BATON ROUGE, LA -- In recognition of National Fire Prevention Month (October), Louisiana Workers' Compensation Corporation (LWCC) is reminding employers to educate their employees about fire safety in the workplace.  

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) reports that workplace fires and explosions kill 200 workers and injure more than 5,000 workers each year.

On average, 7,000 fires per year occur in office buildings, putting people out of work and greatly impacting their lives and livelihoods. The major causes of fires in the workplace are misuse of electrical equipment or electrical failure (such as overloading fuses), placing combustible materials near heat sources, using equipment with frayed cords or bent prongs, and improperly storing flammable materials.

"There are many steps that employers can take to prevent fires in the workplace," says Mike Dileo, vice president of operations for LWCC. "Employers can start by implementing a fire evacuation plan and making sure employees practice these procedures periodically throughout the year so that everyone knows exactly what to do in case of a fire emergency."

Among the most important steps of any workplace fire evacuation plan are making sure exit routes are properly marked and free of obstacles, assuring that fire extinguishers are available and in proper working order and that employees know how to use them, and that batteries in smoke detectors are changed regularly.

"Fires not only destroy workplaces, they destroy jobs," says Dileo. "Whether you're in a factory or in an office, it is important to recognize and eliminate fire risks.  As winter nears, we hope that the many messages employees hear about fire prevention in the home will carry over into the workplace."

For more fire safety information, including topics such as Planning An Effective Evacuation Procedure, Extinguishing Fire Hazards, and Quick Tips from the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), visit LWCC's Web site at www.lwcc.com.

LWCC (www.lwcc.com) is a private, nonprofit mutual insurance company.  It is the largest writer of workers? compensation insurance in Louisiana, covering about 23,000 policyholders. The company carries an "A" (Excellent) rating from A.M. Best and, for the fifth year in a row, was named one of the top 50 property and casualty insurance companies in the nation by Ward Group, the leading authority on insurance industry benchmarking.