What’s Your Policy on Employees Using Fire Extinguishers?

According to 29 CFR 1910.157(g)(2), "Where the employer has provided portable fire extinguishers for employee use in the workplace, the employer shall also provide an educational program to familiarize employees with the general principles of fire extinguisher use and the hazards involved with incipient stage fire fighting."

To safely and effectively use portable fire extinguishers, employees must be trained to:

• Recognize fires that can be controlled with portable extinguishers
• Correctly operate the portable fire extinguisher
• Use effective firefighting techniques

You also need to establish a policy making it clear who is qualified to use fire extinguishers as well as the circumstances when fire extinguishers can and should be used and the proper procedures for their use.

Sample Policy

Here’s a sample policy for portable fire extinguisher use by employees that you can adapt for your workplace:

Who May Use Portable Fire Extinguishers?

Portable fire extinguishers may be used only by employees who have completed training in their use.

All employees who have not been trained in the proper use of portable fire extinguishers should limit their actions during a fire to activating the fire alarm system and immediately evacuating to safety.

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Safe Use of Portable Fire Extinguishers

Before trying to control a fire with a portable fire extinguisher, the worker who discovers the fire should activate the alarm, enabling other workers to evacuate to safety.

Fire extinguishers should be used to fight only small fires that have not yet spread. Portable fire extinguishers should not be used if:

• The amount of smoke prevents the trained worker from clearly seeing the fire or threatens to overcome the worker.
• The trained worker’s escape route is or could become blocked by the fire.

Workers should not continue trying to control a fire with portable fire extinguishers if:

• They empty a portable fire extinguisher, but the fire is not yet out. Do not attempt to control a fire if you would need more than one portable fire extinguisher to do so.
• The fire spreads.
• The smoke becomes thick enough to overcome the worker.

If any of these circumstances applies, the worker should evacuate to safety immediately.

After the Fire Is Out

An employee who successfully controls a fire with a portable fire extinguisher should keep watch to ensure that the fire does not reignite.

The fire department should inspect the area to ensure that the fire is fully contained and controlled.

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