How often should fire safety trainings be given?

Fire safety trainings should be given at least once a year, not only because everyone needs a refresher but also because fire safety certificates expire. Employers can go over fire safety and provide training when the workplace is the least busy so all the staff can participate.

What to Include in Training

Fire safety training usually involves:

Alarm systems
Evacuation plans
Reporting procedures
Shutdown procedures
Types of emergencies
Fire extinguishers
An understanding of the hazards present
Fire drills

There are other reasons why the employer would need to provide their staff with fire safety training, one of which being a high staff turnover rate. In this instance, employees that had been trained in fire safety move on to another place of work, which leaves the previous workplace with new employees who haven’t necessarily had any sort of training in fire safety. The employer should never assume that the new employees have been previously trained on fire safety and it should be involved in the induction process for hiring the individual.

Another possibility for needing a refresher on fire safety training would be that the location of the business changed. This new site has the potential to have different fire hazards and different emergency exits than the previous building. So not only is training needed, but also a new fire risk assessment and fire safety plan in order to start work in the new area.

The last thing to note that is extremely important is asking the staff if they are confident in applying what they learned if the need arises. Do they remember everything that they learned? If not, then the employer can post some guides around the workplace for everyone to see for reminders on what to do in situations that involve fire. Employers can also, instead of providing more formal training, try and have more in-depth conversations about fire situations. However, the employer should not hesitate to get professionals to come in to provide more training if necessary or even use those fire safety training modules that can be done online.

PDF resource:

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