammable liquids, or more than 20 gallons of oil-based paint.
Maintain Your AC Unit And Heater
This might seem surprising, but your AC unit can create an additional fire hazard if not maintained and taken care of regularly. If your store has a roof-mounted air conditioner, floor-mounted air conditioner, or an air conditioner that’s more than five horsepowers, you’ll need the Fire Department to inspect it.
Additionally, if you use a heater that uses fuel oil, you’ll need to have it inspected by the Fire Department.
Invest In Fire Extinguishers
Another important feature that your store must have in case of a fire is installing fire extinguishers throughout the store. Fire extinguishers should be mounted on the wall in several areas throughout the store, and they should be easy to spot and reach if necessary.
Fire extinguishers also require an annual inspection. Your fire extinguishers can be inspected by a certified fire extinguisher company.
Keep Aisles And Storage Areas Clear
In the event of a fire, your employees and customers need to be able to exit the establishment as quickly and safely as possible. This requires that your store remain clean and organized both out on the floor as well as back in storage.
Make sure aisles are clear of any boxes if no one is stocking inventory, and make sure you have staff keeping an eye out for areas that become cluttered so that they can pick up any fallen items that could cause a tripping hazard.
In the back storage area, keep things stacked and organized appropriately. Don’t hang onto any empty cardboard boxes once they’ve been unloaded, as they are flammable and could cause more damage from laying around.
Install Fire Doors And Fire Shutters
Learning how to properly store flammable items, investing in fire extinguishers, and keeping your storage clean are great ways to keep fire hazards in check. If you do have a fire, though, you want to make sure your employees, store, and inventory are safe.
United Steel Products sells fire doors and fire shutters that can be installed to close automatically in the event of a fire. This effectively traps the fire so it can’t do any more damage until the Fire Department arrives. For more information or to place an order, contact United Steel Products.
