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Is Fire Extinguisher Training Really Necessary?

View PDF | Print View | Html View Written by: Robert Brant
Total views: 34 | Word Count: 505 | Date: Thu, 12 Nov 2009 | 0 comments

Everyone around the world needs to know how to use a fire extinguisher; however, there is not nearly enough information about fire extinguisher's that can be found. There are safety programs in almost every company where fire safety is only mentioned very briefly and not in very much detail.

Fire extinguisher training should be done at least once a month, and the training should be extended to explain what the parts of a fire extinguisher are, what the labels on the fire extinguisher state, and what some of the labels mean. These are very important to each individual because if there is a fire and the person who has to use a fire extinguisher does not know what the labels mean, then they could put themselves in jeopardy by spraying the wrong type of fire extinguisher on the wrong type of fire. For an example; some fires are electrical, and if a person uses a water filled fire extinguisher, the result could end up with the operator getting electrocuted.

Fire Extinguisher labels clearly indicate what kind of fire that a specific fire extinguisher can be used for. A safety committee designates which fire extinguishers are appropriate to put out each particular fire and they should be kept in the right spot depending on what kind of fire the can be caused. Often, a work area will include more than one type of fire extinguisher, as there can be more than one type of fire in that work area such as electricity, wood or paper.

Codes are used to classify fires, such as A, B, C, D and K in the United States. A has a green triangle and it is meant to put out fires in a garbage can, or a wood fire. The B code is labeled by a red square and is used for a fuel fire. C class is labeled with a blue circle and is used for electrical fires. A D class is labeled with a yellow star and is used on burning equipment. The K class fire extinguishers are used in restaurants to put out potential grease fires. Know that these codes vary depending on the country as well.

There is a website on the internet called SafetyVideosNow. This website goes into great details in fire extinguisher training and fire safety. The site offers a quick 5 minute training video, as well as other types of safety videos.

Some videos go over OSHA lockout and tagout procedures and their importance. The site also talks about MSDS and hazardous material information, what a MSDS safety data sheet is, and how important the labels and sheets are to people which work around the hazards. You can choose any item on the left bar to go through all the different kinds of safety training tips. The site also provides some training in all kinds of construction equipment also, such as tool shop safety procedures, forklift safety, back lifting safety, and even back injury prevention.

About the Author

Robert Brant does many safety training sessions around the country each year. Find out more about fire extinguisher training at this website which is all about safety training.