Staff Fire Safety Training

Staff fire safety training can be carried out by an external training provider or by employees who have been trained as trainers. It is the responsibility of employers to ensure that their staff are adequately trained on what to do in the event of a fire. Training should be given on induction and preferably a second time within the first month of employment. Refresher training should be given at least once a year. A record should be kept in a log book.

The Syllabus for Fire Safety Training

The three main areas to concentrate the instruction on are:-

• The Fire Action Plan, which forms part of your fire risk assessment, is the principle document and should be fully understood by all your employees. Information on the Fire Emergency Evacuation Plan
• The elements of combustion and a basic understanding on the theory of fire. Information on the Fire Triangle
• The types of fires, types of extinguishing agents, identification of fire extinguishers, use of extinguishers, use of hose reels, and the appropriate extinguisher for each type of fire. Provide practical training in the use of fire extinguishers. Information on Portable Fire Extinguishers

Additional information that staff should be aware of:-

• Discovering a fire – Personnel should be made aware of the method of raising the fire alarm in a premises. This should include the position of manual fire alarm call points and their method of operation.
• Hearing the fire alarm – Personnel should be made aware of the evacuation procedures in their premises. They should be shown escape routes and final exits and they should also be made aware of fire doors and their purpose in protecting escape routes.
• Assembly points – Personnel should be shown their ‘Fire Assembly Point’ and made aware of the need to ensure everybody has been accounted for.
• Calling the Fire and Rescue Service – Personnel should be made aware of the method of calling the fire service and the location of telephones.
• A basic knowledge of the theory of fire – The fire triangle.
• Use of fire extinguishers – Personnel should be trained in the safe use of fire extinguishers. It is not acceptable to say “employees are not expected to use an extinguisher and therefore they don’t need to know”. Small fires can be easily extinguished with a portable extinguisher and reduce the risk of the fire developing further, putting staff at risk.

Fire Safety DVDs

Fire Safety videos or DVDs are a very useful tool when conducting fire safety training. They should not be used as the sole method of instruction but can reinforce a well-planned lecture. The main problem is that the information tends to be very general and will not cover the specific fire procedures for your premises. You can select those that closest represent your particular business and are constructed using modules concentrating on a particular aspect of fire safety. This will enable you to deliver the lectures or practical training over a number of training sessions. These should typically not exceed 45 minutes.

A selection of types of courses provided by outside organisations

Fire Safety – Basic

Basic Fire Safety course, covering basic evacuation procedures, elements of combustion, types of fires, types of extinguishing agents, use of extinguishers and basic firefighting skills.

Fire Safety – Advanced

Fire Safety course, covering evacuation procedures, elements of combustion, types of fires, types of extinguishing agents, use of extinguishers, basic firefighting skills, and survival techniques if trapped in smoke.

Fire Warden

A Fire Warden course covers both theory and practical aspects of Fire Warden roles and responsibilities. The course should place a strong emphasis on practical aspects of emergency evacuation procedures during mock simulations.

Fire Safety – Industrial

A fire safety course covering evacuation procedures, elements of combustion, types of fires, types of extinguishing agents, use of extinguishers, use of hose reels and hose handling techniques, basic firefighting skills and survival techniques if trapped in smoke. A major emphasis on practical skills involving realistic fire simulation to develop a depth of confidence in responding to a small fire.

There are many providers of fire safety training and it is a matter of checking out those that are local to you. It is a matter of comparing quality and cost but do not forget the local Fire Service. Those with training establishments quite often run fire safety courses for outside organisations, the cost for which is usually quite competitive.

Categories:Fire Safety Guides

February 9, 2022[Last updated: February 9, 2022]