Preventing fire in workplace includes some simple steps like switching off or unplugging electrical equipment when not in use, keeping all flammable or combustible materials in a safe place, or never leaving smouldering cigarette butts in the smoking areas.

Ways to prevent fire incidents:

1. Avoid unattended or careless use of candles. No open flames are allowed inside any Tufts University building.
2. Keep BBQ grills at least 10 feet from the house.
3. Do not disable smoke or CO detectors.
4. Do not smoke indoors.
5. Do not leave your cooking unattended.

To help prevent fires caused by candles, follow these tips from the NFPA: Put out all candles when leaving a room or going to sleep. Keep candles 12 inches away from anything that can catch fire. Use candle holders that won’t tip over easily, won’t catch fire, and are large enough to catch dripping wax.

To develop an effective evacuation plan, employers should follow the 3 stages of evacuation in a fire:

• ‘Stage 1’: Immediate evacuation;
• ‘Stage 2’: Lateral evacuation; and.
• ‘Stage 3’: Partial evacuation.

Evacuation Options During a Fire Alarm or Other Emergency

• Vertical Evacuation – Vertical evacuation (using a stairway) is the preferred method to exit a building.
• Horizontal Evacuation – Horizontal evacuation means moving away from the area of danger to a safer place on the same floor where the individual is at the time of the alarm or emergency.

Evacuate. Evacuate staff and visitors in the following order: Out of immediate danger (e.g. out of room) Out of compartment (e.g. through the fire doors or smoke doors) or to a lower level of the building.

Emergency Evacuation Instructions

1. Stay calm.
2. Safely stop your work.
3. Gather your personal belongings if it is safe to do so.
4. If safe, close your office door and window, but do not lock them.
5. Use the nearest safe stairs and proceed to the nearest exit.
6. Proceed to the designated emergency evacuation assembly area.

If you don’t clear out during a mandatory evacuation, you could face civil or criminal penalties. Remember the goal is to save lives and when you refuse to evacuate, a rescue worker may be forced to be in a dangerous situation to try to save you.

Mandatory evacuations are forced, or directed evacuations. Any person who enters a closed off area or remains in an area after being ordered to evacuate can be found guilty of a misdemeanor (Penal Code 409.5).

1. Alternatives for evacuating without a vehicle.
2. Fleeing on foot.
3. Carpool with a neighbor.
4. Get a ride from friends or family members.
5. Use a non-motorized means of transport.
6. Use a motorized means of transport.
7. Take public transportation.
8. Take an Uber or Lyft.

WHEN TO EVACUATE. Leave immediately if you receive a notification or alert to avoid being caught in fire, smoke or road congestion. Don’t wait to be ordered by authorities to leave if you are unsure, feel threatened, or lose power or communications.

Cal Fire recommends having a three-day supply non-perishable food and three gallons of water per person. Extra eyeglasses or contact lenses, a seven-day supply of medications and copies of important documents, such as birth certificates and passports, are also important to pack.

1 : to leave or cause to leave a place of danger Residents evacuated the burning building. 2 : to make empty : empty out. 3 : to discharge waste matter from the body.

You don’t “evacuate” a person from a building. To evacuate a person, her editors tell her, means “to give them an enema.” “Evacuate” cannot be used to describe removing people from a building.

Word Origin for evacuate C16: from Latin ēvacuāre to void, from vacuus empty.

An evacuation plan lays out how to exit a building safely during an emergency. In case of a fire, carbon monoxide leak, earthquake or other emergency, everyone in your family should be familiar with your home evacuation plan.

For your evacuation planning:

1. Arrange your evacuation ahead of time. Don’t wait until the last minute to plan your evacuation.
2. Plan what to take. Many families choose to have a “go bag” ready with some of these critical items.
3. Create a home inventory.
4. Gather important documents.
5. Take the 10-minute evacuation challenge.

What is an evacuation plan? It’s a plan spelling out what you should do in an emergency situation. It helps to efficiently and safely get people away from an area where there is an imminent threat, ongoing threat, or a hazard to lives or property.

10 Essential Elements of an Emergency Evacuation Plan

• Conditions requiring an evacuation.
• When to shelter-in-place rather than evacuate.
• A clear chain of command.
• Specific emergency evacuation plan procedures.
• Specific evacuation procedures for high-rise buildings.
• Procedures for assisting visitors and employees to evacuate.