When was the last time you had your building inspected? Without proper safety measures for your building, this puts an additional risk on employees, students, citizens and/or visitors when they step on your property. Here are 6 ways you can optimize your school or municipality’s building safety.

1. Inspect Heating Equipment, Chimneys and Dryer Vents
   Is the heating equipment (HVAC), boilers and chimneys inspected for your property on a scheduled timeline? Chimneys can pose a serious fire hazard when there’s a buildup in the flue or stack. Boilers, heating equipment and dryer vents can also become dangerous when not properly maintained on a scheduled basis. These risks can be prevented when inspected by a professional, and if the equipment is well-maintained, there’s a bonus in heating efficiency, reliability, safety and extended life of the equipment.
   
   
2. Examine Electrical Wiring
   Inspecting the electrical wiring in your building is vital. Faulty wiring is a significant risk factor and redoing electrical wiring can be costly. Infrared scanning of the electrical system by a trained professional can determine if the system is being overloaded which could affect the wiring throughout the building and cause a fire.
   
   
3. Ensure Fire Alarms Are Properly Installed
   Has the building fire alarm system been inspected, tested and maintained on an annual basis? To guarantee the system will operate correctly when needed, inspecting and testing per the applicable code is vital.
   
   
4. Post Visible Evacuation Procedures
   Sometimes disasters like fires are beyond your control. Following these tips can help you protect against a fire. To be prepared for this possibility, be sure to post evacuation procedures that can be seen and are understandable. The procedure signs will vary depending on the size and layout of your buildings.
   
   
5. Implement Preventative Scheduling and Routine Maintenance Checks
   Proper roof and ground inspections are very important, especially after storms when safety hazards could pop up in walkways and roads. Conducting interior inspections and looking for frayed carpets, water damage, damaged stairways, etc. is a proactive measure. Another area that can be overlooked is fire safety, so you want to make sure all the fire extinguishers are up-to-date and appropriate people know how to use them. Emergency exit lighting and exit signs should be inspected monthly for proper operation as well.
   
   
6. Make Your Properties Easy to Find
   An effortless way to help improve the safety of your property is to make sure the building numbers are large enough to be seen from the street. This may help emergency personnel quickly locate your property, if needed. You may also want to clear tree limbs, prune bushes or remove any other obstructions that may cover numbers on the building.

For more information on property risk management, contact a member of the ‘A’ Team!

Additional Resources

• 5 Essential Safety Elements for Your Property
• Insurance Requirements for Public Entities…What Are Those?
• 5 Public Liability Exposures for Municipalities

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