According to the National Fire Protection Association of Canada nearly 115,000 of the 500,000 fires between 2015 and 2019 occurred in non-residential buildings. 

There are many steps you can take to prevent fire, such as installing a robust verified fire alarm, but first it’s important to know why the fires start. To help you keep your business or organization safe from fire, let’s look at the five most common causes of workplace fire. 

1. Faulty electrical equipment 

Defective electrical equipment, faulty or loose wires and overloaded plugs are one of the leading causes of fires in the workplace. While it can happen anywhere, this cause is especially common in businesses like offices and workshops that have several different tools, appliances and equipment but limited outlets. Not to mention that these businesses are more likely to depend on outdated technology that is worn-out from years of use. 

To help prevent fires caused by faulty electrical equipment, you should ensure your building has an appropriate amount of outlets/circuits for your needs and that you use extension cords and power bars appropriately. 

In addition, you should regularly inspect equipment for overuse, overheating and smoke to ensure it is functioning properly. It’s also a good idea to regularly inspect sockets and outlets for signs of burning. If you see any of these dangerous signs, you should investigate further to find the cause. 

2. Human error 

Did you know that approximately 50 percent of wildfires are caused by human error in Canada? In the workplace, human error is also a main cause for fires. In fact, according to the Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General: 

• 7 percent of fires are caused by cigarettes 
• 3 percent of fires are caused by ignition sources 
• 2 percent of fires are caused by candles 
• 1 percent of fires are caused by matches and lighters 

These percentages may seem small, but together they account for 13 percent of workplace fires. Other potential human errors that can cause fire include burning food in the lunchroom, spilling hazardous materials, misusing equipment and machinery, and general carelessness. 

To prevent these types of fires, it is important that employees are properly trained and aware of workplace rules. If there’s a misstep, employees should be appropriately warned and required to do retraining. While human error is generally an accident, human errors that lead to fire can have major repercussions for your business and your employees. 

3. Combustible substances 

The Occupational Health & Safety Act lays out rules and regulations regarding combustible, flammable and hazardous substances. While there are many different reasons for this, one is that they are a leading cause of fires in the workplace, especially garages and workshops. 

The good news is, this risk is easy to mitigate. Flammable and combustible substances should be stored and handled properly. Doing so will greatly reduce the risk of fire. When no longer needed, they should be safely removed from your business.

4. Clutter 

If you do not regularly clean and maintain your business property, the accumulated clutter can create a serious health and safety issue. It can even lead to, and worsen, a fire. This can include dust and dirt build up causing equipment to overwork in poorly ventilated areas, leading to overheating and fire. If a fire occurs in any area of your business, clutter can help that fire move through the space more quickly. 

To help prevent this cause of fire in the workplace, encourage employees to keep a clean workspace and regularly go through files and other office contents to remove items that are no longer needed. In addition, hallways and open areas should be kept clear of clutter. 

5. Arson 

Unfortunately, deliberate and mischievous fires are a risk that many businesses must protect themselves from. To help make it harder for criminals to purposefully start a fire at your business, you want to be sure your exterior is clear of anything flammable that could be used to spread or ignite the fire. 

You also want to be sure that criminals can’t easily break into your business to start a fire inside. Managed access control can be a great way to ensure your building is secure, and gives you the ability to monitor who comes in and out of your offices. 

The best method, however, is the combination of verified security alarms with fire prevention systems. This can go a long way in preventing arson and the damage caused by it. 

At Sonitrol, our verified security provides 100 percent coverage of your interior and exterior to ensure criminal activity is caught quickly. Our team of monitoring professionals can then verify the source of the alarm and dispatch the authorities. This helps prevent criminal activity and the amount of damage done, while also increasing the rate of apprehension. 

When combined with fire monitoring service, you can feel even more confident that firefighters will be dispatched promptly in the event of a fire situation, whether caused by arson or something else entirely. Trouble spots will also be addressed and resolved as quickly as possible, to prevent spread and further damage. 

Our fire protection solutions include: 

• Smoke and heat monitoring
• Water flow and sprinkler monitoring
• Temperature monitoring for sensitive areas such as freezers
• Elevator recall and elevator monitoring
• Voice evacuation system
• Duct detection

For more information on our fire alarm monitoring and prevention systems, contact one of our specialists today for a free security and fire alarm plan.