Fire Training For The Workplace
Keeping the workplace safe from fire is extremely important and all employees MUST have fire training. This isn’t simply a matter of learning how to use fire extinguishers and practising evacuations, although these are, of course, really important elements of any fire training, but it’s also important to include background information about fire and fire behaviour – a little bit of science. An increased awareness reduces the chance of a fire happening and increases the chances of survival if the worst happens.
So, to help understand fire and fire behaviour a good fire training programme will include some basic science – the science of fire.
For example, fire relies on fuel, oxygen and heat, and putting it out involves removing one of these factors.This is why smothering a fire puts it out – it removes the oxygen. If this little bit of fire training information helps make it easier to understand why smothering a small fire with a wet tea-towel works, it should make it a more logical thing to try.
When a fire is doused with water the water takes out the heat and this puts the fire out. However, if the fire is an oil fire, water will sink to the bottom of the pan and become incredibly hot. The steam produced then forces the burning oil to burst upwards and outwards – making matters much worse – so NEVER try to put out this type of fire with water.
Conduction, convection and radiation can cause a fire to spread through the workplace. Conduction is the movement of heat through a material, and metals are great conductors. For example, if a metal door handle is hot then there is heat on the other side of the door, and it should not be opened. Convection is the movement of heat through air currents. Smoke rises until it hits an obstruction, such as the ceiling, so the air near the floor is cooler and clearer, meaning it makes sense to keep low in smoky conditions. Radiation is when heat spreads from one object to another through an empty space, which is why it is important to keep fire doors closed. Smoke can spread very quickly through a building, usually ahead of a fire, so keeping fire doors closed also helps to stop smoke quickly spreading to escape routes.
Employees need to understand the importance of not tackling a fire unless it is safe to to so. A fire should only be tackled if one person can put it out with one fire extinguisher and if that person is confident that they are capable of doing so. If a person realises that they can’t extinguish a fire they must leave, after all, safety comes first. An employee should never try to put a fire out with a fire extinguisher unless they know how to use it. Fire training will cover which types of fire extinguishers are for which types of fire, as using the wrong one can be worse than doing nothing at all.
So before choosing fire training for staff, make sure it contains all the important fire safety information, is clear, easy to understand and engaging. Holding attention is important because the information must be digested and retained. Interactivity ensures participation and a careful mix of video, graphics, animations, diagrams and text keeps interest high. The fire training you choose has to make you feel staff will be safer, so your company will be safer too.
The Interactive Health And Safety Company produce a series of highly regarded Health and Safety training programmes, including Fire Awareness in the Workplace and Fire Warden Training.
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