People always ask me if all staff need to be fire trained. Some people might say "No", as not all staff can be trained to use the extinguisher incorrectly. It is a waste of time and money, and they might not use it anymore. However, I think every staff member should be trained in the use of fire extinguishers. Even if they do not have a role in fighting fires, it is important for them to know their function during an emergency. There's a fire alarm going off, the building is filled with thick black smoke and people are running. Chances are most people are going to be confused and disorientated, especially if it's their first time facing this situation. How can they evacuate the building? Never mentioned assisting people who were disabled or injured during a fire.
Here I want to go a little more into why it's crucial for all staff to have a basic, ongoing awareness of fire safety.
1). Make sure all staff is educated and trained on basic fire safety
When accidents do happen and people get injured, it's common for the liability to fall on the management of the company. Having untrained staff handling fire emergencies when someone's life or property could be at risk in the event of an accident would create a lot of risk for the management team. So employees should have regular training as new risks and technologies occur so as to make sure they can handle an emergency.
2). Implement a safety plan to prevent unwanted fires from starting fire
Fire is scary enough when you do everything right and all the fire precautions are in place. If a fire starts it is much more likely to spread and be harder to stop if you aren't prepared. By training your staff on how to react if a fire does start, you will teach them how to act quickly and save lives.
This can be implemented through live fire training. It is essential for everyone in the company to be trained because there will always be someone new or someone who may be overlooked. During training, employees are taught how to prevent fires from occurring, as well as what to do if there is an emergency.
Live fire training is also useful to make employees aware of their surroundings, which ultimately leads to them being more alert. Develop a plan for every type of emergency situation If there is an emergency, such as a fire or chemical spill, it is essential to have a plan in place so that everyone knows what to do and when to do it. This can be done through tabletop exercises, which are essentially role-playing scenarios designed to test how well employees respond to an emergency.
3). Have the proper fire training equipment and supplies handy in case of an emergency.
- A wide selection of fire extinguishers, fire blankets, fire signs, and other firefighting equipment.
- Discuss the importance of fire safety training tools with your staff.
- Ask if employees have handled fire safety training equipment before.
- Walk employees through the steps of putting out a fire.
- Has each employee put out a small simulated fire to ensure they understand the materials and tools needed to put out fires?
So what are you waiting for? Set up a training schedule to train all staff on the importance of fire safety! Remember, make sure the schedule is followed by everyone. Thanks for reading this blog post. Hope you learned something new and will implement the ideas outlined above. If you have any questions, please feel free to comment below. Have a great day!