Fire Extinguisher Training for New Employee's
Fire extinguishers are designed to put out or control small fires. A small fire, if not checked immediately, will soon spread out of control. In fact, most big fires start out as small ones.
A new employee should be aware of the conditions that must be met for a fire extinguisher to be effective.
Some of these conditions are:
- It must be right for the type of fire.
- It must be located where it can be easily reached.
- It must be in good working order.
- The fire must be discovered while it is still small.
- The person using the extinguisher must be trained to use it properly.
Knowing these conditions for when to use a fire extinguisher, can help reduce insurance claims and keep your business running smoothly.
Characteristics of Fire
It is also important that new employee's understand the 3 items a fire needs to survive and sustain combustion; fuel, heat, oxygen. These three things combined create the chemical chain reaction which causes combustion and the result is fire. Remove any 1 of these three items and the chain of combustion is broken and the fire is extinguished.
- Removal of Fuel ex: Turning the source off (natural gas) from a BBQ fire will cease the fire.
- Removal of Heat ex: Turning the element off on a stove with a pot of grease on it will decrease the extent of the fire and if given time will extinguish itself.
- Removal of Oxygen ex: Putting a lid on the same pot of grease will smother the fire and remove the oxygen, thus extinguishing the fire.
Extinguisher Use
New Employee's must be trained on how to use a fire extinguisher and on what to do when a fire is discovered.
As soon as a fire is discovered:
- Sound the alarm by calling your supervisor or pulling the Manual Pull station and start to evacuate.
- Call the fire department and give your location
Tips for safe extinguisher use:
- Test that the extinguisher works before you approach the fire.
- Protect yourself at all times.
- Take care. Speed is essential but it is more important to be cautious.
- Keep your back to the exit at all times and stand 2 to 2.4m (6 to 8 ft.) away from the fire.
Follow the 4-step P-A-S-S procedure:
- Pull the Pin
- Aim the extinguisher or nozzle at the base of the fire
- Squeeze the handle and release the extinguishing agent
- Sweep the extinguisher from side to side across the base of the fire
If the fire does not go out immediately or the extinguisher appears to be getting empty, leave the area at once. Back out with the lever squeezed and the nozzle pointed at your feet. This will help protect you until you are out of the area.
After a Fire
- Ensure that your supervisor has been called.
- He/she will make sure that you receive another extinguisher to replace the one that was used.
- Your supervisor will also determine if the area is safe to resume work and will try to determine the cause of the fire.
Training new employee's on the use of fire extinguishers can drastically prevent fire damage to your property and ensure your business continues to run smoothly throughout the summer without an insurance claim.
For more new employee training tip's, download our free new employee orientation checklist.