All staff employed or working on your premises must know what action to take in the event of a fire, therefore fire safety training is extremely important.

The actions of staff if there is a fire are likely to be crucial to their safety and that of other people in the premises. All staff should receive basic fire safety induction Fire Safety training and attend refresher sessions at pre-determined intervals. You should ensure that all staff and contractors are told about the fire emergency plan and are shown the escape routes. The Fire Safety training should take account of the findings of the fire risk assessment and be easily understood by all those attending. It should include the role that those members of staff will be expected to carry out if a fire occurs. This may vary in large premises, with some staff being appointed as Fire Wardens or Marshals or being given some other particular role for which additional training will be required.

Activate Fire Safety can provide tailored training packages to suit your needs

Staff fire training should include:

• The items listed in your emergency plan;
• The importance of fire doors and other basic fire-prevention measures;
• Where relevant, the appropriate use of fire fighting equipment;
• The importance of reporting to the assembly area;
• Exit routes and the operation of exit devices, including physically walking these routes;
• General matters such as permitted smoking areas or restrictions on cooking other than in designated areas;
• Assisting disabled persons where necessary.

Training is necessary:

• When staff start employment or are transferred into the premises;
• When changes have been made to the emergency plan and the preventive and protective measures;
• Where working practices and processes or people’s responsibilities change;
• To take account of any changed risks to the safety of staff or other relevant persons;
• To ensure that staff know what they have to do to safeguard themselves and others on the premises;
• Where staff are expected to assist disabled persons;
• If a member of staff may take on the role of duty manager.

Fire Safety Training should be repeated as often as necessary and should take place during working hours. Whatever training you decide is necessary to support your fire safety strategy and Fire emergency plan, it should be verifiable. Enforcing authorities will want to examine records as evidence that adequate training has been given.

Fire Wardens or Marshal training

Staff expected to undertake the role of Fire Wardens of Marshals require more comprehensive training which should include subjects such as:

• Helping those on the premises to leave;
• Checking the premises to ensure everyone has left;
• Using fire fighting equipment if safe to do so;
• Liaising with the fire and rescue service on arrival;
• Shutting down vital or dangerous equipment;
• Performing a supervisory/managing role in any fire situation.

It is important to ensure that staff being trained for the role of Fire Warden or Marshal are given:

• Detailed knowledge of the fire safety strategy of the premises;
• A knowledge and are aware of how humans behaviour in fires;
• Training on encourage others to use the most appropriate escape route;
• Training on how to search safely and recognise areas that are unsafe to enter;
• An understanding of difficulties that some people, particularly if disabled, may have in escaping and any special evacuation arrangements that have been pre-planned;
• Additional training in the use of fire fighting equipment;
• An understanding of the purpose of any fixed fire fighting equipment such as sprinklers or gas flooding systems;
• Training on reporting of faults, incidents and near misses.

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