• The U.S. has one of the highest fire death rates in the industrialized world. For 1998, the U.S. fire death rate was 14.9 deaths per million population.
• Between 1994 and 1998, an average of 4,400 Americans lost their lives and another 25,100 were injured annually as the result of fire.

OSHA Requirements for Fire Safety

• OSHA standards require employers to provide proper exits, fire fighting equipment, emergency plans, and employee training to prevent fire deaths and injuries in the workplace.

• Each workplace building must have at least two means of escape remote from each other to be used in a fire emergency.
• Fire doors must not be blocked or locked to prevent emergency use when employees are within the buildings.
• Exit routes from buildings must be clear and free of obstructions and properly marked with signs designating exits from the building.

• Each workplace building must have a full complement of the proper type of fire extinguisher for the fire hazards present.
• Employees who are expected or anticipates using fire extinguishers must be properly trained.

• Each employer needs to have a written emergency action plan for evacuation of employees, which describes the routes to use and procedures to be followed by employees.
• Where needed, special procedures for helping physically impaired employees must be addressed in the plan; also, the plan must include procedures for those employees who must remain behind temporarily to shut down critical plant equipment before they evacuate.
• The preferred means of alerting employees to a fire emergency must be part of the plan and an employee alarm system must be available throughout the workplace facility and must be used for emergency alerting for evacuation. The alarm system may sound signals such as bells, whistles or horns.
• Training of all employees in what is to be done in an emergency is required. Employers must review the plan with newly assigned employees so they know correct actions in an emergency and with all employees when the plan is changed.