Following Fire Safety Procedures
Hopefully you will never find yourself in a position where you will have to either fight a fire or be involved in a fire emergency. Each company has their own policies when it comes to dealing with a fire emergency so I’m just going to cover the different classes of fires and some tips if you do find yourself having to fight the fire.
Module
Follow fire safety procedures including but not limited to determining the
potential for fire posed by the work being performed; locating and assessing the severity of the
fire; selecting and operating fire extinguishing equipment; suppressing minor fires; activating
alarms; following fire evacuation plans and reporting incidents in accordance with applicable
Acts, Regulations, Legislation and Codes, manufacturers’ specifications and company
standards/procedures.
What You Need To Know
Different Classes of Fires
First I’d like to cover the different classes of fires. Understanding the different classes of fire is important when it comes down to you picking the appropriate extinguisher for the fire.
Class A – Ordinary Combustibles: Consists of materials such as wood, paper or cloth
Class B – Flammable Liquids: Consists of materials such as oil or gasoline
Class C – Electrical: Consists of materials such as wires, electrical components and motors
Class D – Combustible Metals: Consists of materials such as Magnesium and Sodium
Class K – Cooking Materials: Consists of materials such as cooking oils and grease
Tips
I’d suggest performing monthly checks on all of the fire extinguishers in your shops and vehicles. Every month I’ll check each extinguisher for damage, make sure it’s not expired and making sure that it has the adequate pressure.
I’d also recommend knowing your closest muster points when working in an unfamiliar area. Muster points are where you will go incase of emergency.
If you do witness a fire make sure to follow your company’s policy. This may include pulling the fire alarm, alerting supervisor or control room, and meeting up at the muster point.
Fighting a Fire
If you do see a small fire that you feel comfortable fighting, the first thing you should do is ensure you have an exit plan in case the fire grows out of control. Next I’d make sure the fire extinguisher is appropriate for the fire and that it is functional.
Remember PASS
P – Pull the pin
A – Aim at the base of fire
S – Squeeze the handle
S – Sweep side to side
Conclusion
Ideally you will never be faced with this situation but I hope with the information provided that you will feel more confident handling these situations in the future.
