What is fire? Well, it is flames… it is hot, and it burns. Nothing special about that, right?
Well did you know that it is actually a result of a chemical reaction? It is the release of heat and light.
Fire needs 3 things to exist: heat, oxygen and fuel. If you were to take one of these away, you would be extinguishing the fire. So, you can starve a fire of fuel. You can smother the fire to reduce oxygen intake. Or you can cool a fire to reduce the heat.
Did you know that:
- Oxygen can change the colour of the flame.
- Fire can double in size every 30 seconds!
- more people die from smoke inhalation that from the fire itself.
- Earth is the only known planet where fire can burn.
- The first electrical fire alarm was invented in 1890.
- Lightning is the most common natural cause of wildfires.
- Fire can travel at speeds of up to 20mph.
- Firefighting was an Olympic sport once.
- Human bones cannot be fully destroyed by fire.
- Mankind has been using fire for over 1 million years!
Fire Safety:
Most fires are preventable, all it takes is knowledge and responsibility. That can be hard to come by sometimes, but in the workplace, there shouldn’t be any excuses. When staff are trained in Fire Safety, this helps to keep your workplace safe and reduces that risk of fire. Staff have the knowledge of how a fire starts, the most common causes and how to reduce these. The most common causes of fire in the workplace are electrical faults and also discarded smoking items.
Fire extinguishers are great to have in the workplace, but do your team actually know how to use them safely and what types of fire they are suitable for?
Rather than having them as expensive ornaments in the workplace, your team could learn the different types you have in place and what they are used for.
Dry powder fire extinguishers are great to have, as they work on a variety of different fires, such as woods, paper and textiles, flammable liquids, gaseous fires and live electrical equipment. However, they do leave a mess after use, but then again, a fire leaves a worse mess!
Always make sure your means of escape are clearly identified in the workplace, with clear escape routes, fire exit signs and an assembly point.
if you would like your team to know more and even some of them to be Fire Marshals in the workplace, then get in touch to book a course now!
