September 28, 2012
Dear Everyone:
Pop Quiz:
Where’s the nearest
fire extinguisher?
Whenever I start in a new work environment, I
always check to see where the nearest one is.
This is not because I expect a conflagration at any moment
(although that could happen.)
It’s because the Safety People get word of new
employees/contractors and when people are moving from one location to
another. Then the Safety
People show up with a “checklist” to make sure that you are Safe! Safe!
Safe! in your new area.
And one of the questions on their checklist is,
invariably, “Where’s the nearest fire extinguisher?”
They get points if your answer is:
“I don’t know.” Then
they make you go look for it.
So, when I started in this (temporary) job last
May, one of the first things I did was go look for the fire
extinguisher. Turns out,
it’s right near the printer.
Of course, you can’t see that from your desk, what with pillars and
walls and such.
And, if you do get the first question right, the
next question is: “If that
one’s cut off, where’s the next nearest one?”
Would you believe, around the corner, down the
hall, make a right, go straight, make a left, go straight and it’s just
outside the “café”, which is what they call the kitchen/break area?
And, because they’re both completely out of
sight, how do you know which one is actually the closest one?
Right. Count paces.
Turns out, the one by the printer is about 30
paces, going around various cubicles; the one by the kitchen is more
like 36 paces. Or, as
“Jeannie” would say, “Half of one, six dozen of the other.”
(By the way, this makes a great impromptu Safety
Moment in a meeting. Doesn’t
matter if no one knows the answer.
It sparks a discussion and that’s all that counts.)
Now, if I was at home, the answer would be just
outside the front door.
There’s one mounted on the wall outside my building.
And, when I bought the place, there were sprinklers built into
the ceiling just above said fire extinguisher.
But we found out, after the Developer had gone
scampering away, that the sprinkler heads were actually “designer
options”, i.e., cosmetic only.
Not really connected to any water pipes.
There were some tense discussions with the
Fire
Marshal about whether the
Association would have to pay for plumbers to
tear out the walls and add pipes to go with the sprinklers, but the
decision was made to just remove the “designer options”.
Of course, every home should have at least one
fire extinguisher. And you
can buy one at the hardware store for around $50.
But my feeling is: If
the place is on fire, don’t waste time looking for the extinguisher!
Just get out! Call
for help once you (and your neighbors, of course) are safely out of the
building.
Forgot your cell phone?
Don’t go back for it.
(And that’s another reason why your Emergency
Supply Box should be someplace outside the house.
If it’s caught in the fire, it won’t do you much good, will it?)
Love, as always,
Pete
| Previous | Next |