Fires are a very real threat to almost any workplace. While it’s true that industrial and manufacturing settings are at a higher risk than a more traditional office setting – anyone can be the victim of a fire. 

Therefore, it is vital that you have an evacuation and safety plan in place. Even more importantly, your employees need to be trained so that they know how to react in the event that the worst happens. But what should that training entail and what are the important details that they need to know? That’s the question we’re going to answer today.

Here are some of the things that should be included when it comes to training your employees on fire safety. Let’s jump right in.

Recognizing Fire Hazards

Perhaps the most important aspect of any workplace fire safety training program is teaching employees how to recognize potential fire hazards. All fires need three things in order to happen:

1. Heat (a source of ignition)
2. Fuel (anything flammable)
3. Oxygen (what keeps the fire going)

When all three of these things exist, fire’s can start and maintain themselves. Preventing fires starts by keeping these things away from each other and also recognizing when they aren’t. This helps to prevent fires from happening, period.

Any workplace fire safety training should first teach employees what fire-starting components are and how they can identify them. The better they know how to look out for these things the better off they’ll be at preventing fires. 

What To Do If There Is A Fire

You may have a fire safety plan but do your employees know exactly what they’re supposed to do? When that alarm goes off, do they know what to do and where to go? In any sound fire safety training program, employees should know:

1.) Their role in executing the plan

2.) How to leave/exit the building

3.) What to do as they evacuate;

4.) Where to regroup 

5.) What to do if they physically encounter heat, smoke, or fire

By covering these basics, you will ensure that your employees will be as prepared as possible in the event the worst occurs. 

How Equipment Works

The third foundational component of workplace fire safety training needs to be about equipment and how it works. How pull stations work and are activated; how to find and operate fire extinguishers; who to call and notify if something goes wrong; and also how sprinklers and other suppression systems work.

These programs should all be taught by professionals. They’ll be able to cover a variety of materials including differences among fire extinguishers, what chemicals are used for what, what – exactly – they should do, and the like.

If you have questions about how to implement fire safety training in your workplace, feel free to give us a call and we’re happy to walk you through the process. Until then, good luck!