By developing a yearly fire extinguisher training program in your warehouse, your employees will become knowledable in the process and means of extinguishing small fires by choosing the right extinguisher to remove one of the four elements of the fire tetrahedron.
From IFSTA Essentials 4th Edition: Fire is a rapid, self-sustaining oxidation process accompanied by the evolution of heat and light of varying intensities. The burning process can be interrupted by removing one of the four elements in the fire tetrahedron (Heat, Fuel, Oxygen, or Chemical Chain Reaction).
Employees that know the classification of fires will also be able to choose the correct extinguisher for the four most common types of fire classes:
- Class A or ordinary combustibles
- Class B or flammable and combustible liquids and gases
- Class C or energized electrical equipment
- Class D or combustible metals
Trained employees understand that a portable fire extinguisher is the first line of defense in an emergency. Employees that are trained yearly in the use of portable fire extinguishers also can make informed and confident decisions on when it is ok to attack a fire and when it is appropriate to leave the area and let firefighters handle the emergency. Those decisions are based on some of the following factors:
- Knowing what is burning
- Fire is not spreading rapidly
- Smoke and heat has not filled the area
- You have a clear path of escape
- Following the training the employee has received
Remember that trained and motivated employees will make confident decisions that can save the company from valuable losses and possible injuries or deaths. This type of safety training can also save your company on valuable insurance costs as well.