Like preparing a new product for sale or closing the book on a quarter, preventing a fire - or safely containing one - takes planning. Steps include easily accessible fire extinguishers, proper housekeeping and maintenance, broadly communicated, and practiced, evacuation plans, equipment shutdown, notification of authorities, and familiarity with the type of items that might burn and release toxins. Help your employees understand their role in a fire emergency by selecting from among the following Bestselling fire safety training videos.
The Basics of Fire Extinguisher Training
and Requirements
If fire extinguishers are available for employee use, it is the employer's responsibility to educate employees on the principles and practices of using a fire extinguisher and the hazards associated with fighting small or developing fires [29 CFR 1910.157(g)(1)].
This education must be provided annually and when a new employee is first hired [29 CFR 1910.157(g)(2)]. Employees who have been designated to use fire extinguishers as part of the emergency action plan, must be trained on how to use the fire extinguishers appropriately in the workplace [29 CFR 1910.157(g)(3)].
This training is a specialized form of education that focuses on developing or improving skills and it must be provided annually and when employees are first assigned these duties [29 CFR 1910.157(g)(4)]. (source: OSHA)
Extinguisher Placement and Spacing
Portable fire extinguishers can be an effective early response to a developing fire, if they are installed and used properly. In this section, we are going to review general information about the placement and spacing of portable fire extinguishers. If employees use portable fire extinguishers to fight small fires, they must be installed in all areas of the workplace. To ensure each area is protected properly, OSHA recomends you ask yourself the following questions:
- Is the extinguisher readily accessible in the event of a fire?
- Is the extinguisher fully charged and working properly?
Where extinguishers are provided but are not intended for employee use and the employer has an emergency action plan and a fire prevention plan that meet the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.38, then only the requirements of the inspection, maintenance and testing and hydrostatic testing sections apply [29 CFR 1910.157(a)]. To comply with OSHA requirements, consider the following:
- General requirements
- Exemptions
- Selection and distribution
- Inspection, maintenance and testing
- Hydrostatic testing
- Training and education
| Using a Fire Extinguisher (Source: OSHA) | |||||||||||
| The following steps should be followed when responding to incipient stage fire:
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Use these documents to help plan your Fire Safety program.
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