NSU Safety Committee

Propping doors open, such as fire rated doors, which normally are expected to remain closed when not in use with fire suppression devices, effectively reduce the use of these doors as fire or smoke barriers.

Fire doors are not allowed to be locked at any time when there are persons occupying the building.

One element of egress that is often overlooked is that portion of the exit discharge on the exterior of the building. The means of egress is required to extend without interruption to a public way. Make sure all means of egress are kept clear from plants, barriers or any other types of impediments.

Make sure that all electrical equipment is properly grounded. Inspect electrical equipment regularly for frayed or worn cords. Exposed wires can cause a serious safety hazard. If there are any wires that you can see that are visually exposed report this situation immediately and disconnect the offending wire or plug. Under no circumstance should there be a surge suppressor power strip plugged into another surge suppressor. Also there should never be an extension cord plugged into a surge suppressor power strip. These conditions are a fire hazard and are against the City of Davie fire code. Please remedy the situation if you find a plug configured in this manner.

• All electrical panels must be free from obstructions and have the proper amount of clearance around them to prevent overloading or fire. All electrical boxes should have the covers attached.
• All extension cords or computer cords and networking devices must be placed under desks or along baseboards. If they must cross a pathway they must be covered under plastic floor runners.
• Machines should be turned off when not in use.
• Electrical receptacles must have safety guards attached preventing children six (6) years and under from placing foreign objects into the plug (e.g. forks, paperclips, etc.)

Check for posted announcements on bulletin boards regarding emergency procedures and "Novalert" contact announcements. All telephones should have "Novalert" stickers applied which offers the emergency numbers to be called.

In laboratories safety test by flushing eye wash stations and emergency showers.

Check in laboratories to insure that fire extinguishers are current and the lab in question is equipped with emergency fire blankets.

Fire Safety

All exits must be clearly marked and always accessible. Boxes and or files should never be stored in approach areas to exit doorways.

Check all EXIT signs for illumination and if installed battery back up. Check emergency lighting by pressing the red "test" button located on the side or underneath the EXIT sign in question.

Check all fire extinguishers: one extinguisher per 3000 square feet or fifty (50) linear feet if obstructed. Check the extinguisher for pressure-indicator needle should be in the green or white "charged" zone. Check for date last charged or inspected. Most extinguishers expire one year from date stamped or punched on the tag attached to the extinguisher. Any fire suppression system, commonly found in Kitchens above stoves and halon systems expire six (6) months from date punched.

Paper decorations in a single room may cover no more than 20% of the wall space of a room. No paper decorations are allowed to be mounted in an exit way unless a certificate has been shown that it has been sprayed with a fire retardant or the display was made with fire retardant material.

Adequate ventilation is a must, as it clears stale air and promotes alertness. Be observant for ceiling tiles having stained marks due to water leakage. These are to be replaced immediately due to the possibility of mold. Be observant of dirty tiles in the are of ceiling vents which could indicate that the air filters need to be cleaned.

• In labs, activate fume hoods when working with any chemicals. The vacuum effect created by the active hood will dissipate any hazardous fumes from the lab environment. There is no storage of any type permitted under the fume hood when not in use.
• Eating and drinking in the labs is prohibited. There is to be no mixing of personal food and lab specimens in lab refrigerators. Chemical refrigerators must be locked at all times.
• Employee break areas should be kept clean and orderly.
• Check washrooms for condition and cleanliness.

In areas where hazardous substances may be used, especially in the workplace, an inquiry must be made to ascertain if there is a written hazard communication program dealing with Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), and labeling of container contents. MSDS sheets are to be made available for each hazardous substance used and must not be locked in a room or cabinet. The MSDS sheets must be made available to anyone working in the area.

All flammable materials are to be in approved containers and secured in proper storage cabinets. All containers should be clearly marked. In areas where children and handicapped persons are present, cleaning or other toxic hazards should be removed and secured.

All toxic chemicals or other dangerous materials should be stored in approved containers and locked in proper storage rooms of cabinets.

Extreme care should be taken to ensure that corrosive materials are separated from oxidizing chemicals in labs due to the potential explosive effect.

High pressure compressed gases such as helium cylinders or similar cylinders utilized in trigas welding operations should be kept where they will not be knocked over and should be chained or restrained to keep them from falling. Portable cylinders generally will have either cylinder caps or collars designed to protect the container valve from being broken off or damaged. Users should keep these cylinder caps in place at all times except when the container is in service.

A spacious, well planned area is the first step in preventing common types of accidents and injuries. Foot traffic should flow easily around and through offices, desks, equipment and machines. Make sure all exits are clearly marked and make sure all passageways are clear of obstacles.

Walkways and doorways should not be blocked by furniture and equipment. The goal is an unobstructed view around file cabinets, partitions, corners and passageways.

Furniture

Chairs should remain firmly on the floor. Check that all caster wheels are secure and that all support legs are sturdy.

Try to encourage all employees to open only one file cabinet drawer at a time. When setting up new files, the heavier items should be stored toward the bottom of the cabinet if possible.

Office Equipment

Good housekeeping is plain common sense. One does not need intensive training to recognize at first glance weather or not the housekeeping personnel are doing an adequate job. Cleanliness and orderliness are basic for good fire safety and a safe work environment.

Be aware of aisles clogged with materials waiting to be processed and the haphazardly placing of materials on top of file cabinets. Bookcases should be secured to the wall to prevent any tipping.

Any throw carpets that are the personal property of employees and have been brought in and are placed within offices must have edges taped or anchored so as to avoid tripping.

Stairs should be dry, clean and free from obstacles. Skid resistant coating, rubber mats and anti slip strips should be employed to help increase friction when ever possible. Stair enclosures are not to be utilized for storage or any other purpose than occupant movement. Even if stair landings are larger than needed to satisfy the means of egress requirements, there is absolutely no storage permitted. Building furnishings cannot be placed in such landings or under stairwells.

It is not uncommon for occupants to prop open stair doors for the sake of convenience. Wood blocks, wedges, or pieces of rope near a fire door indicate that the occupants are blocking or holding open fire doors. These actions completely defeat the purpose of fire doors and it is a practice that must be corrected and counseled immediately.

Liquid spills are a major cause of people slipping and falling. All spills are to be cleaned up immediately, especially in the areas around soda vending machines and tiled floor surfaces.

Please be particularly attentive to building entrance ways that are bordered with marble or other glazed surfaces especially after any bad weather events. Please keep an eye out for worn or frayed spots on carpets and report them immediately for repair.