Australia is a vast nation where the summer heat can result in deaths and loss of property due to fires. In fact, every year in the hottest months of summer, we are subject to constant fire safety reminders. Bushfires themselves represents a particular threat to homes and businesses, on the outskirts of cities, and in rural areas where dense woodland exists.  This is why every single business must comply with national fire safety codes and regulations.

When A Fire Hits…

One of the keys to maintaining compliance in a working environment is to ensure that there is a trained Fire Warden available, and that all staff have undergone fire safety training from an accredited provider. The problem is that when a fire does occur, there is very little time to react. Employees on-site, who have undergone Safe Response training for Fire Safety, will understand the dangers of the situation and will be able to respond quickly to the fire emergency.

It was only a few years ago that the fires in Victoria claimed many animal and human lives, and left people devastated, due to the loss of their homes and businesses. Entire towns were gutted in minutes as the flames ravaged them. Indeed, South Australia experienced one of the worst bushfires in its history when a fire started at Pinery and burned out of control for days, destroying homes, businesses, and damaging many hectares of agricultural land.

Of course, a fire emergency doesn’t have to be an out of control bushfire to be a threat and a danger to everyone in the vicinity. Fires begin small and spread quickly, which is why it is important for everyone in a workplace to have fire safety training. A training course like this covers the following areas:

• Equipment: Your office may be compliant with national fire safety regulations because it has fire safety equipment installed, but do your staff know how to use it in case of a fire emergency?
• Evacuation: We’ve probably all been involved in fire safety drills at work and have perhaps even rolled our eyes, but they are important when it comes to fire safety. The best way to avoid fire danger is to move out of the way of the fire. Evacuation training will ensure that all staff understand what to do in a fire emergency situation.
• Fire Warden: Do you know who your official Fire Warden is in the office? This individual has a big responsibility when there is a fire emergency. They are expected to understand all fire emergency procedures and how to calmly take control to ensure that everyone gets to safety. Being Fire Warden represents a great responsibility!
• Tour: Do you know where all of the fire extinguishers are in your building? Do you know where the emergency exits are? A site tour by experienced fire safety trainers will cover these basics.

Keeping It Simple

A fire emergency can cause chaos, which is why it is important for fire safety training to focus on the basics and to remain simple and easy to understand. The key to surviving any fire emergency is to keep a cool head and implement all of the learning from fire training courses.