The fitting of a fire alarm is only half the job of equipping a building to combat a fire. Staff must know what the sound of a fire alarm actually sounds like and what action they have to take. Your best fire equipment will not help in an emergency if your staff are unaware of what to do in the case of a fire.
Who Actually Needs Training
Whilst the fire alarms can be fitted by a skilled fire alarm installer, the fire safety training for staff is a completely different matter. The basic fire awareness training needs to be given to all employees who work on the premises, part-time or temporary staff included. The named fire marshals or wardens for the building will require more training in how to carry out their specific duties in the event of an alarm sounding, i.e. checking all areas for any signs of fire, evacuating all people from the premises and then reporting back to the panel to inform other staff of the outcome.
What A New Starter Induction Should Cover
It is not sufficient to wait for the next scheduled drill and give new starters a 5 minute briefing to cover the points below. It is better to give them a recording of the sounder and then test it live and tell them where the nearest call points and fire extinguishers are and what area each fire marshals’ allocated area is for the toilets, storerooms, meeting rooms etc. They also need to know where their nearest exit is and which is the designated assembly point for their part of the building and that is the area they need to take a roll call of all visitors and staff.
The Specific Job Of A Fire Marshal
A Fire Marshal’s role extends past that of evacuating people from a premises. Their main duties include conducting a sweep of allocated areas (toilets, storerooms, meeting rooms etc.) to ensure that everyone has evacuated. Then taking a headcount of people at the designated assembly point against a staff list and any visitor(s) that may have been on site. Reporting back to the person managing the incident at the Fire Alarm Control Panel. Also informing the fire brigade of the situation and any specific details regarding the building, e.g. a known fault with the system or a specific room that cannot be cleared for some reason.
Getting To Grips With The Control Panel
The person in the building that looks after the fire alarm panel (usually the fire marshal or nominated manager) needs to have a basic understanding of the control panel. This includes knowing what the zone indicators are showing, how to silence a sounder without cancelling the investigation of the alarm and how to reset the system after investigation. Resetting a fire alarm after what appears to be a false alarm without investigating the cause could mask a real fault with the system. The response to a fire alarm activation must follow a proper procedure as laid down by the fire alarm regulations in the UK. See also Fire Alarms Northamptonshire.
Running A Proper Evacuation Drill
As a rule, most buildings should hold a full evacuation drill every 2 years or so. However, this will depend on the amount of staff changes and the make up of the building. Ideally these drills should be held on the unexpected day and at an unexpected time. A manager shouting “right everyone, drill time” is not a good way to test how your staff would react in the event of a real fire. Instead, hold the drill and then discuss the following: how long it took for everyone to leave the building, any problems that were encountered (sticking doors, visitors in the building etc.), any fire exit(s) that were blocked, and then record the points raised and what you intend to do for the next drill.
Keeping A Training Record Worth Showing
The log for staff training records the names of those attending, dates of sessions and what you have covered in your session. Also record when refresher sessions are due to take place. Having a dated record of staff awareness training is far better than a verbal promise that you ‘did mention it’. Many Fire Alarm Companies in Northamptonshire include staff awareness training in their Fire Alarm Maintenance contract and keep the records with the rest of the Fire Alarm Maintenance records.
What Should Trigger Refresher Training
Training is not a one off thing, as with servicing of equipment. So items to consider for refresher training would be: the installation of new or upgraded equipment (possibly working differently) to that previously used; any changes to the building or escape routes; near miss events where evacuation has not worked as expected; and repeated false alarms which staff have started to ignore as they believe it to be ‘nothing’ again.
Covering Shift Workers, Night Staff And Visitors
Training all staff, particularly those on shift, part time, temporary or visiting the premises is crucial. All staff, particularly night time staff, cleaners, maintenance staff and contractors need to be briefed and told what to do in case of a fire. They should also be told what the sound of the alarm sounds like and where the nearest exit is. This should be done face to face and not just left on a computer or printed out as a memo. It is essential that whoever books site inductions for temporary or visiting staff includes staff induction for fire in that. This is one of the basic conditions of fire safety training and applies regardless of shift pattern. Choosing a reputable, accredited fire alarm installer from a list for anyone installing or upgrading a fire alarm system will help to ensure that the installed system is suitable for staff training.
By combining the installation of your fire alarm with the staff training, the noise in the ceiling will become something that your workforce can effectively respond to in the case of an incident.
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