Fire Training
The Fire Regulations and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992 highlight the requirement for the employer to provide information, instruction and training to your employees about the fire precautions in your workplace.
According to the Home Office the type of training should be based on the particular features of your workplace and:
- Should explain your emergency procedures;
- Take account of the work activity, the duties and responsibilities of employees;
- Take account of the findings of the risk assessment; and
- Be easily understandable by your employees.
You should ensure that all employees (and contractors) are told about the evacuation arrangements and are shown the means of escape as soon as possible after attending your premises.
Training should be repeated as necessary (usually once or twice a year) so that your employees remain familiar with the fire precautions in your workplace and are reminded about what to do in an emergency - including those who work in the premises outside normal hours, such as cleaners or shift-workers. It is very important that you tell your employees about any changes to the emergency procedures before they are implemented.
All the employees identified in your emergency plan who have a supervisory role in the event of fire (eg heads of department, fire marshals or wardens and, in some large workplaces, fire-fighting teams), should be given details of your fire risk assessment and receive additional training.
