OSHA lays down training requirements in its standards. In Australia, fire training is a general requirement under the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011. As a minimum, employers and others (such as contractors, temporary agency staff) need to know the actions to be taken in the event of a fire alarm sounding (such as escape routes and assembly points) or in the event of them witnessing a fire (for example, where to find and how to activate a fire alarm call point). Whilst some information on emergency procedures may be given out on an induction course, specifics will usually be given to employees by their department supervisor “on the job”. For example, a walk around the area to show where firefighting equipment, call points and emergency exits, information about alarm testing and fire drill routines. Additional requirement might be given to employees on the operation of portable fire extinguishers or fire hoses. This is often a mixture of theoretical and practical instruction. Some organisations may choose to provide general fire awareness training, the contents of which might include: • Roles and responsibilities with regard to Fire Safety • An appreciation of the danger of Fire and how it can spread • The threat to people and property • The basic elements required for combustion, fire, and heat transfer • How to prevent fire and good practice within the workplace • Fire classification and the use of extinguishers on different types of fires • Practical demonstration with discharge of extinguishers • An appreciation of the main causes of workplace fire and preventative strategies • The action to take on discovering a fire and how to raise the alarm Fire marshals/Wardens Fire Marshals/Wardens they have a very important role to play in the event of an emergency. They will take overall responsibility for the coordination of information and the necessary decisions to ensure the safety of people and property during an emergency. The responsibility will be relinquished to a senior officer from the emergency services on request. Only an appointed, competent person, who has had the sufficient level of training, can carry out the role of a fire marshal or warden. To fulfil their duties to an acceptable level they should have had sufficient training to enable them to: • Be aware of human behaviour in fires • Have an in-depth knowledge of the premises' fire strategy • Be trained in the use of firefighting equipment • Command others to use appropriate escape routes • Search and recognise unsafe areas • Understand the difficulties of some groups of people have in escaping (such as the disabled) • Knowledge of pre-planned evacuation arrangements
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