Why Your Employees Need Fire Fighting Training

Fire can strike at any time, and without the proper training, it can have devastating consequences. That’s why providing fire fighting training for employees is not just a recommendation—it’s a necessity. Here’s why your team needs to have designated employees that attend fire fighting training and how it ensures compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act.

What Employees Learn During a Fire Fighting Course

Introduction to Fire and Basic Fire Fighting

Fire is a common hazard in many industries, and it spreads quickly, often leaving little time to react. When employees are trained in basic fire fighting techniques, they can respond swiftly and effectively. Not only can this save lives, but it can also minimise damage to property, ensuring that the business remains operational.

Firefighting training empowers employees to act confidently during emergencies, safeguarding their own lives and those of their co-workers. Basic Firefighting training includes an essential aspect other than the reactive process explained above which is, the pro-active aspect. This section of the training focuses on preventing fires and identifying possible risks that could be reduced or even eliminated.

The Basics of Fire: Understanding How Fires Start

Understanding how fires start is the first step in learning how to prevent and fight them. Fire requires three key elements: heat, fuel, and oxygen—often referred to as the “fire triangle.” When these three elements combine, a fire ignites. A key focus of fire fighting training is learning how to disrupt this triangle by removing one or more elements.

How to Extinguish a Fire

Fires can be extinguished by cooling the heat, cutting off the oxygen supply, or eliminating the fuel source. Each method is employed depending on the nature of the fire. For instance, water can cool down a fire but is not suitable for all fire types. The wrong extinguishing technique can aggravate the situation, making it critical that employees understand the appropriate response for each class of fire.

Classes of Fire

Fires are classified based on the type of fuel involved, and understanding these classes helps in choosing the correct extinguishing method.

Class A: Fires involving solid materials such as wood, paper, or textiles.
Class B: Fires involving liquids like petrol, oils, or paints, and flammable gases such as propane or butane and now also Lithium-Ion-battery fires.
Class C: Electrical equipment like computers, wiring, and machinery.
Class D: Fires involving metals like magnesium and aluminium.
Class K: Fires caused by cooking oils and fats.

Training ensures employees know the difference between these classes and can select the correct extinguisher to combat each type.

Extinguishing Agent Class

Each fire class requires a specific extinguishing agent:

Class A: Water, foam, dry chemical powder or wet chemicals.
Class B: Gaseous suppressants (like CO₂), foam, or dry chemical powder and now we have specialised Lithium fire extinguishers.
Class C: Non-conductive extinguishing agents like CO₂ or dry chemical powder.
Class D: Specialised dry chemical powders.
Class K: Wet chemical extinguishers.

Fire-fighting training empowers employees to select the correct extinguishing agent and avoid dangerous mistakes, such as using water on an electrical fire.

Fire Prevention: The Best Defense

Prevention is always better than cure. Part of fire fighting training is learning how to prevent fires from starting in the first place. This includes:

Regular maintenance of electrical equipment
Safe handling of flammable substances
Keeping workplaces clean and free from potential fire hazards
Proper storage of combustible materials
Training of employees

By instilling a culture of fire prevention, businesses can significantly reduce the likelihood of a fire emergency.

Fire Equipment: What Every Workplace Needs

Every workplace should be equipped with proper firefighting tools. These include:

Smoke detectors
Fire extinguishers
Fire blankets
Fire hoses
Sprinkler systems

Employees must not only be familiar with the equipment available but also know how to operate it effectively. Firefighting training teaches staff how to correctly use each type of equipment, ensuring they are well-prepared in the event of a fire.

Safety Signs: The Silent Communicators

Fire safety signs play an essential role in guiding employees during a fire emergency. Signs such as exit markers, fire extinguisher locations, and assembly points must be clearly visible. Training ensures employees understand these signs and can follow them efficiently during emergencies, avoiding panic and confusion.

Care and Maintenance of Fire Equipment

Even the best fire fighting equipment is useless if it’s not maintained properly. As part of their fire fighting training, employees learn how to care for and inspect fire extinguishers, hoses, and other tools to ensure they remain in working condition. Routine maintenance reduces the risk of equipment failure when it’s needed most.

How to Operate Fire Equipment

Practical fire fighting training includes hands-on sessions where employees learn how to operate fire equipment. From correctly pulling the pin on a fire extinguisher to using a fire hose, these skills are vital when under pressure in an emergency. This hands-on experience ensures that during an actual fire, employees will know exactly what to do. The universal PASS method forms part of this important training on how to operate fire equipment.

Evacuation Procedures

Firefighting training also covers evacuation procedures, which are critical in larger workplaces. Employees must know the following.

For the quickest and safest escape routes, a building should be evacuated within 2 minutes and the routs should be known to everyone on the premises.
The location of assembly points and a good roll call system to account for everyone
How to assist others, including those with disabilities or injuries. Clear communication during a fire emergency can save lives, and trained employees will know how to maintain calm and order while evacuating.

Fire Safety Legislation: Act 85 of 1993, ERW9

In South Africa, fire fighting training is not just a good practice—it’s the law. The Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act (Act 85 of 1993) requires employers to ensure their employees are trained to deal with fire hazards. The ERW9 regulations further specify the fire equipment and safety measures required in workplaces. By offering fire fighting training for employees in South Africa, businesses ensure compliance with these laws, protecting both their employees and their organisation from legal repercussions.

Planning Procedures for Fire Emergencies

Businesses must have comprehensive fire emergency plans. These plans should include:

Clear evacuation procedures.
Regular fire drills.
Ongoing training equips employees to take part in fire planning and to ensure that everyone in the company knows their role during an emergency.
Designating responsible fire marshals.

Fire Fighting Course for Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) Act Compliance

For companies to comply with the OHS Act, fire fighting training is non-negotiable. Ensure the course you book is specifically designed to meet legal requirements, ensuring that your employees are adequately trained to prevent, manage, and extinguish fires.

Our Fire Fighting Courses for Employees Are Compliant with the OHS Act

At DDi (Dynamic Development Institute), we provide fire fighting courses for employees in South Africa that are fully compliant with the OHS Act. Our courses are tailored to ensure that your employees are well-equipped to handle fire emergencies, helping your business meet its legal obligations while protecting your workforce.