Fires at the workplace happen more often than you can imagine and they usually occur during the working hours when the office building is full of people. Therefore, fire safety is a serious matter and every business is legally required to assess and minimize all potential risks. In other words, developing a strong fire protection strategy is a must and in order to help you out with this, we’ve prepared a list of essential fire safety tips. Let’s take a look. Check your electrical equipment regularly The majority of office buildings are full of computers, printers, photocopiers and other electrical equipment which, unless properly maintained, can pose a huge risk to employees’ safety. So, instead of just taking one’s chance, a serious business must make sure to have its equipment regularly checked by an experienced professional. On top of that, it’s advisable to organize short tutorials for all workers, owing to which they’ll learn how to use all the devices properly and have an opportunity to ask questions and express their concerns. Test your fire alarm system as well Every building is required by law to have a fire detection system installed. However, if you did this 5 years ago and it never occurred to you to check whether it’s still operational, your fire warning system is likely to fail in case of an emergency. So, it’s high time you created a monthly check-up schedule. However, apart from confirming that it works properly, you should talk to all your employees and ensure that the siren is heard loud and clear in every part of the office. Note the difference between commercial and residential fire protection standards Residential properties include houses, apartments and other premises where people live, while commercial ones are all the buildings used to generate profit. They include office buildings, industrial buildings, shopping centres, restaurants, etc. Considering the fact that commercial buildings are occupied by a large number of people, there are numerous strict regulations and laws that they must abide by. The majority of countries, including Australia, have a long list of fire protection standards that can seem too complicated to follow if you don’t have any experience in this field. Therefore, serious Australian business owners always contact an experienced electrician from Sydney, whose job is to fulfil all of these requirements and ensure the safety of the employees. Emergency escape route plan should be accessible to everyone Even though the main goal is to prevent fire from breaking out ever, you need to be prepared for an emergency as well. First of all, you should see to it that the emergency escape route plan is accessible to everyone and that all your colleagues fully understand it. Additionally, you should keep the route clear and remove all obstacles, like plants and spare chairs. Lastly, office fire drills represent valuable practice, so it’s essential that each and every person participates in them. Having done this, your employees will feel much safer and more in control if an unfortunate event occurs at any time in the future. Deal with paper clutter Not only does paper clutter look messy and make you seem unprofessional, but it can also pose a major fire hazard. Therefore, instead of hoarding it all around your office and endangering many lives, try to get rid of all the unnecessary documents as soon as possible. We particularly encourage you to recycle them and thus help the preservation of the environment as well. Once you’re done with this, you should focus on organising and storing all the important papers. You can try to come up with some practical storage solutions such as installing shelves that won’t occupy any additional floor space, or several drawers where you can systematically place and label all your files. Finally, switching to digital storing is another amazing way to minimize the number of hard copies in your office space. Lecture your employees on safe smoking breaks Many smokers don’t think about possible safety risks and dispose of their cigarette-ends near flammable materials such as leaves and papers, which can be often found in rubbish bins. In order to apprehend such irresponsible behaviour before it’s too late, you should lecture all your employees on safe smoke breaks. Moreover, you can go a step further and design a special area for smokers which will be constructed according to the highest standards and safety regulations. This will also show your workers how much you care about their needs and encourage them to follow the rules and give their 100% at work. Invest in quality emergency lighting Last but not least, equipping your office with emergency lighting is essential and it serves to provide the space with enough illumination when normal lighting fails in case of a fire. Owing to it, you’ll manage to prevent panic and enable the employees to find the emergency exits easily. Keep in mind that this is a serious task and that you need to hire a special designer and fire risk assessor who will together work on an installation plan, select an adequate type of power supply and find the best way to cover all the necessary areas. As you can see, fire-proofing an office building and training your employees for an emergency is a serious task. However, if you devise a sound plan, hire professionals and abide by the law, you’ll have nothing to worry about. Employees’ safety is what matters the most and every responsible business owner won’t fail to provide it.

(NC) As Canadians get ready to file their 2018 taxes, the Canada Revenue Agency is reminding everyone to be cautious of tax schemes. These questionable schemes often use false information and target vulnerable taxpayers like students, seniors and newcomers. Some dishonest tax schemes can promise to reduce what you owe or convince you to pay less than what you owe. But these arrangements are often too good to be true and can lead to penalties, paying more taxes and jail time. To protect yourself and other taxpayers who you may help file, like your kids in post-secondary school or elderly parents, always get professional, independent advice from a reputable source. Ask questions or enquire further before submitting your return. Here are some other tips to help protect yourself: • Be informed about who you are dealing with at tax time and what their qualifications are. • Stay away from tax preparers who offer you false tax claims such as charitable donations, child care expense claims, or even business expenses or losses. • If you don’t understand your return, don’t be shy about asking questions. • Make sure the tax preparer gives you a copy of your return for your records. • Never sign a blank tax form. • Remember that even if someone else prepares your tax return, you are responsible for all the information on the return. • Generally, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. To make sure you have the most up-to-date information available, check out canada.ca/tax-schemes.