What should be included in fire safety training?

An effective fire safety training program must educate employees on how to prevent fires, recognize immediate hazards, and react calmly and quickly during an active emergency. Providing this training is a core compliance requirement under federal safety regulations, such as OSHA Standard 1910.38 and OSHA Standard 1910.39.

Your fire safety training program should consist of:

• Housekeeping procedures for storage and cleanup of flammable materials and waste.
• Safe handling and packaging of flammable wastes.
• Procedures for controlling workplace ignition sources (smoking, burning, welding).
• Notifying personnel through alarm systems or other notification methods.

Here are also OSHA standards applicable to some, but not all, workplaces:

Emergency evacuations: Employers required to develop an emergency fire plan must describe routes to use when exiting and safe procedures to follow.
Portable fire extinguishers: While employers are not required to provide portable fire extinguishers, if employees are expected to use them, they must be trained on the general principles of fire extinguisher use.
Accounts for evacuated employees: A list of employees who have safely evacuated the building/facility should be mandated and routinely updated. This includes a list of evacuating disabled employees, if present.
Prominent evacuation alert: The bell, horn, or sound used to alert employees should be easily recognizable and should be easily heard by employees throughout the facility.

Once workplaces have covered the basics in fire safety training, some employers have their employees take additional safety courses and related risk assessment training. Fire training courses teach how to use firefighting equipment like fire extinguishers, how to activate the fire alarm, and how to work as a team, as well as what one’s own responsibilities are. When it comes to risk assessment training, workers can learn more about fire protection systems, how to clearly communicate with others about fire hazards, and how to help those who are more vulnerable than others.

Having a fire safety training program shouldn’t be about checking a box on OSHA standards, but about a well-rounded training program that will help prevent fires by educating employees.