Beginning Wednesday, Sept. 28, the NYS fire inspector will be on campus for the college’s annual fire safety inspection. The inspection will take about five days to complete.
In preparation for the inspection, Environmental Health & Safety staff have inspected all buildings. Please help us by taking a moment to check your work area. Here are guidelines for good fire safety practices that should be followed at all times:
- Power strips & extension cords: Do not use in series to reach an outlet; do not overload by plugging in more appliances than the circuit can handle. Submit a work order to Physical Plant if your area needs electrical service – this is a common violation during the inspection.
- Fire doors (self-closing): Keep these doors closed as much as possible. If you need to chock open a door, please remember to remove the chock and close the door before leaving.
- Exits & exit pathways: keep clear and unobstructed
- Materials storage: Keep to a minimum and do not store materials in stairwells or underneath stairs. Do not store furnishings/materials in basement hallways, electrical or mechanical rooms – call Physical Plant to have unneeded materials/furnishings properly stored or disposed. Keep storage rooms neat and orderly
- Shops, labs and work areas: Keep neat and orderly. Chemicals should be stored in labeled, closed containers in the appropriate location.
- Damaged electrical cords: Take equipment out of service and notify your supervisor or Physical Plant
- Emergency equipment (electrical panel boxes, mechanical rooms, sprinkler controls, fire extinguishers, eye wash stations, etc.): Keep access to these areas/equipment clear and unobstructed.
- Fire lanes: Keep clear at all times – no parking in a marked lane
- Ceiling tiles: Missing ceiling tiles should be put back in place or reported to Physical Plant
- Exit signage and emergency lights: These should be illumination at all times; report deficiencies to Physical Plant
- REPORT ALL FIRES: Even if it is a minor fire that is quickly extinguished, you are required to report this to Public Safety. If a fire extinguisher is used, this must be reported so that the extinguisher can be serviced.
If you have any questions or see a fire safety deficiency, please contact me (p.watt@hvcc.edu) or Maxine Ortiz (m.ortiz@hvcc.edu).
With your help, we expect the fire inspections to go well this year. Thank you for your assistance!
Published: Wed, 28 Sep 2011 11:10:30 +0000 by m.ortiz