Yesterday we reviewed OSHA rules on whether and when employees should use portable fire extinguishers in the workplace. Today we move on to OSHA’s fire extinguisher training requirements.
OSHA requires that employees who have been designated to use fire extinguishers as part of your emergency action plan must be trained on how to use the fire extinguishers appropriately in the workplace and on the hazards associated with fighting small or developing fires. The training is considered a specialized form of education that focuses on developing or improving skills, and it must be provided annually and when employees are first designated to use the extinguishers.
Try a demo of BLR’s money-saving Employee Training Center at no cost or obligation.
OSHA says that the following steps should be followed when responding to incipient-stage fires:
- Sound the fire alarm and call the fire department, if appropriate.
- Identify a safe evacuation path before approaching the fire. Do not allow the fire, heat, or smoke to come between you and your evacuation path.
- Select the appropriate type of fire extinguisher.
- Discharge the extinguisher within its effective range using the PASS technique (pull, aim, squeeze, sweep).
- Back away from an extinguished fire in case it flares up again.
- Evacuate immediately if the extinguisher is empty and the fire is not out.
- Evacuate immediately if the fire progresses beyond the incipient stage.
The different classes of fires—and their corresponding fire extinguishers—are designated as follows:
- Class A fires. These involve ordinary combustible materials such as:
- Wood, pallets, lumber
- Paper and cardboard
- Plastic and foam
- Garbage
- Class B fires. These involve flammable liquids such as:
- Grease that is often found in the kitchen
- Gasoline, kerosene, and other fuels
- Oil and other combustible liquids
- Common solvents such as paint thinners, mineral spirits, and common organic solvents found in a laboratory
- Class C fires. These involve energized electrical equipment such as:
- Appliances, including stoves, washing machines, dryers
- Switches, outlets, power cords, extension cords
- Panel boxes and circuit breakers
- Power tools, including drills, sanders, grinders, and saws
- Class D fires. These involve combustible metals such as:
- Magnesium metals, chips, or grinding dusts that can be found in some metal shops
- Titanium metals, chips, or grinding dusts that can be found in many aerospace sheet metal companies
- Potassium and sodium, which in their pure elemental forms are soft, ductile, malleable metals that can be easily cut with a knife or drawn into a wire
- Pyrophoric materials, which are highly reactive substances that are useful in the synthesis of organic chemicals
An additional designation, Class K (kitchen) fires, was added to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 10 Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers in 1998.
The fire extinguisher course in BLR’s Employee Training Center provides detailed training on the different types of fires and fire extinguishers, their extinguishing agents, and how they work. The self-paced session also teaches your employees how to make the critical “fight or flight” decision, how to use the PASS (pull, aim, squeeze, sweep) technique, how to inspect fire extinguishers, how to care for and maintain extinguishers, and where and how to place them.
In addition to the 26-slide audio PowerPoint® presentation, the course also includes detailed speaker’s notes for the trainer and a quiz for participants to make sure the message is understood.
A Budget-Friendly Training Solution
“Fire Extinguishers” is just one of more than 60 safety training courses available in the Employee Training Center. They’re all motivational, actionable programs—for both supervisors and employees—in such key areas as hazard communication, back safety, general workplace safety, bloodborne pathogens, OSHA requirements, and many more. And, what’s more, we add new programs continually.
Unlimited training—one low cost. Demo the new Employee Training Center. There’s no cost or obligation.
Just as important, the Employee Training Center automatically documents training. As trainees sign on, their identification is automatically registered. And when the program is completed, the trainee’s score is entered. So, when you want to see who has or hasn’t yet trained on any subject, it’s all there, instantly available to you, your boss, an inspector—even a plaintiff’s attorney.
The Employee Training Center also includes a similar selection of HR courses—you decide whether you want just the safety courses or both the safety and HR modules.
With budgets tighter than ever, another advantage is that you always know exactly what training will cost, no matter how many programs you use or how many times you use them. There’s just one low annual fee for unlimited training, calculated by the size of your workforce. Budget once and you’re done!
We urge you to sign up for a no-obligation demo by visiting the new Employee Training Center. Or, feel free to call our customer service people toll-free at 866-696-4827.
Related Articles:
The ABCs (and D) of Fire Extinguisher Safety
Preventing—and Minimizing—Back Injuries
Alcohol and Employee Health: Sobering Facts
Electrical Safety Training: Needed in your Workplace?
Our Safety Training Tips editor says that, when it comes effective scheduling, you need to know the “SCORE.”