Fire Extinguisher Training

OSHA 1910.157

U.S.fire departments responded to an estimated 1,451,500 fires.

These fires resulted in 3,320 civilian fire fatalities, 16,705 civilian fire injuries and an estimated $15,478,000,000 in direct property loss. (The direct property loss includes the California Wildfires 2008 with an estimated property loss of $1,400,000,000.) There was a civilian fire death every 158 minutes and a civilian fire injury every 31 minutes in 2008. Home fires caused 2,755, or 83%, of the civilian fire deaths.

Every 22 seconds, a fire department responds to a fire somewhere in the nation. A fire occurs in a structure at the rate of one every 61 seconds, and in particular a residential fire occurs every 78 seconds. Fires occur in vehicles at the rate of 1 every134 seconds, and there's a fire in an outside property every 45 seconds.

As reported by the NFPA, August 2009

Lets face it, everyone has seen fire extinguishers hanging on the wall for their entire lives but how many people have actually used one? OSHA states that as an employer, if you have an expectation in the event of a fire that an employee would use a fire extinguisher, you must train them annually.

This 3-hour fire extinguisher course combines lecture, demonstration, application of company's in house incipient Fire Response Plan and practical drill with live fire. This fire extinguisher training course satisfies 29 CFR 1910.157 requirements. 

OSHA Standard 1910.157
 

1910.157(g)  

Training and education. 

1910.157(g)(1)  

Where the employer has provided portable fire extinguishers for employee use in the workplace, the employer shall also provide an educational program to familiarize employees with the general principles of fire extinguisher use and the hazards involved with incipient stage fire fighting. 

1910.157(g)(2)  

The employer shall provide the education required in paragraph (g)(1) of this section upon initial employment and at least annually thereafter. 

1910.157(g)(3)  

The employer shall provide employees who have been designated to use fire fighting equipment as part of an emergency action plan with training in the use of the appropriate equipment. 

1910.157(g)(4)  

The employer shall provide the training required in paragraph (g)(3) of this section upon initial assignment to the designated group of employees and at least annually thereafter.  

Do employers have to provide portable fire extinguishers?  

No. But if you do, you must establish an educational program to familiarize your workers with the general principles of fire extinguisher use. If you expect your workers to use portable fire extinguishers, you must provide hands-on training in using this equipment.