Essentials of Fire Extinguisher Training

Fire extinguisher training Rajshekhar Yellumahanti

Fire has always fascinated the humans on account of the impact & transformation it could potentially bring into our lives. We are also aware of the magnitude of destruction it brings along if the fire gets out of control.

Fire extinguishers are our means of controlling a fire at its initial stage. At the initial stage, the fire is limited to the source & can be extinguished with application of a limited amount of inert substance. Hence the fire extinguishers are the first line of defence and often referred to as first aid firefighting equipment.
If the fire is not extinguished at this stage, it will soon spread, grow & consume everything that comes in its way.

What are the important factors in the success of a fire extinguisher?

The success or failure of a fire extinguisher use largely depends on: fire extinguisher training

The stage of fire,
The fire extinguisher must be correct for the type of fire,
The fire extinguisher should be accessible with no significant loss of time in mobilizing,
The fire extinguisher must be operable & in working condition,
The user has received sufficient fire extinguisher training for its efficient use

This article intends to focus on the essential requirements of a fire extinguisher training program

As per law, employees need to undergo training in the use of fire extinguishers.

A comprehensive risk assessment of the fire extinguisher training program coupled with employee training needs assessment should be carried out prior to design & development of the training.

What are the essential inclusions of a fire extinguisher training ?

The fire extinguisher training should cover the following important topics:

Range of fire hazards at the work place based on the fire risk assessment,
Basic Chemistry of fire,
Classification of fire,
Fire extinguisher types, suitability as per the class of fire,
Fire extinguisher location & identification,
Fire extinguisher Principles of fire control
Method of safe use starting with the fire notification procedure,
Limitation of the fire extinguishers,
Personal safety measures

An effective fire extinguisher training program consists of the theory as well as hands on practice sessions. The practical session should be allocated more time than the theory sessions so that the participants get fully conversant with the fire extinguishers. The length of the training program should be optimally fixed to ensure the participant interest is maintained. As the participants gain confidence in the usage of the fire extinguishers, their ability in tackling the workplace fires would be significantly enhanced.

The retraining periods vary as per the workplace but employees should be required to retrain at least once a year. The scope of having the theory session online could be explored to enable the employees to refer the training basics from the convenience of their work stations.

The trainer should also bear in mind the necessity of developing the fire extinguisher training program based on the needs at the workplace & not all employees would need the same type of training. For instance an employee working in office would have different set of hazards & risks than someone working in a gas filling station. Similarly, a fire warden training program would be of a different design than that of a regular refresher program.

A small quiz at the end of the training session will enable the trainer to analyze the effectiveness of the training program & would help in improving the quality of
his training delivery process. The program could be made interesting by being role & scenario based.

A certificate of completion or a card should be issued to the participants & their record updated in the training database.

Thus the fire extinguisher training program should be designed based on the workplace requirement & should encompass all the important details required by the participant for effectively tackling a workplace emergency before it gets out of hand.

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