Fire Extinguisher Facts

Fire Extinguisher Facts: Training Your Household or Business

 

Fire is one of the most dangerous hazards that a household or business can face, yet an alarming number of property owners fail to take adequate precautions against blazes. When owners do make the wise choice to acknowledge the danger that fires can present and search for meaningful ways to address this threat, fire extinguishers are some of the most effective products to consider. Available in a wide range of rating types, sizes, and activation methods, fire extinguishers can contribute to any effort to save lives and property by preventing small fires from raging out of control. Simply putting a fire extinguisher in a home or business isn’t really enough to gain the intended benefits of these products, however; an insistence on learning how to select, use, store, and maintain extinguishers should accompany a purchase. As a fire extinguisher might be used by anyone who happens to be in the area when a fire starts, a solid security plan should ensure that all of the members of a household or the full roster of employees at a business is able to successfully deploy the fire retardant and use the item properly. In response to this need, some property owners decide to treat their households or businesses to basic training for extinguishers.

 

 

No matter the room in which a fire is started, houses can be devastated by flames that become too dangerous to handle, and a great deal of property can be lost –not to mention the risk of serious injury or even death that fires started in houses can present. Blazes are often started in kitchens, but can just as easily erupt in bedrooms or living rooms when cigarettes embers catch on flammable materials or candle flames reach curtains or other objects. Fire extinguishers are available for all classes of fire that might occur within a home, from grease and fat based fires to those comprised primarily of paper products and everything in between. It’s important for household members to know which extinguishers to use in which situations, and how to activate extinguishers and properly attempt to put out a fire. Training a household for this understanding can be done by property owners themselves by holding a special meeting to go over the most important facts surrounding extinguisher use, or it may be possible to obtain professional training from a local emergency preparedness service. Though household training isn’t something practiced by everyone, families that have undergone training are sure to be far more likely to successfully survive fire risks.

 

Even if they lack a kitchen, businesses can be susceptible to fires, as well. In many areas, the purchase and installation of fire extinguishers is mandatory, and owners may also be responsible for having the units regularly checked by certified professionals. Along with taking care of these duties, some property owners choose to have their business team’s work through a relevant training session. Knowing that employees are able to handle the challenge of putting out a fire can be a great source of confidence and peace of mind for business administrators, and a workforce with this particular skill set is likely to be more aware of the danger of fires and the steps and practices needed to keep fire from becoming a life-threatening problem. Property owners can find a variety of solutions for training their business workforce for fire preparedness, and including this type of training in a more widespread program to cover first aid and other business needs can be very beneficial.

 

 

 

In order to ensure that family members and employees are well-trained and confident in their ability to use fire extinguishers, property owners should first train themselves and become familiar with the issues relevant to fire extinguisher storage and use. Self-education can be achieved by accessing various resources on the internet, by consulting with professional groups and services that focus on fire prevention, or by taking a course. Providing meaningful leadership to those who might have a need to use an extinguisher helps make the entire training process easier. With greater confidence and administrative ability, property owners can more effectively guide their household members or employees towards proper fire safety practices.

 

Seemingly a simple product, a fire extinguisher is actually marked by a number of attributes and needs that might not be intuited by people attempting to use them for the first time. By helping people understand the proper treatment of fire extinguishers, property owners can enjoy a greater degree of safety. Through the creation or purchase of thorough training sessions, family members and employees can become highly skilled in putting out all types of small fires with an extinguisher, and may be able to prevent properties –and people– from succumbing to flames.