Fire Extinguishers Safe Use and Handling

Course Description:

This online safety training course will teach employees about what causes a fire, what fire extinguishers do, how to use an extinguisher, and different fire suppressant materials that can be used in case of a fire emergency.

Why “Fire Extinguishers Safe Use and Handling” Matters:

• A fire extinguisher is a safety necessity in any home, office, manufacturing facility, construction site, and even vehicles.Workplace fires and explosions injure more than 5,000 workers each year and fatally injure more than 200 workers each year. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that employers provide proper exits, fire equipment, and training to prevent fire-related deaths and injuries in the workplace.It is important to understand what causes a fire and what fire extinguishers do, to learn how to use an extinguisher, and to learn about different fire suppressant materials.

  If you expect workers to take emergency action in the event of a workplace fire, OSHA says you must train each and every one of them to use extinguishers safely and effectively.

  Choosing the right type of extinguisher for the fire is crucial—otherwise, you could spread the fire instead of extinguish it.

  Office of Compliance inspectors found 40 fire extinguisher violations during the 2005 Office of Compliance Safety and Health inspections of Capitol Hill. Such violations will fail to prevent small, manageable fires from becoming large, potentially dangerous ones.

  29 CFR 1910.157

Key Points:

• The fire tetrahedron is a great way to help remember that a fire needs
  oxygen, fuel, heat, and an uninhibited chain reaction to continue.
• The fire hazard classes are normal combustibles, flammable liquids, electrical, flammable metals, and kitchen.
• Learn about the different types of extinguishers that are located in your
  workplace, and know what classes of fire they are designed to
  extinguish.
• Consider fight or flight on the basis of these conditions before using an extinguisher on a fire: The alarm is pulled; the fire department is called; the fire is small; there’s not much smoke; and the exit is clear.
• And, to use an extinguisher, remember the acronym PASS.