The New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control will begin our annual fire inspection on Monday, January 27.
Please review your workspaces and ensure that you are maintaining a safe and compliant environment for yourself and others in the building. Your help will also support the University’s goal of no violations.
Please take a moment to review the checklist appropriate for your area: https://intranet.clarkson.edu/administrative/dehs/fire-safety/annual-fire-inspection/
Top items to look out for:
- Portable space heaters – If you have a portable space heater in your space, ensure that it is UL listed, it has an automatic shutoff feature if it were to tip over, it is plugged directly into a wall outlet (no extension cord or power strip use), it is at least 3 ft away from any combustible material and is not left on unattended.
- Propped fire doors – Which used to be acceptable as long as the room was occupied, is now no longer permitted by the Fire Marshal.
- Refrigerators/microwaves – All refrigerators and microwaves must be plugged directly into a wall outlet. They cannot be plugged into a power strip or extension cord.
- Power strips – If you are using a power strip or multi-plug outlet extender, ensure that it has surge protection and that it is plugged directly into an electrical outlet. It cannot be combined with any other power strips, extension cords, or other multi-plug adapters.
- Egress – Always ensure that you have a clear egress path out of your workspace and ensure that your door can fully open. You should not have items stored behind it preventing it from opening.
- Emergency equipment access – Do not store items in front of any emergency equipment, including fire extinguishers, electrical panels, emergency eyewash stations, and emergency showers. It is important to have quick and easy access to them in the event of an emergency.
- Unsecured labs – If you work in a laboratory setting, please ensure that the door gets closed and locked any time the space is not occupied (even if you just step out for a few minutes and anticipate coming right back).
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the upcoming inspection or items on these checklists, please reach out to Erica Arnold (earnold@clarkson.edu) or Brian Moulton (blmoulto@clarkson.edu) in the Environmental Health & Safety Department.