General Fire Safety Training

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 training and attend refresher sessions at pre-determined intervals.

You should ensure that all staff and contractors are told about the emergency plan and are shown the escape routes.

The 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 given some other particular role for which additional training will be required.

In addition to the guidance given to new starters, as a minimum all staff should receive training about:

* the items listed in our emergency plan;
* the importance of fire doors and other basic fire-preventive measures;
* where relevant, the appropriate use of firefighting 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;

 

*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; and
*if a member of staff may take on the role of duty manager.

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 manager strategy and emergency plan, it should be verifiable.

Enforcing authorities may want to examine records as evidence that adequate training has been given.