| Trained employees are given the confidence they need
to respond to an emergency situation and are more likely
to remember and follow the specific emergency protocols
their company has established. Portable fire
extinguishers are designed for insipient stage fire
fighting. Fundamentally, fire training is both about how
and when to utilize portable fire extinguishers. Trained
employees will be better able to assess fire risk so as
to determine when the use of the fire extinguisher is
appropriate and when it is not.
Confronted with a fire emergency, untrained individuals are
more likely to use the wrong type of portable extinguisher or
may even attempt to fight a fire with "homemade" tools such as
jackets, buckets of water, or potted plants. This type of
response often only increases the scope of the fire situation
and heightens the risk to them and others. Untrained employees
can enhance the threats to themselves if they do try to take
action but do not fully understand how to identify and use the
proper tools that are available.
Employee safety is always the first concern, and with this
in mind, some safety officers institute an evacuation-only
policy rather than look at ways to have employees be prepared
to use the fire extinguishing aids that are available
throughout the workplace. A blanket evacuation-only emergency
plan can fail to recognize the realities of many fire
incidents. In an actual fire situation, evacuation is not
always an option. Extinguishers can be used to create a means
of egress when paths are otherwise blocked by fire. They also
can be used to reach or respond to personnel in immediate
danger.
Fire extinguishers can play a key role in minimizing
business losses. By combating fires before they become
large-scale emergencies, property losses and downtime can be
greatly reduced or eliminated.
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