Who is trained to put out fires?
Show You may have fire extinguishers around your workplace, used to control or extinguish fires that are small or have just begun. But did you know that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) prohibits employees from using this tool unless they’ve had training? According to the Occupational Safety and Health Act: “Where the employer has provided portable fire extinguishers for employee use in the workplace, the employer shall also provide an educational program to familiarize employees with the general principles of fire extinguisher use and the hazards involved with incipient stage firefighting.” In other words, workers must be trained to:
Organizations are required to provide this training when employees are first hired and annually thereafter. Employers are also advised to establish a policy clarifying who is qualified to use fire extinguishers, the situations when they can and should be used, and the proper procedures for their use. Exemptions from Training There are a couple of important exemptions to OSHA’s training requirements. These include:
In these cases, only OSHA’s fire extinguisher inspection, maintenance and testing provisions apply. According to a July 1991 OSHA Interpretation Letter, employers do not have to start and extinguish fires to simulate emergency fire conditions during employee training. “Hands-on training does not necessarily mean ‘live fire’ demonstration,” the letter states. “As a minimum, hands-on training should include the actual discharging of fire extinguishers appropriate for the type of fires expected, unracking of standpipe hoses, and test-sounding of fire alarm boxes.” Responding to a Fire Before trying to control a fire with a portable extinguisher, the worker who discovers the fire should activate the alarm, enabling others to evacuate to a safe area, OSHA advised. The fire department should be called at this time. General procedures for responding to a small, incipient-stage fire are as follows:
If your facility has a sprinkler system, evacuate, letting the sprinklers run, advised OSHA. Roy Maurer is an online editor/manager for SHRM. Follow him on Twitter @SHRMRoy. Related Article: Training Is Critical in Preventing Workplace Fire Casualties, SHRM Online Safety & Security, October 2012 Quick Links: SHRM Online Safety & Security page Keep up with the latest Safety & Security HR news The U.S. Forest Service has more than 10,000 professional firefighters that respond to thousands of wildfires each year on National Forest System land as well as on land under the jurisdiction of other Federal, tribal, state, and local agencies. U.S. Forest Service firefighters also conduct prescribed fires and help accomplish other natural resource management missions. U.S. Forest Service firefighters on the ground and in the air must be highly trained, skilled, and experienced in order to safely protect lives, property, and valuable natural and cultural resources when they are threatened by wildfires as well as to manage fire to play its natural role in the environment under certain conditions. Information about careers in wildland fire with the U.S. Forest Service and how to apply for open jobs is found here. Firefighters On the Ground
Firefighters In the Air
Who helps people by fighting fires?Firefighters On the Ground
Hotshots - These are the most highly skilled type of handcrews and are typically assigned to work on the most challenging parts of wildfires. Engine crews - These teams of two to ten firefighters work with specialized wildland fire engines that carry special equipment to spray water and foam.
Who puts forest fires?Firefighters control a fire's spread (or put it out) by removing one of the three ingredients fire needs to burn: heat, oxygen, or fuel. They remove heat by applying water or fire retardant on the ground (using pumps or special wildland fire engines) or by air (using helicopters/airplanes).
What do you call someone who fights forest fires?Noun. 1. forest fire fighter - an official who is responsible for managing and protecting an area of forest. fire warden, ranger. coyote - a forest fire fighter who is sent to battle remote and severe forest fires (often for days at a time)
How do firemen extinguish fire?The most common method is to use water to put out the fire. The water takes away heat by cooling the fire. Water also smothers the fire, taking away oxygen. Some firefighters use foam as an alternative to water.
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