When you’re running a high-risk business, fire safety isn’t just a compliance form checkbox—it’s a matter of survival. You obviously don’t want any slip-ups, but when it comes to fires, there’s hardly such a thing as a “slip-up.” It’s usually all or nothing with how dangerous fires are.

It really doesn’t matter what your business is, either. Be it a restaurant flipping burgers on a gas range, welding metal in a fabrication shop, or keeping a manufacturing plant buzzing your daily grind involves heat, sparks, and other fiery risks. Homes are already pretty much at risk of fires due to cooking, electrical fires, and whatever else. 

But of course, it’s even higher for businesses, especially for a lot of businesses. So, how do you keep the flames where they belong? Well, here are some fire prevention tips that every high-risk business owner should know.

Understand Your Fire Risks

So, for starters, there’s the obvious: you’ll have to know your enemy. Now, each high-risk business comes with its unique fire hazards. In restaurants, grease fires are a daily threat. Welding shops? You’ve got sparks flying that could ignite nearby materials in a heartbeat. Manufacturing? Well, depending on your materials, you could have a powder keg waiting to go off. These are just three examples from three different types of industries, of course.

The key here is to understand exactly what could start a fire in your business and take that risk seriously. So, you’re going to have to just conduct regular fire risk assessments, and don’t just do it because you have to. Do it because you want to keep your people, property, and profits safe. Technically, even businesses that are not high risk could still risk a fire, so all businesses should ideally look into this.

Keep Your Fire Safety Equipment Up to Snuff

Having fire safety equipment is like having an insurance policy—you hope you never need it, but you’ll be glad it’s there when you do. The basics are non-negotiable: fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, and sprinkler systems. 

But here’s where many high-risk businesses drop the ball—they forget that this equipment needs regular maintenance. Honestly, a fire extinguisher might be the best example of this. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t, and the same applies to sprinklers. Basically, you won’t want to find out the

Don’t Skimp on a Firefighting Pump

This piggybacks on the above because sometimes, even your current equipment might not be enough to help (well, potentially). Honestly, high-risk businesses are far better off doing more than just the basics. 

For example, if you don’t have a fire hydrant nearby, or your existing fire suppression systems aren’t up to par (and that’s far more common than you might think), then it’s time to consider getting firefighting pumps installed. But what exactly is this, though? Well, this piece of equipment is your heavy hitter, designed to deliver water at high pressure to knock down flames quickly and efficiently. 

So, not every business will need these them, but these pumps are essential for remote locations or large facilities where access to water might be limited. It’s a small investment compared to what you could lose in a fire. So, if you don’t have one yet, it’s time to get on it. Your future self will thank you.

Train Your Staff Like Their Lives Depend On It

Well, their lives technically do depend on it. All the fire safety gear in the world won’t help if your team doesn’t know how to use it. So, this might be obvious, but you’re going to have to conduct regular fire drills, teach your team how to use extinguishers properly, and make sure everyone knows the evacuation plan like the back of their hand.