In any commercial facility, the safety of all occupants is pegged on various factors, the most important of which is the readiness to combat a fire breakout. The reason is that most people have the wrong assumption that direct fire is the number one cause of deaths and fatalities in cases of fire breakouts. However, nothing could be further from the truth because research shows that smoke inhalation accounts for the majority of fire-deaths. As such, businesses occupying any commercial building must take volunteer employees for fire warden training. This article highlights key issues included in a fire warden training course.
Risk Assessment
One of the first and arguably the most critical parts of the fire warden training course is risk assessment. Since different buildings have varying risk levels, fire mitigation strategies also vary. As such, fire wardens must conduct thorough risk assessments of their respective workplaces before proposing possible fire mitigation strategies. For instance, a building that houses a store for paints and other highly flammable material has a high risk of catching fire and having that fire spread faster than a building that only houses kitchenware stores. A thorough risk assessment for the former requires the installation of fireproof doors with sealants to prevent the spread of fire as well as smoke.
Operating Fire Extinguishing Equipment
It is one thing to learn about fire extinguishers and another to use the fire extinguishing equipment available. Notably, it is common to find that not many people can operate the many fire extinguishers that hang on walls and corridors of commercial facilities. Understanding how to operate fire-extinguishing equipment goes a long way in helping you use it properly. If you do not learn how to use a fires extinguisher correctly, you might end up spraying its content haphazardly and fail to contain a fire. Besides, with advancements in technology, there are different types of fire extinguishers aside from the conventional ones that hang on walls. For instance, fire-extinguishing balls are a safer alternative — all that a fire warden has to do is throw the balls at the fire to extinguish it. Therefore, fire warden training involves training on how to use the different types of fire extinguishing equipment.
Evacuation Strategies
In the event of a fire, it is a fire warden's job to evacuate the building and direct occupants to safety. Therefore, understanding the entire evacuation process plays an integral role in ensuring that occupants get out of the building safely. For example, dealing with the elderly and children can be difficult when they are in panic mode. Therefore, without the right training, it might be challenging to get them to safety. Fire warden training teaches you how to calm different people of different ages and capabilities for successful evacuation.
