Office, Facility, or Hotel Fires | Scope of Risk

Office, facility, or hotel fires can present unique risks depending on the operating region in which they occur. In some countries, firefighting equipment cannot reach above the third floor of a structure, presenting additional risks to the occupants. In addition, the safety standards in different countries vary, increasing the risks of fires rapidly spreading and not being brought under control by water sprinklers or other fire‐retardant appliances. For companies operating in high‐rise buildings, the ability of personnel to safely evacuate from the higher floors may also present challenges. Companies should develop pragmatic and rehearsed fire drills to ensure that personnel instinctively know how to respond to protect themselves during such a crisis event. Facilities may also have additional hazards that might be triggered by a fire, including combustible materials, toxic hazards, and serious structural risks that might occur. Personnel should also receive a fire briefing upon starting work at a new office complex, should understand where alarms are situated, and should also walk escape routes and be shown where muster points are located. The following provides simple measures by which personnel can increase the likelihood of a safe escape during a fire, thus supporting the IMP:

§  Review the floor plans of the office block, facility, or hotel; ask for a copy of the evacuation plan if available.

§  Locate nearby fire alarms and fire extinguishers.

§  Practice unlocking and opening the windows in your room or office. Look outside to see if you could escape without injury.

§  Learn the layout of your room, facility work area, or office floor, and know how to unlock your door in the dark. This will help prepare you for quick evacuation at night or during a power outage.

§  Place your room keys/office keys on a nightstand/desk where you can find them quickly. Take your room key/office key with you when you evacuate in case emergency exits are blocked by fire and you must return to your room/office.

§  Sound the fire alarm and alert neighbors and other workers on your floor of the emergency.

§  Close doors behind you to prevent the spread of flames within the office space, work area, or hotel floor.

§  Walk to safety via the nearest fire exit. If you encounter smoke en route, crouch or crawl low to the ground. Do not stand up, as you may be overcome by the smoke or toxic fumes.

§  Feel any doors with the back of your hand. If the door feels unusually warm or hot, do not open it—the fire may be right outside. If the door is not warm or hot, open it slowly. Be prepared to close the door quickly if smoke rushes in.

§  Once you are safe from danger, locate the nearest phone and inform the front desk, hotel, or switchboard operator of the emergency.

§  If trapped and the phone works, call the hotel or switchboard operator—explain that you are trapped in your room or office and are in need of rescue.

§  If trapped, fill a bathtub or sink (if available) with water and wet your towels and sheets. You may also use water to cool the walls; use a wastebasket or ice bucket to help bail water. Use a restroom if a bathtub or sink is unavailable.

§  To seal the room/office doorway from smoke, put wet towels or sheets at the bottom of the door. If you have wide duct tape, seal the entire doorjamb. Stuff any vents with wet towels or sheets, or tape a magazine over each vent to prevent smoke from entering.

§  Make your location more visible to firefighters; hang a sheet out the window. Do not use the sheet to climb down from your room or office.

§  If smoke enters the room, use a blanket or sheet to make a tent over your head, put your covered head out the window, and breathe clean air. If your window does not open, you may have to break it with a chair or drawer. Break the window only as a last resort.

§  If smoke can enter your room/office from outside, close the window immediately and keep it closed. Make this observation before breaking a window.

§  Do not take the elevator; if you attempt to take the elevator in a fire, you may become trapped. The elevator may also take you to the floor where the fire is. Use the stairs to walk to the bottom floor of the hotel, office, or facility. Hold on to the handrail as you go so as not to be knocked down by someone behind you, or by the impact of any explosions that might occur.

§  If you encounter smoke or fire on lower levels, return to your room/office. Call the hotel or facility switchboard operator and explain that you are trapped.

§  If you cannot make it back to your room/office, walk to a floor with clearer air and attempt to find another emergency exit. As a last resort, climb the stairs to the roof.

Companies should provide fire briefings to staff to support the IMP, which allows local managers more time to focus on quickly gathering information to assist the safe evacuation of personnel, as well as a more effective response by emergency services rather than herding staff to exits. The IMP element should focus on determining the location and nature of the fire, extracting personnel from danger, and notifying any emergency responders of the situation and details. The following elements should be considered by company first responders and incident managers during an office, facility, or hotel fire:

§  Nature, Location, and Extent.: What type of fire is it? Are there additional hazards such as toxic chemicals, explosive materials, or other contaminants that emergency responders need to be aware of? Where is the fire? Is it contained, or has it spread?

§  Fire Response Measures.: What measures are in place to deal with the fire (e.g., sprinklers, fire‐suppressing gases, fire doors)? How do they operate? Are they working?

§  Additional Risk Areas.: Are any areas particularly at risk from the fire? What impacts will the fire have if it reaches those areas (e.g., explosive, toxic, structural dangers, risks to personnel)?

§  Mustered Personnel.: Have all personnel been accounted for? Where are they? Where are the emergency muster points?

§  Missing or Trapped Personnel.: How many personnel have not been accounted for? Are any personnel trapped? If so, where?

§  Casualties.: Are there injuries? If so, how many? What is the status and severity of the casualties?

§  Materials.: Is there any sensitive, high‐value, or critical material or information that needs to be retrieved? Where is it located? What is the nature of the material? What value is placed against it, and what are the impacts if it is lost?

The emergency services will typically quickly take control of a crisis situation on arrival in most countries; however, local managers will have a better understanding as to the situation when firefighters arrive and can provide a quick, accurate, and focused briefing to enable responders to more effectively take control of a situation. Local managers will also better understand out‐of‐the‐norm factors such as toxic or combustible material hazards, as well as the number, status, and location of personnel. The IMP should be considered a bridging tool between the company and emergency responders, supporting the transfer of response to external agencies.