Here are eight user-friendly resources to improve your fire safety. We scoured the internet for some of the most useful, practical and easy-to-digest fire safety content. Since we are in the Greater Toronto Area, some of the information is specific to Toronto or Ontario, but much of it will be helpful no matter where you are located.
This list is oriented towards fire safety for businesses, municipal buildings, multi-unit properties and facility management providers in Greater Toronto.
#1 The National Fire Protection Assocation (NFPA)
An industry leader, its only natural that the NFPA takes the number one slot on our list of resources. Here are a few of the many resources you will find on their site:
- Safety Tip Sheets, including:
- Campus Safety Tips
- Dryer Safety Tips
- Carbon Monoxide Safety Tips
- Wood Pellet Stove Safety Tips
- Hotel Motel Safety Tips
- High Rise Safety Tips
- Consumer Safety Info Based on Type of Occupancy (Building and Usage)
- A section dedicated to electrical safety in the workplace.
- A free online electrical safety self-assessment.
- Resources, reports and services to businesses.
- Annual reports on electrical fires, deaths and incidents across Ontario. The most recent year for which data is available is 2013.
- Read about electrical product safety.
Here is their video on "10 Shocking Facts About Electrical Safety."
The NFSA has been "the voice of the fire sprinkler industry" for an incredible 110 years. View their Sprinkler Resource Toolbox here.
#5 The Ontario Fire Code
At the risk of being too obvious, the Fire Code is the measure of fire safety and compliance, so is always useful to have handy for reference. No list of resources on fire safety in the GTA would be complete without it.
- View the latest list of safety issues, product recalls and warnings.
- Stay up to date with the latest fire news and resources.
- Subscribe to their fire news via email here.
This is an important resource not only for its general fire safety information but also for the degree of relevance for anyone in Toronto. General principles of fire safety may be constant around the world, but when it comes to information about compliance with code, the closer to home the better.
- Local and highly relevant fire safety information.
- Fire safety info specific to high rise buildings.
- Fire safety info specific to the workplace.
- Annual reports (the most recent is 2013).
- Fire Safety Inspection Checklist
- Fire Hazards in Businesses Checklist
- List of Starter Questions for Fire Safety in Your Manufacturing Facility
- Smoke Alarm Maintenance Checklist
- Fire Hazards in Healthcare Facilities Checklist
- Monster List of Questions to Ask Prospective Fire Safety Providers
