The Official Allied Universal Fire Life Safety Training Blog

Part 1 in a Series

Extreme weather causes some of the most devastating natural disasters known to man. Already this year, the United States has faced six weather and climate-related major disaster events, which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reports have resulted in 36 deaths and economic losses exceeding one billion dollars. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) breaks these disasters into eight major categories: extreme heat, floods, hurricanes, landslides and mudslides, lightning, tornadoes, tsunamis, and winter weather. This week, we will discuss extreme heat. Check back for future posts, which will conclude our series. Read the rest of this entry »

According to AAA, nearly 37 million Americans (88 percent of travelers), will drive to their destinations this summer – which represents an increase of 4.7 percent over 2017. Another three million will take to the skies, increasing air travel by 6.8 percent over last summer. Other modes of transportation will include cruises, trains and buses, which will be used by nearly two million travelers. If you plan to join the ranks of summer travelers sometime between now and Labor Day, heed necessary precautions and take these steps to avoid travel-related scams to ensure your journey is safe. Read the rest of this entry »

Although it’s a great way to exercise and stay cool during the hot summer weather, participating in water sports is not without risk. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 360,000 people drown each year. The good news is that most water-related fatalities and injuries can be prevented when safety steps are taken.

To keep your family and friends safe this summer, observe the following summer water safety tips: Read the rest of this entry »

Despite the migration of millions of American employees to home offices, 78 percent of the U.S. workforce still report for duty at a company facility, at least part-time. So, safety in the workplace remains of paramount importance. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports there were approximately 2.9 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses reported by private industry employers in 2016, which occurred at a rate of 2.9 cases per 100 full-time workers.

Workplace Injuries

Potential causes of workplace injuries and death range from fatigue (due to inadequate ergonomics or overexertion); substance abuse; slips, trips and falls; to natural and manmade disasters, including workplace violence. If a major emergency occurs or you get hurt on the job, everyone pays the price—in down time, lost productivity, low morale and economic impacts. But when we work together to create a safer place to work, we’re all more productive and satisfied with our jobs and business operations are better prepared to recover. For the purposes of this post, we will focus on workplace safety before, during and after disasters. 

Workplace Disasters

The U.S. Department of Labor estimates two million people fall victim to workplace violence each year. Employees in retail and healthcare are particularly vulnerable, but it can happen anywhere. Working with your local police department can help you control risk and plan for incidents that might occur. Whatever the cause of the workplace emergency, your attitudes and actions can impact your ability to survive the situation. Whether manmade (terrorist attack or coworker’s violent aggression) or natural (severe weather or earthquake), workplace disasters require specific preparation and reactions.

Official Safety Training

One way to make sure you are ready is to complete Community Emergency Response Team training (CERT). The CERT program supports local response capability by training volunteers to spontaneously organize themselves at the disaster site, to provide immediate assistance to victims, and to collect disaster intelligence to support responders’ efforts when they arrive. But CERT is not the only way to prepare yourself for a workplace emergency. Wherever you work, you play a critical role in creating a safe and healthy workplace for everyone by following pre-established emergency procedures and measures.

To help, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has produced a free booklet about citizen preparedness, which may help you if disaster strikes when you are at work. Entitled “Are You Ready?”—the in-depth guide walks readers through steps to take to keep them safe in any hazardous situation. FEMA’s awareness campaign is called: “Disasters Don’t Plan Ahead. You Can.”That’s wise advice for employers as well as individuals.Emergency response planning can save lives, reduce the number of injuries, and prevent loss of property.

To be safe at work, before disaster strikes:

• Identify potential workplace hazards and safety roles and responsibilities. Know that workplace disasters can strike at any time, with little or no warning.
• Conduct a job safety analysis to establish proper work procedures to help prevent workplace injuries and illnesses.
• Executives and safety officers must keep communication open to make sure workers are comfortable with learning and offer feedback.
• Maximize personal safety at your regular workspace. Keep area free from clutter.
• Participate in safety training drills.
• Report hazards, incidents, and near-misses.
• Take steps to control flammable and combustible materials in your department and make sure they do not pose a fire or explosion hazard. (For example, large accumulations of waste paper or other combustible materials can pose fire risk.)
• Ask for help, when needed, to maintain your safety.
• Assemble a disaster supplies kit.
• Obey “No Smoking” rules. Careless disposal of cigarettes and matches can lead to fires and explosions.
• Store and handle hazardous materials properly, according to the instructions on the label and on the safety data sheet.
• Use and maintain equipment properly.

During & After an Emergency:

• Stay alert. Just as you drive defensively on the road, use the same caution at work.
• Know the risks and danger signs.
• Don’t get into situations you are not trained to handle.
• Identify at least two ways out of any potentially hazardous situation.
• Volunteer to help others.
• Listen to officials for information about evacuation or sheltering in place.
• Repair damaged property.
• Take steps to prevent or reduce future loss.

About the Allied Universal Fire Life Safety Services System

No matter the type of emergency you may face while at work, take steps to make sure you are safe. Our interactive, building-specific e-learning program helps commercial, residential, educational, institutional, government, retail and industrial buildings with compliance to fire life safety codes and rewards building occupants instantly! It’s a convenient and affordable solution to the training needs of your facility. Click here for more information or to subscribe.

People who live or work in high-rise residential or commercial buildings face very specific disaster-preparedness challenges. Emergencies such as fires, bomb scares, weather-related incidents and earthquakes present special dangers for high-occupancy buildings, such as dormitories, apartment homes, condominiums and office complexes. The best defense is a coordinated emergency-response plan that identifies potential risks and outlines the best response.With limited access to egress, if you’re in a high-rise when disaster strikes, you might need to stay in the building until the emergency passes. Or, if evacuation is necessary, you would need to quickly find the exit.

The good news is that high-rise building requirements include more working sprinklers and fire alarm equipment than non-high-rise facilities. And if your building owner or manager subscribes to the Allied Universal Fire Life Safety Training System, first responders will have access to building-specific instructions, which will help in emergency situations. To help make sure you are prepared, we have assembled some tips to keep you safe.

High-Rise Disaster Safety Tips

In all situations—

• Take responsibility for your own safety. This is important because, in some situations, first response may be delayed in reaching you.
• Familiarize yourself with the safety features of your facility (fire alarms, sprinklers, voice communication procedures, evacuation plans and alarm response).
• Make sure exit and stairwell doors are clearly marked, remain unlocked and are free from debris and clutter which could obstruct the walkway.
• If an official makes an announcement, listen carefully and follow directions.
• If you are told to evacuate, go outside and gather at the pre-arranged meeting place.
• Stay put until an official instructs you it is safe to return to the building.

For Fire—

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)reports there are approximately 16,000 to 20,000 fires in high-rise buildings each year. This represents 2 to 4 percent of all building fires. If you are in a high-rise when fire breaks out:

• Well in advance of an emergency, find the locations of all available exit stairs from your floor in case the nearest one is blocked by fire or smoke.
• Don’t automatically run for the stairs. Stay put and wait for instructions.
• If it is clear you should evacuate, pull the alarm on your way out, to notify the fire department and your neighbors. Don’t assume someone else will handle this.
• If the fire alarm sounds, feel the door before opening and close all doors behind you as you leave. If the door is hot, find another way out. If it is cool, leave by the nearest exit.
• Instead of taking the elevator, use the stairs in a fire, unless the fire department instructs otherwise. Some buildings come equipped with elevators, which are intended for emergency use. Such elevators should be clearly marked.
• If someone is trapped in the building, notify the fire department.
• If you are unable to evacuate your apartment or high-rise workplace in a fire due to flames, smoke or a disability, stuff wet towels or sheets around the door and vents to keep smoke out. Call the fire department to alert officials to your location.
• Slightly open a window and wave a bright-colored cloth to signal your location. However, be prepared to close the window if smoke conditions worsen.

To Shelter in Place—

In some emergency scenarios, you may need to stay put instead of evacuating.

• If you are in a high-rise building during a flood or storm surge, stay on floors located just above flood waters.
• In case of a hurricane or other situations which could produce strong winds, stay in hallways or interior rooms. Also, remember, modern high-rise buildings are built to sway with weather. So, the higher the floor, the more wind you will likely feel.
• If an earthquake occurs while you are in a high-rise building, stay put. Studies in Japan (Tokyo is home to 2,390 high-rise buildings and 114 skyscrapers) reveal that traversing as little as 10 feet during an earthquake significantly increases the odds of injury. Take Cover. The Great ShakeOut teaches participants to drop, cover and hold on. This is great advice during an earthquake, in any size building. If you are in a high-rise building when an active shooter incident occurs, run, hide or fight. When it is safe to do so, call 911 and describe the shooter, location, and weapons.

High-Rise Safety Resources:

FEMA Building Code Resources

National Fire Protection NFPA High-Rise Building Safety

Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) Evacuation & Sheltering-in-Place

About the Allied Universal Fire Life Safety Services System

No matter the type of emergency you may face while in a high-rise building, take steps to make sure you are safe. Our interactive, building-specific e-learning program helps commercial, residential, educational, institutional, government, retail and industrial buildings with compliance to fire life safety codes and rewards building occupants instantly! It’s a convenient and affordable solution to the training needs of your facility. Click here for more information or to subscribe.

A quarter century ago, the Autism Society launched a nationwide effort to promote autism awarenessand acceptance and draw attention to the tens of thousands facing diagnosis of the disorder each year. Toward that end, April was declared Autism Awareness Month in 2007. The goal of the annual event (as well as the society), is to encourage acceptance and appreciation for anyone who is diagnosed as autistic.Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a “spectrum” disorder because of the wide variety of type and severity of symptoms patients experience. Read the rest of this entry »

The first cellphone was developed in 1973 by Motorola Researcher Martin Cooper. Heavy and clunky, that first device was a far cry from the sleek, versatile mobile phones of today. Since Cooper’s invention, companies have competed to produce more portable technology and offer better connectivity. And they have largely succeeded. In fact, as a result, worldwide today, 2.53 billion people own smartphones. According to a Pew Research study, 95 percent of Americans own a cellphone of some kind, with 77 percent of the devices qualifying as “smart.” With smartphone use at an all-time high, it’s time to examine the myriad ways the device can aid disaster preparation, survival and recovery.   Read the rest of this entry »

Unfortunately, a pattern has recently unfolded across the country. An active shooter opens fire on students during school, such as what occurred last month in Parkland, Fl., where 17 innocent victims lost their lives and –even more recently – in Maryland, where a 17-year-old student shot two others. This type of event spurs widespread panic and concern about campus safety. Students, parents and political pundits demand gun law reform, teacher armament and mental health awareness. Then, almost as immediately as the frenzy begins, conversations about the court of public opinion abound. But the issue remains. How can we keep American elementary, middle-school, high school and college students safe? Read the rest of this entry »

One of the most important tools for effective disaster management is communication. With lives at risk, the need to quickly, effectively and accurately communicate is crucial. To train stakeholders and entire communities to make the best possible decisions for their well-being during a crisis or emergency, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) developed Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) in 2002. CERC draws from lessons learned by public health officials, psychologists and emergency risk managers. The CDC’s CERC program provides training sessions, tools and resources to help health communicators, emergency responders and leaders of organizations communicate effectively during emergencies.  Read the rest of this entry »

With sudden onset of congestion, body aches, fever and chills, over the past few months, millions of Americans have been battling Influenza, aka the flu. Worse yet, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) reports that, worldwide, somewhere between 300,000 and 646,000 people die each year from seasonal flu-related respiratory illnesses. The threat to the workforce from such a debilitating and contagious illness is notable. In an article in Time Health, Dr. Jonathan D. Quick points to complacency as the reason the bug has reached epidemic proportions: Read the rest of this entry »