Food left unattended during cooking is a leading cause of campus firesThe Campus Safety team in UAB’s Department of Environmental Health and Safety works year-round to inspect facilities, test fire safety systems and enforce safety codes.
But “we cannot protect the campus alone,” said Robert Emmons, director of Campus and Life Safety in EH&S.
“We need the daily partnership of students, faculty and staff,” Emmons explained. “They are the ones occupying the residence halls, labs, offices and classrooms every day.”
Practicing prevention
Emmons shares several key prevention practices:
Eliminate electrical hazards:
- Do: Use heavy-duty surge protectors with internal circuit breakers.
- Do not: Overload outlets, use frayed cords or connect multiple power strips together.
Keep escape routes clear:
Emergency exits, corridors and stairwells must never be blocked by delivery boxes, surplus office furniture or other storage items.
Watch what you cook:
Never leave cooking food unattended. This is a leading cause of campus fires, Emmons says. That includes microwaving a late-night snack in a residence hall or leaving a brewing coffee pot unattended in a department’s breakroom.
Respect fire systems:
Never hang items from ceiling sprinklers, and immediately report inadequate lighting, blocked emergency exits or malfunctioning equipment to EH&S, Emmons says.
Working together to prevent fires
“Fire prevention is not just crossing off a seasonal checklist or the job of a single department,” Emmons noted. “We can all work together to stay vigilant, eliminate workplace and residential hazards, and report issues immediately.”