Nearly every company supplies convenient fire extinguishers to deal with fire hazards in the workplace. Bosses must assess the fire hazards and magnitudes that might crop up in the workplace and decide which type and capacity fire extinguishers to provide:

• Wood, paper and textiles cause Class A fires
  
• Flammable liquids cause Class B fires
  
• Electrical equipment cause Class C fires
  
• Metal powders and shavings cause Class D fires
  
• Commercial and restaurant kitchens require Class K fire extinguishers

Copiers, coffee makers and hot plates and other heat producing equipment and electrical appliances are frequently overlooked as possible fire hazards. A fire in the workplace can be a shattering occurrence. However, the presence of fire alarms and smoke detectors will decrease your chances of fire. You’ll considerably improve your chances of getting out without injury by practicing your escape routes.

Keep extension cords clear of doorways and other areas where they can be stepped on or chafed, and never plug one extension cord into another. Be conscious of all potentially flammable materials and heated objects in your workplace. Urethane, which is often used in upholstery stuffing, can emit cyanide. Many synthetic materials can also emit toxic materials during a fire.

Modern open office designs allow fire to spread rapidly and the inclusion of much synthetic and other flammable material in office furniture often makes “smoky” fires. Breathing these materials can severely hinder an office worker’s chances of getting out of a fire in time.

A lot of small fires become uncontrollable because people don’t know how to extinguish the flames or forget how to in a time of panic, and many latent fire hazards are overlooked because people don’t recognise that they are a hazard. That’s why it’s important to learn what simple precautions you can take to help keep your workplace fire-safe for years to come.

Hazards can be found all over the workplace. Any type of object or situation that can cause harm, sickness or fatality can be classed as a workplace hazard. So bosses and floor supervisors need to build up the correct mindset to identify hazards. A lot of facilities have workplace health and safety issues that are specific to their own industry. Circumstances that lead to slips, trips and falls are the single biggest cause of injuries at any workplace.

Listed below are some common safety issues found in the workplace. Most of the tips are easy and free to put into place immediately. These items are not listed in any specific order.

• Store items below shoulder height to prevent things falling onto people.
• Chairs should not be stacked too high otherwise they might topple.
• Take care that trailing cables are not a trip hazard. Use 'gaffer tape' or cable protectors.
• Keep cleaning chemicals and other substances in a locked cupboard.
• Certain equipment that you might have needs to be maintained and stored securely, such as lawnmowers, ladders and other maintenance tools.
• Wet flooring can be slippery so display a sign when the floor is wet (such as the free standing ones used in supermarkets).
• Ensure that lighting is adequate, which might need to include emergency lighting in some areas of the building.

It’s easy for the person in charge of doing the risk assessment to yield to the temptation of writing the fire safety and evacuation plan and presenting it to the employees as gospel. However, experience has shown that more participation you get from others regarding fire hazards and risk management, the better and more complete the result. Once you have an amended list of hazards, calculate the potential for loss and settle on how to prevent, minimise or manage each one.