Emcare Fire Fighting Training: Top Fire Hazards in The Workplace

• 29 July 2021

A workplace fire can result in employee injury or death, damage to property, impaired business functioning, and extreme financial strain. The Emcare fire fighting training course can provide your employees with the knowledge and skills to identify fire hazards, prevent fires, and ensure safety during a workplace fire. Avoid and prevent workplace fires with our top ten fire hazard guide. 

About Emcare: 

Emcare is a South African health and safety training company. We are dedicated to providing our clients with effective skills and knowledge to handle any health and safety-related emergency at home or the workplace. 

We offer our training courses at our training facilities which are conveniently located around South Africa. We will also come to your premise for groups of ten or more and offer our training courses in the comfort of your workplace. 

Emcare Fire Fighting Training: 

Unfortunately, workplace fires are a common occurrence. Many workplace fires could have been avoided if employees had received adequate fire fighting training. Preventing fire hazards in the workplace and ensuring employee safety in the event of a fire should be the top two concerns of any workplace. 

Emcare offers fire fighting training courses that are aimed at fire prevention, correct handling of a fire in an emergency, and safety. We will provide your employees with the skills and knowledge on how to identify fire hazards and how to act in an emergency fire. 

Emcare offers an extensive range of fire fighting courses. We have selected the fire fighting training courses that are most relevant for any employee in your workplace. Each fire fighting training course is available at every Emcare facility or your premise. 

Course:	Duration:	Entails:
Basic Fire Awareness Course (BFP):	Half Day.	Preventing and managing fire in the  home or workplace.
Basic Fire Fighting Course(BF1):	1 Day.	Build on the BFP with additional firefighting techniques.
Advanced Fire Fighting Course (AFF):	2 Days.	Focus on building practical knowledge through practical demonstrations of firefighting.
Hazardous Material Handling Course (HMH):	2 Days	Gain skills to handle an emergency with hazardous materials.

 

Workplace Fire Hazards: 

The greatest mistake many workplaces make is underestimating the chances of a fire in their workplace. From faulty lamps to massive machines, there is always a possible fire hazard in any workplace. 

Workplace fire hazards refer to a broad category of risks associated with the possible cause of a fire, increasing the spread of a fire, and intensifying the risk of harm caused by the fire. 

For any fire to occur, there needs to be the fire triangle. The fire triangle refers to the three critical fire-starting conditions, which are oxygen, fuel, and an ignition source. All workplaces have these three conditions. 

Every workplace needs to assess any possible fire hazards. An assessment will involve locating possible ignition and fuel sources in the workplace. An Emcare fire fighting training course will provide employees with the knowledge on how to assess possible fire hazards in their workplace. 

Alongside being able to assess workplace fire hazards, your employees need to have the skills to react correctly in a workplace fire emergency. Any of the Emcare fire fighting training courses will show your employees the best actions to take in the event of a fire. 

Top Ten Fire Hazards in the Workplace: 

Fire hazards can vary across workplaces due to the unique environments and risks. We have listed the top ten fire hazards which are present in most workplaces and added some extra prevention tips to go with the Emcare fire fighting training courses. 

1) Flammable Liquids and Combustible Substances: 

Flammable liquids and combustible substances can ignite easily and cause an uncontrollable fire in the workplace. 

Petrol, diesel, acetone, methylated spirit, ethanol, and gas cylinders are examples of flammable liquids found in workplaces. Combustible substance examples include vapors, mists, coal, fumes, fibers, plastic, straw, wood, paper, and dust. 

If your workplace handles flammable liquids or combustible substances, there are certain measures you need to take. 

Ensure that there are only limited amounts of flammable liquids stored on your workplace premises. 

• Label all flammable liquids and hazardous chemicals. 
• Store flammable liquids and combustible substances away from an ignition source. 
• Clean flammable liquid spills or piles of combustible substances immediately. 
• Keep flammable liquids completely sealed to avoid vapor spread. 
• If your company deals solely with flammable liquids or combustible substances, choose the Emcare Hazardous Material Handling Course (HMH) as an addition to your fire fighting training.

 

 

2) Pyrophoric Materials: 

Pyrophoric materials are substances that will react instantly when exposed to oxygen or water. The reaction can ignite, cause extreme heat, release toxic gas, or explode. These are pyrophoric material examples found in the workplace. 

Akali earth elements. 

1. Certain gases, such as silane, phosphine, arsine, and diborane. 
2. Finely divided metals. 
3. Metal hydrides. 

Pyrophoric materials are typically packaged in a solvent, oil, or chemically inactive environment. Pyrophoric materials have strict storage and usage regulations that need to be adhered to in order to prevent workplace fires. Employees who handle pyrophoric materials need specified training. 

Fire fighting training is critical for a pyrophoric material-based fire hazard as employees need to be able to act quickly and effectively. 

3) Faulty Electrical Equipment: 

There is no workplace that does not use electrical equipment. From the lamp sitting beside your computer in the office to the HVAC system in a factory, there is a risk of faults in any electrical equipment in a workplace. 

Faulty electrical equipment is when the normal flow of the electrical circuit is deflected on an unintended path. Electrical equipment can become faulty when it is improperly installed, if there is an electrical surge, or if the equipment is misused. 

Another reason for faulty electrical equipment is inadequate maintenance. This is often the cause in workplaces that try to avoid the expenses of maintaining, repairing, or replacing their electrical equipment. This then endangers the employees and work premise. 

Faulty electrical equipment is dangerous in the workplace as it can cause fires and ignite flammable liquids. Faulty electrical equipment is the usual ignition source for the fire triangle in most workplaces. 

Fire fighting training is important for electrical fires as there are specific steps that need to be taken in order to successfully handle the fire. 

4) Open Flames: 

From commercial kitchens to holistic workplaces that use candles, there are many workplaces that are at risk of fires caused by open flames in the workplace. If your workplace works with open flames, you need to follow these strict regulations. 

Never leave an open flame unattended. 

• Keep a fire extinguisher readily available. 
• Do not store flammable liquids or combustible substances near the open flame. 
• Provide non-flammable personal protective equipment to employees who work with the open flame. 

5) Hot Work Processes: 

Hot work processes refer to work which includes welding, cutting, burning, soldering, brazing, or any other heat-producing operation. 

Hot work processes are a possible fire hazard as these operations generate heat, create sparks, work with molten metal, or use flames. Certain hot work processes produce toxic fumes which can be flammable. If hot work processes come into contact with a flammable object, there will be a workplace fire. 

Ensure your hot work processes in your workplace are not a fire hazard with these few tips. 

Remove any flammable or combustible objects from the vicinity of the hot work processes. 

• Ensure there is a vigilant supervisor with fire fighting training who can monitor the hot work processes and act efficiently in the case of a workplace fire. 

  

6) Overheating Machinery:  

Certain workplaces use machinery that heats up whilst operating. Hot machinery is a common source for starting a workplace fire. As these machines are needed for workplace operations and cannot be removed, there are a few steps to take to avoid overheating. 

• Do not misuse the machinery. 
• Keep the machinery regularly maintained. 
• Allow the machinery to cool down regularly. 
• Avoid leaving the machinery on overnight. 
• Have a supervisor on hand to ensure the machine is operating at a safe heat in your work environment. 

7) Overloaded Power Sockets: 

Overloaded power sockets are a common cause of fires in the workplace, especially in offices. Laptop chargers, WIFI routers, and cell phone chargers all plugged into one extension cable can overload the power socket. This can cause the overloaded power socket to overheat and lead to a fire in the workplace. 

Overloaded power sockets are a fire hazard that can be easily avoided. Here are some tips to prevent workplace fires caused by power sockets. 

Do not plug numerous electrical appliances into a single power socket. 

• Investigate electrical appliances that cause your circuit breaker to trip when plugged into a power socket. 
• If using an extension lead, inspect it regularly for any signs of damage. 
• Ensure there is an adequate number of power sockets in your workplace to suit the needed amount of electrical equipment. 

8) Negligence and Error: 

Negligence and error are common causes of fires in the workplace. Your employees could be negligent by using machinery incorrectly, leaving flammable liquids unattended, or overloading the power socket. There are numerous possibilities that can cause a fire hazard as a result of employee negligence. 

Human error is also a factor that needs to be considered in the workplace. A simple mistake can lead to a fire in the workplace. 

Negligence and error which result in workplace fires can be avoided through adequate training, involved supervision, and regular breaks to allow employees to feel fresh and rested. 

If a workplace fire occurs as a result of negligence or error, your employees with Emcare fire fighting training will be better equipped to handle the fire. 

9) Smoking: 

Many employees smoke at the workplace. This can become hazardous if employees light their cigarettes near flammable materials, in a hazardous environment, or do not put their cigarettes out sufficiently. 

There are ways to reduce fire hazards caused by smoking in the workplace. 

Have a no smoking policy in the workplace. 

• Provide a specified smoking area for your employees that is outside and away from any flammable liquids or combustible substances. 
• Provide cigarette ash bins for employees to dispose of their cigarette butts. 
• Educate employees on the risk of smoking in the workplace and how to dispose of cigarette butts safely. 

10) Rodent Infestation: 

Rodents are fire hazards in a workplace. This is because rodents tend to chew on electrical cables, leaving the copper wires damaged and exposed. If these live, exposed wires come into contact with a combustible substance or flammable liquid, there will be a fire workplace. 

Ensure all workplaces are free from rodents by using pest control services and blocking all points of entry to reduce this fire hazard risk. 

 

  

Ensure all your employees are prepared for workplace fire hazards with Emcare fire fighting training.