Staff Fire Safety Training

Staff fire safety training should be well within the scope of the management of any small business. It can be carried out for a small number of employees and they in turn could train the rest of the workforce.

It is the responsibility of employers to ensure that their staff are adequately trained on what to do in the event of fire. Training should be should be given upon induction and specialised training for those with responsibilities i.e. Managers / Wardens etc

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 Portable Fire Extinguishers

Information Staff should be aware of

1. Discovering a fire – Personnel should be made aware of the method of raising the alarm in a premises, this should include the position of manual fire alarm call points and their method of operation
2. 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, they should also be made aware of fire doors and their purpose in protecting escape routes
3. Assembly points – Personnel should be shown their ‘Fire Assembly Point’ and made aware of the need to ensure everybody have been accounted for
4. Calling the Fire and Rescue Service – Personnel should be made aware of the method of calling the fire service and the location of telephones
5. A basic knowledge of the theory of fire – The fire triangle
6. 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”

A selection of types of courses provided

• Fire Safety – Basic Induction

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 Warden

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