Fire safety at work is everyone’s business. Employers must ensure that all employees are provided with adequate safety training at the time they are first employed and repeated periodically where appropriate. Training should include suitable and sufficient instruction and training on the appropriate precautions and actions to be taken by the employee in order to safeguard himself and other relevant persons on the premises.
Fire safety programs should cover all vital elements such as hazard recognition, prevention, and response. Use these fire safety basics to get you started.
Hazard Recognition and Prevention
To eliminate fire hazards, you have to know what to look for. Take the time to perform a workplace hazard assessment where you can search for and document known hazards. Once hazards have been identified, you’ll then be able to either control them if they are unavoidable or eliminate them altogether. Consider the following:
- Always practice good housekeeping. Keep work areas free of clutter and combustible waste.
- Make sure any heat-producing equipment (including office equipment like copiers or coffee makers) are kept away from materials that could burn.
- 39 percent of workplace fires are electrical. Ensure electrical cords are in good condition. Remove equipment from service if wires are found exposed or damaged until they have been repaired or replaced.
- Check that power outlets are not overloaded and that outlets and extension cords are capable of handling the voltage of connected equipment.
- Be on the lookout for equipment that overheats or gives off a burning odor.
- When plugging equipment into an outlet, the plug should correspond with the outlet; that is to say, do not plug a two-prong plug into a three-slot outlet.
- Store flammable work materials and chemicals in a safe location away from any ignition sources.
- Make sure there are unobstructed emergency exits and escape routes. Routes and evacuation instructions should be posted in locations visible to employees on every floor.
- Inspect fire response equipment regularly, including smoke detectors, fire alarms, and fire extinguishers. Items not in working order need to be replaced right away.
- Fire extinguishers must be current on their inspections. Tags and service labels will indicate the most recent inspection.
- Communicate to all employees the hazards of smoking on site. Designate smoking areas outside and away from building entrances.
- Part of a preventative strategy includes written and practiced evacuation procedures. Your business should conduct regular fire drills where alarm recognition, safe evacuation, designated meeting location, and roll calls are performed. Use drills as an opportunity to identify flaws in your program and make any necessary changes.
Fire Response
If you see a fire break out, immediately sound the nearest alarm to alert other employees in the building and then determine your next step.
If the fire is small and controllable and you are trained in the use of a fire extinguisher, you may attempt to extinguish the fire. Be sure to leave yourself a clear escape route and know how to recognize when the fire grows out of your control. Instruct a nearby employee to dial 911 if your alarm system is not equipped to automatically communicate with local emergency responders.
If it’s clear the fire cannot be controlled by a fire extinguisher, evacuate immediately. Do not wait around or attempt to manage the fire on your own. Follow established evacuation procedures and assist fellow employees along the way.
Here are a few additional tips to elevate safety during fire response:
Choose the correct fire extinguisher for the job. Certain fire extinguishers are designed to extinguish particular types of fires. For example, an extinguisher designed to put out grease fires is not effective against fires caused by ordinary combustibles such as paper and cardboard. Please check this blog post to find more information about Fire Extinguishers
While nothing is an equal substitute for training on and familiarization with the use of fire extinguishers, the basics can be remembered with one simple acronym: PASS.
- P: Pull the pin
- A: Aim the nozzle at the base of the fire where the source is, not at the flames themselves
- S: Squeeze the handle
- S: Sweep the nozzle back and forth from left to right until the fire has been extinguished
When evacuating the building, close doors behind you. This will help limit the spread of fire and smoke throughout the building.
Never use an elevator during a fire. This is important for three reasons:
- Depending on the severity of the fire, electrical damage may shut elevators down mid-transit
- Elevator shafts may fill up with smoke
- Emergency responders and firefighters may need access to the elevators to address fires on upper levels.
It’s important all employees are trained in basic first aid skills. After evacuation, attend to any employees who may have been injured either by the flames or smoke inhalation while you wait for emergency responders.
In Ireland, the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, which came into force on 1st September 2005, repealed and replaced the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 1989. It was brought in to make further provision for the safety, health and welfare of persons at work. This Act clarifies and enhances the responsibilities of employer’s, the self-employed, employees and various other parties in relation to safety and health at work. The Act also details the role and functions of the Health and Safety Authority, provides for a range of enforcement measures that may be applied and specifies penalties that may be applied for breach of occupational safety and health.
CFSG provides all your fire safety needs including a full Fire Warden training course. Check out our range of certified trainning courses at Training webpage or contact us at info@cfsg.ie or call us 01 2957540
Sources: Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005; Safety Service Companies & IBOA
