If you are an eco-conscious business owner who wants to improve fire safety in your commercial office, you should keep the following tips in mind.

1. Use water-filled fire extinguishers where possible 

Where possible, you should fit water-filled fire extinguishers in your office, rather than foam or power fire extinguishers. The reason for this is that the residual powder or foam that is left behind in these fire safety products after they have been used may cause environmental damage when these products are thrown away.

These chemicals in the foam or powder may cause both water and soil pollution, which could have an impact on the health of plants and wildlife in the areas where this pollution occurs. As such, it is worth opting for water-filled fire extinguishers for some parts of your building, as this will help to reduce the negative impact that any future fires that take place on your premises will have on the environment.

However, it is important to note that water-filled fire extinguishers are unlikely to be suitable for all areas of your premises. For example, if you have an office canteen that features a microwave, a refrigerator, a toaster and various other electrical appliances, you will need to fit a powder fire extinguisher, as you will not be able to extinguish any flames created by these electrical goods with water.

2. Implement preventative measures

A fire in a commercial building can have cause major environmental damage. If for example, the building in question is quite old and contains asbestos, a fire breaking out inside it could lead to the asbestos materials becoming airborne and endangering the safety of people and wildlife in the surrounding area. Additionally, the enormous plumes of smoke could also cause air pollution which may affect the health of the area's residents.

Given this, if you want to be an eco-friendly business owner, it is important to implement preventative measures that will significantly reduce the risk of fires breaking out on your premises. For example, make sure that any disposable coffee cups, paper scraps and cardboard waste generated by your employees are placed into an outdoor recycling bin at the end of every workday. This will minimise the chances of these flammable materials causing a fire to spread throughout your office.

Additionally, if a lot of your employees smoke, make sure that they do this in an area that is several metres away from your office space, and that a container of water is poured into the bin in which they dispose of their cigarettes at the end of each workday (as many smokers fail to properly extinguish their cigarette butts and this can often lead to fires breaking out).

Finally, make sure that all of the electrical appliances in your office (including the canteen) are plugged out before you leave the premises every evening.

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