Making sure your fire extinguishers are ADA compliant will help all of your employees in the case of an emergency.
Fire protection is one of the most important parts of protecting your employees. But what about employees with special needs? There are many different codes and standards your business will have to live up to in order to follow the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). From the type of fire alarm to the emergency routes out of your building, these features will all have to be ADA compliant. Let’s take a look at what needs to be done to ensure your commercial fire extinguishers are ADA compliant.
Who does the ADA Protect?
According to the ADA Title III, the ADA provides comprehensive civil rights protection for “individuals with disabilities.” These people include people with a mental or physical impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, like walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, learning, and caring for oneself; people with a record of such impairment; or those who are regarded as having such an impairment. According to the ADA, there are certain things businesses must do in order to accommodate these individuals including removing barriers, lowering heights of devices, and providing accommodations when necessary. So how do you install a fire extinguisher that is compliant for people covered under the ADA?
Consider Mounting Height and Protrusions for Fire Extinguishers
When installing a fire extinguisher, it is important to consider the height. The ADA Accessibility Guidelines state that a person in a wheelchair should not have to reach higher forward than 48 inches or lower forward than 15 inches from the ground. If the floor space does not allow for a forward approach, a side approach to the fire extinguisher should be used. If the clear floor space allows for a parallel approach, the maximum high side reach should be 54 inches while the low side reach height is nine inches above the floor. These heights will ensure everyone in your commercial space has access to the fire extinguisher if needed.
It is also important to consider how far your fire extinguisher will protrude from the wall in your facility. ADA Accessibility Guidelines specify the objects that are projecting from the walls with their leading edges between 27 and 80 inches off the floor should not protrude any more than four inches into the walkway. Objects that are mounted with their leading edges below 27 inches can protrude at any amount.
Using these guidelines, your business will always be compliant with the ADA when it comes to your fire extinguishers. Let Fireline help you install your ADA compliant fire extinguishers. For more information on installing fire extinguishers in your business, call Fireline today!
ADA Compliant Fire Extinguishers with Fireline
At Fireline, we offer an array of portable fire extinguishers, fire alarms, and sprinkler systems to keep commercial kitchens safe. Fireline offers the highest quality alarm systems to keep your business safe from fires and carbon monoxide poisoning. We also offer fire suppression systems as well to help keep commercial fires controlled should they break out. Our trained technicians will work with you to determine which air sampling smoke detection system is best for your business. We will also help install and maintain the system for your commercial building.
To get started with Fireline today, or for more information on sprinkler systems call us at 1-800-553-3405, or visit our contact page.
Be sure to “Like” and “Follow” the official Fireline page today on Google+, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.