Office buildings contain lots of people every day, and thus are prone to certain hazards due to human error. Fires start in office building every day-not only do they destroy valuable equipment and information, but they can also turn deadly.

These office fires can be the result of personal negligence, which can result in personal injury cases from your employees. If you want to avoid personal injury cases, make sure that your office is educated on fire prevention.

The best way to prevent injury in these invents, is to prevent them from happening in the first place. This begins with each and every employee-the more you do to actively educate those in your building about safety, the less likely you all are to experience injury or tragedy.

Make sure that your employees or coworkers participate in practice fire drills on a regular basis. Everyone needs to be familiar with the stairway exits, since elevators will not be function in the case of a fire.

There are lots of areas where fires can originate in office spaces. Any kind of heat producing equipment is a risk including copiers, coffee makers, hot plates, work processors, computers, and more.

Keep these items in well-ventilated areas, and away from things that can catch fires like fabrics, papers, or electrical wires. This will help to keep your building safe.

Electrical appliances can be fire hazards as well. Be sure to turn off all appliances at the end of the day. Keep everything grounded, and plugged into three prong outlets.

If electrical equipment malfunctions or gives off a strange odor, disconnect it and call the appropriate maintenance personnel. Make sure that your building does not contain any frayed, broken, or cracked electrical cords-these are accidents waiting to happen.

Keep extension cords clear of doorways and other areas where they can be stepped on or chafed. It is a good rule to never plug one extension cord into another.

Make sure that there are clear pathways for everyone to be able to access if they need to evacuate. Do not block open paths, and make sure that everyone has access to the stairs.

The local emergency action plan will address potential emergencies that can be expected in your work area. For emergency evacuation, the use of floor plans or workplace maps that clearly show the emergency escape routes and safe or refuge areas should be included in the plan.

All employees must understand what actions they are to take in the work area, and where the safe zone is that they need to assemble when an alarm goes off. If any changes are made to the plan, everyone needs to be notified right away.

If you see or smell a fire in your building, make sure that you notify the fire department immediately. Pull the fire alarm, wherever it may be, and make sure that it goes off in every part of the building.

Isolate the area by closing windows and doors, and make sure that everyone gets out of the building as quickly and as orderly as possible. If you have the time, shut off any running equipment.

Use your fire extinguisher if necessary, to put out any small fires that may be blocking your path. Do not collect personal or official items-they are not more important than your safety, and are certainly not worth dying for.

Try to keep people from running, or becoming panicked. This will only make matters more unsafe, and can cause injury to workers.

Give the firemen all of the details you can when they arrive. Make sure that you do not enter the building until you have been notified by emergency authorities that it is safe.

If the fire alarms are ringing in your building, you must evacuate the building and stay out until notified to return. Move to your designated meeting location or upwind from the building staying clear of streets, driveways, sidewalks, and other access ways to the building.

If you are a supervisor, try to account for your employees, keep them together, and report any missing persons to the emergency personnel at the scene, right away. Make sure that everyone has someone who can come get them, and make sure those in danger are treated for smoke inhalation or burns.

Make sure that your work place is up to code, and that everyone knows the plan in case of a fire. If you have been the victim of a personal negligence related fire, be sure to seek the help of a personal injury lawyer.