Fire accidents & hazards are very common.
High-quality personal protective equipment is essential to deal with them.,
To be specific, high-quality Fire Safety Equipment must be available in your manufacturing facility to ensure quick and effective response to fire emergencies.
Fires escalate quickly. In seconds, it may destroy the whole property. Result in irreparable damages or loss of life. Only a quick response can prevent fire from escalating. However, a prompt & effective response can only be possible, if your employees are well-trained about the use of Fire Safety Equipment.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) require most companies to provide fire safety training for employees.
However, many employers overlook fire safety. They think their workplace is safe from any kind of fire hazards & accidents. For them, fire accidents are likely to happen only in firecracker factories or workplaces where high-risk flammable and combustible materials are present in large numbers. They can relax & It wouldn’t be an issue in their spacious, cool & newly constructed building, right?
Unfortunately, they are absolutely wrong. The truth is fires can happen anytime and anywhere. It can just take a small spark to ignite a big fire. According to the UAE Interior ministry, Over 2,000 Fires in the UAE last year resulted in nine deaths & 89 injuries.
So prepare your employees to deal with fire emergencies. Find a reliable fire Safety Equipment Supplier in Dubai. Train & equip them with the best fire safety equipment.
In this blog, I’ll walk you through tips on How to Train Employees For Fire Safety in the Manufacturing Industry.
Fire Identification & Prevention
Prevention is better than cure.
Prevention is a critical step in ensuring fire safety. It’s all about being alert. Being spontaneous. And being able to identify fire risks in the workplace & give a quick response to eliminate these.
Train employees to identify fire hazards—followed by a quick response.
Fire prevention training is a must for manufacturing industry employees. Any manufacturing working environment has a bustling atmosphere with heavy machines, equipment and hundreds of employees operating in close proximity.
Some hazards are inherent in such environments—especially electrical malfunctions—sparks produced by welding or electrical work. Risks due to improper storage of flammable materials, and other entirely avoidable fire risks caused by human errors like smoking, careless use of electrical equipment, incorrect wiring, ignoring safety protocols and neglecting to report or address potential hazards promptly.
Fire hazards leave minimal time for response. You have to fix these small sparks before they escalate. Early prevention is a key step in fire safety. The following are the best practices and tips for employees to learn fire prevention:
- Onsite Training
- Practical Demonstrations
- Visual aids such as posters, infographics, and videos
- Regular mock drills
- Employee engagement
- Clear Communication
- Feedback
- Ongoing Training Process rather than one-time
- Regular inspections
- Incorporating Fire Safety Into Daily Routine
Fire Response
Train your employees in effective and quick-fire response.
No one should panic, feel confused, or remain clueless during fire emergencies.
Panic can be costly when a fire breaks out. It needs to be clarified. Results in indecision. This Indecision leaves everyone unsure of what actions to take, allowing the fire to escalate.
You have to make a quick decision: Fight or fIight. Assess the situation & activate the required mode. Don’t wait for the fire rescue team to arrive. Spot any visible signs of assistance. If the fire is small, quickly activate the nearby fire extinguisher.
Use a blanket & water to douse small fires. Conversely, if a fire is large, is escalating fast & uncontrollable, then it’s safe to evacuate immediately and wait for the fire rescue team to arrive.
Train your employees in making the right call. Help them understand the different types of fire scenarios. Include the following information in your training programs:
- How to identify a fire hazard
- Fire Behavior and the Types of Fires
- Types of flammable and combustible materials present in the workplace
- Proper use of Fire Extinguisher
- Proper use of Fire Safety Equipment
- Proper use of emergency communications devices & system
- First response to a fire: Fight or Flight
- Fire risk Assessment
- How & when to Evacuate
- Alerting the firefighting team
- Use of advanced fire safety equipment
- Post-Fire Procedures
These all are very important to understand How to Train Employees For Fire Safety in Manufacturing Industry
Fire Safety Equipment Training
Train your workforce to safely handle & properly use every fire safety equipment.
Provide detailed instructions on the correct usage of every fire safety equipment. Practically demonstrate the use of each piece of equipment in different fire scenarios. Lastly, it’s important to make them aware of the different types of fire safety equipment available & how to choose the right one.
If a safety blanket is enough to douse the fire, then it’ll be unnecessary to use other fire safety equipment. Employees must be quick to recognize this, and only proper training can ensure they do.
First find a reliable fire safety equipment supplier in Dubai and equip your workforce with high-quality fire safety equipment. Below is a list of essential fire safety equipment:
- Fire Extinguishers
- Fire Blankets
- Smoke Detectors
- Fire Alarms
- Fire Sprinkler Systems
- Emergency Lighting
- Fire Escape Ladders
- Fire Hose Reels
- Fire Hydrants
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as fire-resistant clothing, helmets, and gloves.
Every fire safety equipment must be tested & ready for use. Regardless of what kind of equipment your company needs, ask your employees to regularly inspect and maintain them. Besides that, having a trained inhouse firefighting team is key to ensuring people are safe at work.
Evacuation Plans
Your manufacturing facility must have a safe and easy evacuation plan.
In case of fire, your employees shouldn’t feel helpless & clueless about the safe exits. They must be aware of all the safe exit points.
A robust fire evacuation has easy & safe emergency exits, alarms to alert everyone & guiding signage & maps on every wall. An evacuation plan is all about making sure your entire team exits the area safely.
A robust evacuation plan must include the following:
- Multiple emergency exits
- Clearly marked routes
- Fire Alarms
- A proper evacuation procedure
- Emergency lighting
- Separate assistance for individuals with disabilities
- Communication Protocols
- Proper signage indicating the location of emergency exits
- Backup plan & routes
- CCTV & Safety monitoring platforms
- Dedicated Evacuation Team
Irrespective of the size of your manufacturing company, a designated team will ensure a panic free evacuation. The team will assist as well as monitor the situation. This team will be responsible for helping everyone evacuate safely, perform final checks & make sure no one is left behind.
Mock Fire Drills
Mock drills are nothing but practice.
Practice to make your employees familiar with the safety plans, procedures & steps to take in a fire emergency.
Simply simulate a fire scenario and initiate the drill. Allow employees to rehearse & practice their response to fire emergencies. A controlled setting of a mock drill is ideal for practicing & helps avoid mistakes in real scenarios.
Though It’s impossible to completely simulate any fire scenario—a mock drill is enough to spot any weaknesses or gaps in the fire safety plan.
However, It’s recommended to simulate various scenarios.
Drills simulating different scenarios is a perfect preparation for dealing with fire hazards in different situations. To strike a perfect balance between simulation & reality, practice in different complex scenarios. Make it more complicated.
For example, simulate scenarios where exits are blocked, or key safety equipment is missing, or some experts are unavailable due to illness or other reasons.
Wrap Up - How to Train Employees For Fire Safety in Manufacturing Industry
Fire accidents are very common. Therefore, fire safety equipment training is essential for ensuring fire safety in your manufacturing company. Buying the best fire safety equipment should be a top priority for every employer. Second priority should be properly training employees so they don’t panic and know how to respond to the fire emergencies. Train them in fire prevention and identification, then fire response, fire safety equipment training, evacuation plans, mock drills etc. so both your workplace & workforce is safe from fire hazards.
