The New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control is on campus this week (02/25 – 02/28) to continue with our annual fire inspection. This week we will be focused on academic spaces. Please review your work areas (offices, labs, classrooms) on campus and ensure that you are maintaining a safe and compliant environment for you and others in the building. Some of the more frequent issues we have been observing to keep an eye out for in your area include:
- Items stored too close to the ceiling – must maintain 18″ of clearance from the ceiling if the space is equipped with sprinklers, 24″ of clearance from the ceiling if no sprinklers
- Microwaves, refrigerators & space heaters plugged in incorrectly – all of these items must be plugged directly into the wall if being used (not into a powerstrip)
- Daisychaining – powerstrips and extension cords in use must be plugged directly into a wall outlet (they cannot be combined in any way)
- Lab unsecured & unoccupied – if there is nobody in the lab, the door must be locked
- Lack of labeling – all solutions in a lab must be properly labeled with their contents
- Missing ceiling tiles – if there happens to be a ceiling tile out, please submit a work order to have it replaced
- Fire doors not closing properly – if your office or lab fire door does not close and latch on its own without assistance, please submit a work order to have it adjusted
You can use the following checklists linked below as a more comprehensive guide:
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the upcoming inspection or items on this checklist, please reach out to Erica Arnold (earnold@clarkson.edu) or Joe McGill (jmcgill@clarkson.edu) in the Environmental Health & Safety Department.
Thank you!