How Often Do You Need to Conduct Fire Safety Training for Staff?
If you operate a business within the UK, the chances are that you will have at least one designated fire marshal. The fire marshal role is one of the most responsible in any business. Their duties are varied. But they ultimately boil down to keeping your employees, customers, and premises safe from the risk of fire. And this means that they are required to have adequate training.
But is one training session enough? Does fire marshal training expire? And how often do you need to conduct fire safety training for staff in order to keep them and your business as safe as possible?
What Do You Need to Know About Fire Marshal and Fire Safety Training?
About the fire marshal role
Fire marshals have five key areas of responsibility. They manage:
- Fire risk assessments and updating of the fire safety log book
- Fire safety equipment and alarms
- General fire safety housekeeping
- Staff fire safety training
- And evacuation in the event of a fire
To do all of this as safely as possible, they need to have the right training. This will help them to learn not only what to do in the event of a fire. But how to conduct all the necessary administration to ensure that your company remains compliant with the relevant legislation.
What is involved in fire marshal training?
Fire marshal training can be conducted either on your premises or at our specialist training facility. And it will involve training in all the practical aspects of the role, as well as the theoretical. This will include:
- Understanding fire, fire hazards, and how fires develop.
- How to identify which fires should be tackled and when the fire service should be called.
- The different ways of tackling fires – the different types of fire extinguishers, fire blankets, fire hoses (where relevant), and other tools.
- Fire detection and control measures – alarm systems and testing, fire doors, fire exits, emergency lighting.
- How to use fire extinguishers, basic extinguisher maintenance, and servicing requirements – including practical use of a fire extinguisher.
- Fire safety legislation and how it applies to your business.
- Fire evacuation best practice.
- How to manage employee fire safety training, including training content for other staff members.
- Basic fire-related first aid training.
This will all be conducted by one of our highly trained and experienced fire safety professionals, who will ensure that all training is relevant to your business’ needs.
When should you have fire marshal training?
Initial fire marshal training should be delivered whenever a new person takes on the role.
Ideally, before that person takes on any responsibility in this area. It can also be a good idea for business managers to undergo fire marshal training, to ensure continuity when employees move on.
Does fire marshal training expire?
The short answer here is, ‘no’. There is no limitation on the lifespan of fire marshal training. However, we all forget things over time. So, it is highly advisable for fire marshals to receive refresher training at least once every three years.
You may also wish to consider providing additional fire marshal training if the business changes in any practical or physical way. If you move premises or take on a different kind of work, the fire risk will likely change, and your fire marshal(s) needs to know how to deal with that. Significant changes in personnel can also warrant additional fire marshal training. As can repeated failings in your fire risk assessment, or if you have other reasons to believe that the original training is no longer meeting the needs of your business.
How often do you need to conduct general fire safety training for staff?
In most cases, once your fire marshals have received their training, they will take responsibility for delivering fire safety training to the rest of your employees.
According to the 2005 Fire Safety Order, you are legally required to provide fire safety training if you run a business that employs at least one other person. And this applies to anyone who might visit your site to work, including contractors, volunteers, and security personnel. The training should be delivered as soon as possible upon the person first entering your premises. And it needs to be refreshed at least once a year.
Fire marshals play an integral role in the safety of your business. Securing the right training for them can be enough to positively change the outcome of any fire scenario. But, more importantly, it can help to ensure that it is never necessary. With 1st Class Fire Protection’s comprehensive, tailored, hands-on fire safety training, you can be confident that your fire marshals know everything they need to know to keep your business safe.
1st Class Fire Protection is an industry-leading fire protection company. Serving customers throughout Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, and the surrounding areas. We have be delivering industry-leading fire marshal and fire safety training for more than 25 years. And we would be happy to provide your business with all the fire safety training and equipment you need to stay safe.. Get in touch to discuss your business’s requirements today.
