Don’t let a spark become a fire in your workplace due to a lack of proper fire safety training.
Fire safety is more than a workplace requirement; it’s a responsibility to save lives and property. A well-executed fire safety training program can equip employees with important techniques that could save everyone.
This blog will explore the key components of effective fire training and how you must comply with legal requirements.
Key Components of Fire Safety Training
Fire safety training is an essential element of workplace safety that ensures every protocol is followed, employees are prepared to tackle real-life situations, the equipment is working fine, and employees know how to use fire equipment.
Let’s understand some of the key elements of fire safety training for employees.
Fire Prevention Techniques
Preventing a fire is the first step towards safety. Organizing workplace fire safety training and making everyone aware of the prevention techniques is important.
Here are some fire prevention techniques that could save you from the harm:
Housekeeping
Keeping the workplace clean and free of hoarding is the first step towards safety because clutter can be one of the major reasons for a fire.
A clutter-free workplace reduces the potential fire hazard and ensures it is important to avoid cluttering. Employees must be responsible for keeping their designated areas clean, and they should:
- Regularly clean their workstations to prevent buildups of flammable materials like paper.
- If it is a laboratory, employees must follow the proper guidelines to keep the chemicals and combustible materials secure.
- Make sure there is clear access to the emergency exits and fire extinguishers.
Electrical Safety
Electrical equipment is another fire hazard you may commonly find in offices. Improper use of electrical equipment or overloading outlets can lead to serious fires. Therefore, it is necessary to have a workplace fire safety training for employees to:
- Educate them about overloading of circuits or using damaged wires.
- Turn off electrical devices when not in use and guide the employees to always turn all the equipment off before leaving the office.
- Report and replace the faulty fire equipment immediately.
Smoking Policies
Every workplace has a smoking policy, which is necessary to keep the workplace safe. If it comes in contact with paper or flammable liquids, a single spark from cigarette ash can lead to irreversible disasters. Therefore, establishing clear smoking policies are essential that can include:
- Designated outdoor smoking areas with appropriate disposal units for cigarettes.
- Train and educate employees on the dangers of smoking in prohibited areas, especially indoors and near flammable materials.
Fire Extinguisher Types and Usage
Employee training on fire safety must include guidance on the types of fire extinguishers and their proper usage. Briefly, below are the fire extinguishers and their use:
- Type A: Extinguisher with a red color label for wood, paper, or cloth fire.
- Type B: Extinguisher with a cream color label for flammable liquids like gasoline.
- Type C: Extinguisher with a black color label for electrical fires.
- Type D: Extinguisher with a blue color label for combustible materials.
- Type K: Extinguisher with a yellow label for kitchen fires involving oils, fats, or grease.
Knowing the types of fire extinguishers is not enough. Knowing how to operate a fire extinguisher must be crucial to fire & safety training. The easiest way is to master the PASS (Pull Aim Squeeze Sweep) technique:
- Pull the pin.
- Aim at the base of the fire.
- Squeeze the handle.
- Sweep side to side.
If you want to train your employees, consider enrolling in Coggno fire safety training.
Evacuation Plans and Drills
Evacuation plans are crucial to ensure that everyone gets out safely in an emergency. To master the evacuation plans, the workplace must organize drills whenever necessary or according to OSHA guidelines. Having clear plans prepares the employees for a quick and safe exit.
Emergency Escape Routes
During the fire safety awareness training, familiarize the employees with primary and secondary escape routes. Share the evacuation maps and floor plans with all the employees to ensure everyone knows their nearest exit and the assembly points.
Evacuation Procedures
It is crucial to familiarize employees with the evacuation procedures. Train employees to:
- Exit the building without panicking and avoid using the elevators.
- Assist people with disabilities or visitors who are not familiar with the procedure.
- Leave their belongings in the building and leave immediately.
- Process directly to the designated assembly areas and avoid re-entering the building.
Fire Drills
Arranging regular fire drills with real-life simulated scenarios allows employees to practice evacuation procedures more effectively. They would be aware of potential problems that could occur during a fire and would be able to think quickly in that scenario.
Communication Protocols During a Fire Emergency
Communication is the key in emergency scenarios. Effective communication can make all the difference during a drill or emergency.
If you have planned to organize an unplanned drill, inform the safety wardens and management so they can stay prepared to guide the employees. Here’s a breakdown of how you can communicate:
Raising the Alarm
Train each employee on how to operate a fire alarm and its activation process. Ask them to act immediately as soon as they encounter fire or smoke. Make sure that the alarm is accessible to everyone.
Notifying Authorities
As part of a workplace, all you can do is guide people to a safe area. However, if someone is stuck or to extinguish a fire, it is crucial to notify the authorities as soon as possible. Assign employees roles to ensure someone is responsible for calling 911 or the local fire department.
Accountability
Establish a system of accounting for all employees and train the employees to report their safety to a fire warden at the assembly point.
Practical Fire Safety Exercises
Practice makes a man perfect. Thus, organize regular and practical fire safety exercises for employees. While every step might seem easy in theory, things become harder than they look when it comes to practicality. Here’s how you can do it:
Simulated Smoke Drills
Create a simulation where you use hurdles to mimic the possible problems that can occur during a fire. The employees must pass through those hurdles to reach the safety point.
Teach them techniques like lying low or inhaling smoke and using handrails or walls for guidance in case their sight is affected by smoke.
Hands-On Extinguisher Training
In fire safety training, train them to use fire extinguishers and provide them with supervised practice using them. Allow them to use extinguishers so that they feel prepared to handle small fires safely.
Collaboration with Local Fire Departments
The best approach to fire safety training is to collaborate with local fire departments and let them provide hands-on experiences in fire safety. They can help simulate realistic scenarios and offer valuable insights into emergency techniques and responses.
Moreover, you can also use their help to conduct advanced fire safety training, such as managing extinguishers in real life or navigating smoke-filled areas, making the training more impactful.
How often should fire safety training be conducted?
The most frequently asked question is, “How often do we conduct fire safety training?” According to OSHA, it is mandatory for all businesses to at least conduct fire safety training annually. In general, there can be two types of fire safety training involved:
Physical Training
There must be annual physical training to give employees hands-on experience about ways to deal with the fire.
Online Training
Online training is the most convenient and flexible way to learn fire safety protocols and techniques. With a trustworthy training platform like Coggno, you can arrange it anytime throughout the year.
What Are The Legal Requirements For Fire Safety Training In The Workplace?
Fire safety training is not all about practice but also about complying with legal requirements. OSHA provides all the necessary guidance that a workplace needs while conducting fire safety training to ensure it fulfils the federal legal requirements.
OSHA Regulations
OSHA requires all workplaces to conduct an annual fire safety training to prepare for emergencies. Their key requirements include:
- Create Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) that contain all the details regarding the fire procedures, evacuation process and routes, and methods to report emergencies.
- Every employee must receive training in fire prevention and evacuation protocols according to their workplace.
- They strongly emphasize practicing fire drills to ensure every employee is familiar with the process and the routes.
Training and Evacuation Plans
Training the employees on emergency action plans and providing them with ample fire safety training is legally required. These must include:
- Instructions on reporting a fire using alarms by notifying the superiors are provided.
- Awareness about the nearest exit quotes and their alternatives to avoid congestion is also needed.
- An accountability system should be established once employees reach a designated safe spot.
Fire Extinguisher Use
OSHA requires the placement of fire extinguishers within the reach of the employees who are expected to use them. Training on properly handling fire extinguishers must be conducted annually and when an employee is hired. The training must cover the following:
- The general principles regarding the use of fire extinguishers.
- Type of fire extinguisher to use on a particular type of fire.
- Training them about the PASS technique.
State and Local Regulations
Other than the requirements stated by OSHA, there can be several state and local regulations that might be imposed according to the following factors:
- High-risk buildings and industries and buildings with higher occupancy rates often face stricter fire safety laws.
- Multi-story or complex buildings may also require frequent drills to familiarize employees with exit routes.
- Some jurisdictions may require fire safety certifications for designated or responsible employees for an emergency response.
Conclusion
Consider online training through Coggno to ensure that your employees are prepared to tackle real-life situations after fire safety training.
Find the best online fire safety training course provider so that you can escape a fire safely by using the right techniques and following the protocols.
