Fire Training Safety for your Staff
Every business has a legal requirement and a duty of care for members of staff to be trained in fire safety procedures, no matter what the company size.
When you become a designated fire warden you must have a clear understanding of your responsibilities and duties as a warden.
These are the primary actions and knowledge required for a fire warden in the case of fire or the discovery of a fire:
- You must understand the different fire classes
- You must know what extinguisher should be used for that fire
- You must know the evacuation procedure and for the people in the building to be removed to safety, as quickly as possible.
Understanding the Fire Triangle
A fire needs 3 elements to ignite – oxygen, fuel and heat. A fire can be extinguished by removing any one of these elements.
EG: covering a fire with a fire blanket removes the oxygen supply, therefore putting the fire out.
Discovering a fire (alarm and assembly points)
On discovering a fire, the first thing you should do is raise the fire alarm so everybody on the premises are aware there is a fire in the building. You should then ensure everyone safely exits the building and gathers at the appropriate assembly point.
Fire Types
Being a fire warden you need to have a basic knowledge of the different types of fires.
1)
Class A fires involve solid materials such as wood, paper, rubber,
plastic and cloth.
2)
Class B fires involve flammable or combustible liquids, such as
petrol, oil and paint.
3)
Class C fires involve flammable gases, such as propane, butane and
methane.
4)
Class D fires involve flammable metals, such as potassium, aluminium
and titanium.
5)
Class F fires involve cooking oils and fats.
Types of extinguishing agents
1) Water
(Red): Suitable
for wood, fabric and paper.
2) Foam
(Cream) :
Suitable for flammable liquids, wood and paper.
3) Powder
(Blue): Suitable
for flammable liquids, gas, electrical hazards, oil and
chemicals.
4) CO2
(Black):
Suitable for flammable liquids and electricals.
5) Wet
chemical (Yellow) :
Suitable for cooking fat and oils.
Identification of which fire extinguisher to use for which fire
1) Water:
Ideal for class A fires and office, shop or warehouse
environments.
2) Foam:
Use on class A or B fires on electrical or material based
fires.
3) CO2: Perfect
for Class B fires like those caused by flammable liquids or
electrical appliances.
4) Wet
Chemical: Ideal
for kitchen related fires with cooking oils and fats involved.
People with disabilities
The Disability Equality Duty highlights that disabled people should not be discriminated against under any circumstance. Therefore, they should still be given an evacuation plan despite any differences in mobility. As such, the fire warden should be aware of those who may need extra assistance when evacuating and allow extra time, so they are not exposed to any discrimination.
These steps outline some simple stages to training your staff in fire safety; however official training is required in order to guarantee a legitimate qualified fire warden will be on hand in the case of an emergency. The courses are available on-site or off-site, dependent on location, and the names of those who attended the course should be kept in a log book. It’s also recommended that you go on a refresher training course a year later to remind yourself of the procedures to ensure absolute safety to your fellow staff members.