IndexIntroductionContextCurrent StatusProposed StatusImplementation PlanConclusionIntroductionThe Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that explosions and fires were responsible for approximately 3% of workplace deaths in the United States. Each year, uncontrolled fires impose significant impacts on organizations by causing property damage, loss of life, injury, and loss of customer confidence (National Association for Fire Prevention 125). As a result, setting up a fire prevention and preparedness plan can play a significant role in helping the organization avoid employee injury and death, property damage, and potential monetary and legal liabilities that could be imposed on the organization . The underlying argument is that a fire prevention plan helps ensure that the facility and employees are prepared in the event of a fire. Therefore, periodically carrying out a fire prevention audit plays a vital role in ensuring that the organization constantly improves its prevention and preparedness measures in the event of a fire. Cote (32) considers the fire safety audit to be an effective tool for evaluating safety standards within an organisation; this is because a fire safety audit helps the organization identify potential areas for improvement and develop an action plan (Dunlap 154). This report conducts a fire safety audit on the TH#1 building in New York and provides appropriate recommendations aimed at improving the fire safety standards of the building. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Context There are numerous regulatory requirements and statutes associated with improving fire safety in the United States. The most fundamental regulatory requirement is the Fire Prevention Code, which refers to a model code implemented by the local jurisdiction and subject to enforcement by local fire prevention officers (National Fire Prevention Association 147). The Fire Prevention Code establishes the minimum requirements necessary to discourage explosion and fire risks arising from the use, handling or storage of hazardous materials or other hazardous conditions. The main purpose of the Fire Prevention Code is to prevent fires and ensure that fire fighting equipment is inspected and maintained regularly in order to achieve optimal fire protection. In this case, the specific regulatory compliance statute and regulatory requirements needed are the Compliance Policy for Emergency Action Plans and Fire Prevention Plans developed by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, which includes a emergency action and a fire prevention plan. The goal of the Emergency Action Plan is to organize and facilitate employee and employer actions during workplace emergencies (Occupational Safety and Health Administration 205). Components of this plan should include escape routes and procedures, procedures for employees remaining to manage critical facility operations prior to their evacuation, procedures necessary to account for all personnel after the evacuation is complete, medical and rescue tasks and the methods used for reporting emergencies. The Fire Prevention Plan has the main purpose of ensuring that there is advance planning for emergencies. The current poor state of fire safety standards in the unitresidential TH#1 in New York State can be attributed to the lack of periodic fire prevention checks, which means that senior management and occupants have not identified any hazardous conditions in the building. Furthermore, from the fire prevention inspection it is clear that no changes or alterations have been made to the housing unit since the last inspection. As a result, management has not made any substantial improvements regarding safety standards in the building because fire prevention checks are not carried out regularly. Perhaps senior management should consider the importance of conducting regular fire prevention audits; this would be instrumental in helping management improve the safety standards of the building (National Fire Prevention Association). Current Status Based on the results of the fire prevention audit, it is evident that management has not conducted any training to residents regarding how to respond to emergency situations; it is used manually for the fire alarm and detection system; the building has a carbon monoxide alarm despite not having been inspected and tested for more than six months; There are no fire extinguishers placed inside the housing unit; periodic inspections of fire alarm and detection systems have been carried out for some time; and the irrigation system has not been tested and inspected for more than a year. It is clear that the main problem, in this case, arises from senior management's reluctance to undertake periodic testing and inspection of the fire safety systems within the building. Furthermore, there are a number of violations of the required safety standards. Overall, it is clear that the state of fire preparation and prevention measures is extremely bleak. In the event of a fire in the building, it is very likely that most residents will not survive due to the dangerous conditions and poor emergency response skills of the residents. The Proposed StateThe proposed State seeks to improve the capacity of residents regarding fire preparedness and prevention and improve the technical risk control measures of the residential unit. Additionally, the proposed state would feature periodic fire prevention audits designed to identify potential hazardous conditions in the building that could impede residents' fire prevention and preparedness efforts. Therefore, the proposed State seeks to address the identified gaps with respect to fire safety. Implementation planThe implementation plan aims to address the gaps identified in the fire prevention audit regarding the fire safety of the building. The first action plan is to develop a fire evacuation plan, which outlines residents' responsibilities during a fire emergency. Developing a fire evacuation plan will outline the steps for how and when to respond to an emergency and the exit route. Residents requiring special attention and needs will be taken into consideration when developing the emergency evacuation plan in the event of a fire. Secondary means of escape are also essential to be incorporated into the emergency evacuation plan in the event of a fire (Craighead 236). The second action plan to fill the identified gaps is to train residents on how to deal with fire emergency situations. The National Fire Prevention Agency and OSHA require that occupants receive annual training on how to respond to emergencies. Each occupant must receive the necessary training and be informed about updated regulations (International.
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