All buildings should have safety precautions in place. No matter where the building is located, or what its purpose, there should be both physical precautions, like installing fire alarms and fire extinguishers, and planning precautions, such as developing an evacuation procedure. Whether it is an office building, an apartment building, or a warehouse, there should be a plan for safe evacuation in the event of a blackout, an intruder, a fire, or any other type of disaster. Emergency exit signs with lights can be very helpful in these situations.
When you ask some one to things of an example of an emergency, fire is often the first thing that comes to mind. Blackouts can happen just as easily, however, and they can be just as dangerous. A crowd of people trying to find their way to the exits in a large building with many flights of stairs could turn into complete chaos. This is one situation where lighted emergency signs would be helpful.
Below are a few more tips for safety in the event of an emergency:
1. Be sure that all exits are available and accessible. Oftentimes, emergency exits are blocked by large garbage cans or storage shelves, because they are not used very often. Sometimes they are located in locked stairwells. This renders them completely useless, as no one has time to fumble with keys or move heavy equipment out of the way when trying to make a quick getaway. Make sure these exits are accessible at all times.
2. Have a plan in place. The last things you want is to have people are running around in a chaotic fashion during an already dangerous time. There needs to be an organized plan in place for evacuating your building, and specific people should be designated to oversee different aspects of the procedure.
3. Communicate regularly about the plan. Call a meeting every six months of the people who are designated on each floor. Review their duties and all of the procedures, and make them aware of any changes. This can help to ensure that you fill any gaps in the leadership, making sure that each area of the building is covered by an informed person. Let these people know that they need to tell someone if they become unable to perform their duties.
4. Post written instructions on the walls of the building. It is great and necessary to have your designated evacuation leaders on every floor. However, there might come a time when things have gotten so chaotic that these people are unable to reach everyone and provide instructions. This is one of the reasons why it helps to have the instructions posted on the walls, with diagrams.
Ideally, all of these precautions will be just that-precautions. We always hope that emergencies will not occur, and these plans and procedures will not have to be enacted. Even so, having them in place helps to create peace of mind. Emergency exit signs with lights, as well as a sound plan for evacuation, will help the workers and/or occupants of your building to feel safer and more secure.
