Previously, we did an article on fire extinguisher service and the steps involved in monthly inspection. I wanted to take this a step further and discuss a few more topics related to fire extinguishers because we are all familiar with them, know what they are and for the most part, how they work. In order to fill in the few gaps left, we have put together this article covering training, selection, and location of fire extinguishers along with some statistics from the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA).

So you’re ready to buy a fire extinguisher? Well first you need to know what you are using it for in order to choose the correct class of extinguisher. Below you will find a chart matching the facility with what fire extinguisher to be used:

As you can see, having an ABC fire extinguisher in most instances will take care of most fires. You simply need to be aware of the few instances where this is not the case. Electrical equipment, servers, and grease fires are the big ones to note. This requires a different type of fire extinguisher as seen above.

Now that you have your extinguisher type picked, your next task is to select an appropriate placement for the extinguisher. Remember when selecting a place for your fire extinguisher, they must be selected and positioned based on the potential type and size of fire that can occur [29 CFR 1910.157(d)(1)].

Fire extinguisher locations should be:

• Easily accessible
• Not blocked by equipment or other materials
• Near normal paths of travel
• Near entrance and exit doors
• Readily visible
• Mounted on a wall or placed in a fire extinguisher cabinet

Fire extinguisher travel distance varies on its classification:

• Class A; Within 75 ft travel distance; [29 CFR 1910.157(d)(2)]
• Class B; Within 50 ft travel distance; [29 CFR 1910.157(d)(4)]
• Class C; Based on its Class A or B hazard; [29 CFR 1910.157(d)(5)]
• Class D; Not more than 75 ft travel distance; [29 CFR 1910.157(d)(6)]
• Class K; Maximum travel distance of 30 feet; [NFPA 10, Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers. See Section 6.6, Installations for Class K Hazards]

Once a fire extinguisher has been selected and placed in compliance with OSHA/NFPA standards, you then need to know how to use it. Training for yourself and/or employees is a very important step and should not be overlooked. The unfortunate reality, as you’ll see further below via the NFPA stats, is that fires happen all the time. Having properly learned how to use an extinguisher can save someone’s life. Below you find training specifics, as presented by the 1910.157 OSHA standard guidelines, as well as a few tips for how to engage employees further with hands-on training.

OSHA Training Standard Guidelines – 1910.157

• Have all employees who are expected to use fire extinguishers in an emergency been trained in the principles of extinguisher use and the hazards involved? [(g)(1)]
• Are employees trained when initially hired and then at least annually thereafter? [(g)(2)]
• Have all employees specifically designated as emergency responders in your emergency action plan (fire brigades, for example) been trained to use appropriate fire-fighting equipment? [(g)(3)]
• Do these specially designated employees receive training when they are initially assigned their special duties and at least annually thereafter? [(g)(4)]

Tips for hands-on training (to further engage & educate employees):

• Simulate various fire situations
  • Include different types of fires
• Consider using digital fire simulators
  • Train anywhere, safer than conventional fire extinguisher training, different difficulty levels, no recharging extinguishers
• Have employees work with varying sizes of extinguishers
  • Help employees to understand the potentials and limits of each type
• Teach employees to maintain proper distance from fires
  • This is dependent on the size of extinguishers used and type of fire
  • Make sure to demonstrate how to properly move away from a fire once it is believed to be under control
• Teach employees to check the pressure gauges and test extinguishers before approaching a fire.
  • An excellent learning tool can include having trainees select from multiple training extinguishers where one or more are not fully charged
• Keep class sizes small, ideally fewer than 20 students at a time.
  • This makes it easier for everyone to participate and stay engaged
• Allow all trainees to extinguish the fire and provide them with opportunities to refine their technique and retry if they fail

FIRES IN THE U.S. (Provided by NFPA)

In 2012, there were 1,375,000 fires reported in the United States. These fires caused 2,855 civilian deaths, 16,500 civilian injuries, and $12.4 billion in property damage.

• 480,500 were structure fires, causing 2,470 civilian deaths, 14,700 civilian injuries, and $9.8 billion in property damage.
• 172,500 were vehicle fires, causing 300 civilian fire deaths, 800 civilian fire injuries, and $1.1 billion in property damage.
• 692,000 were outside and other fires, causing 60 civilian fire deaths, 825 civilian fire injuries, and $813 million in property damage.

The 2012 U.S. fire loss clock a fire department responded to a fire every 23 seconds. One structure fire was reported every 66 seconds.

• One home structure fire was reported every 85 seconds.
• One civilian fire injury was reported every 32 minutes.
• One civilian fire death occurred every 3 hours and 4 minutes.
• One outside fire was reported every 46 seconds.
• One vehicle fire was reported every 156 seconds.

If you want your employees to use fire extinguishers correctly and effciently in an emergency, you must make sure they are fully trained. For more information, feel free to check out our fire extinguisher training course here:

When it comes to fire extinguisher inspections, many of us think that annually you should be checking your fire extinguisher(s) and getting them serviced or refilled. Hopefully, you do at least this otherwise what I'm about to say may shock you.
 

You must do a monthly inspection of all of your fire extinguishers in your home/workplace.
 

Luckily for us, this is a simple 7 step process that will become routine in time. The first two things you must know before starting an inspection of your fire extinguishers are:

• Who is responsible for doing the monthly checks? If you are at home reading this, it may be a simple answer of yourself. But if you are at work then who is responsible? 
• Whoever is should always be; it tends to be easier this way. The person held accountable gets used to that responsibility.
• Before doing a monthly fire extinguisher inspection, you should always have a pen or marker and a rag with you.

1. As you as approaching the fire extinguisher, you should first be checking that it is readily available. This means that it is not blocked by any objects, is not difficult to get to, and is within reach. It should be mounted with a sign above that states that an extinguisher is underneath.  

• If anything is blocking the fire extinguisher, now is the time to resolve the issue.
   

Your next check is to pick up the extinguisher. Is it a powder type? You must prevent the powder from settling. Go ahead, give it a shake. While its in your hands, is it any lighter than usual or than you'd expect? Call your servicing company (or Safety Training Services here) to have them check it out. It's better to be safe than sorry!
 

The next check should be to check the extinguisher all over for dents, rust, oil, etc. If any substance (such as oil) is on it, dampen your rag and wipe it off. If there is any rust or the extinguisher has severe abuse, replace it soon as possible.
 

Mount the fire extinguisher back on the wall, make sure the instructions are still legible, and check the labels. Make sure to turn extinguisher so that the label is facing outward.

• If the label is missing or anything is illegible, get a new label when possible. You may even, depending on the extinguisher's state, look into purchasing a whole new fire extinguisher.
   

Now that the extinguisher is placed correctly and the label is facing outward, check the pin or safety seal. It should still be intact; if not, you should replace the fire extinguisher.
 

You should now look check the gauge. Is it still in the green zone? If not, call a service person/company immediately to have the extinguisher serviced and back in working order.
 

Lastly, make sure to check the tag on the fire extinguisher to verify that yearly service has been done within the last year. This is usually marked off on the tag or hole-punched (month/year). Most service companies sign off or mark when the inspection took place, not when its due, so be sure to take a moment to process the information so that you are in compliance with the yearly inspection. Check with your servicing company (or simply contact STS here) if you need assistance. If your fire extinguisher has NOT been serviced in the last year, call immediately to schedule for that to be done.
 

Congratulations, your monthly inspection is complete. Be sure to sign your initials on the tag when it has space for monthly inspections. This verifies that the extinguisher is up-to-date and also proves to OSHA (if need arises) that a monthly inspection has been performed. 

If you want some or all of your employees to use fire extinguishers in an emergency, you must make sure they are fully trained. We will discuss fire extinguisher training; some issues and some safety tips in the next safety blog article! In the meantime, feel free to check out our fire extinguisher training course here:

We wrote last week about the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), what exactly aerial work platforms (AWPs) are, the current issues facing the industry, and some tips to keep you safe on an AWP. This week, we will focus on compliance requirements, operator familiarization and general training.

Roles

ANSI standards heavily promote safety by developing recommendations and guidelines; however these standards are to be considered best practices, and are not laws or regulations. Compliance with ANSI standards is voluntary.

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), a government agency that issues and enforces regulations for employers to ensure workplace health and safety. These regulations are often referred to as standards, but they are in fact laws and compliance is mandatory.

So Why Comply?

It is true that ANSI is voluntary, and OSHA is mandatory, however it is to be noted that the OSHA regulations were in fact based on ANSI standards. Basically, once OSHA adopts the ANSI standards as their own, they no longer are voluntary and become law.

Despite ANSI standards being voluntary, it is in every company’s best interest to comply. Because OSHA law many times is adopted from ANSI standards, the standards in the ANSI handbook are considered a consensus of what’s best to keep employees safe and because of this OSHA can decide that the company is not “free from recognized hazards” and cite the company for the “general duty” clause for not following ANSI standards. So as it turns out, ANSI standards may not be as “voluntary” as expressed. Keep yourself and your employee’s safe, by following the ANSI guidebooks as mandatory as OSHA law.

Operator

Prior to use of an AWP, the operator must be trained before operation of the unit. This training should include the inspection, application, recognition, and avoidance of hazards associated with the equipment. As stated earlier, familiarization of the specific model of equipment should also be received prior to operating. Here is outline of each as stated by ANSI A92 Standards.

Training

• Essentially what prepares an operator to operate AWP
• Can teach multiple pieces of equipment of a particular type
• Covers broad types (push-around, boom lifts, scissor lifts, trailer-mounted boom lifts), as opposed to specific manufacturer/models
• Includes classroom/”formal” training as well as “hands-on”/practical

The OSH Act (That created OSHA) was passed over 40 years ago in order to protect America’s workers. Since then, great progress towards keeping America’s workers safe has been made. However, more work must still be done as we still have the statistics, almost daily, about serious injuries and/or fatalities.

In 2010 alone, over 4,600 workers were killed and 3.8 million workers reported injuries (and think about how many DIDN’T report). That makes an average of almost 13 injuries per day!

So a return to a previous idea of updating OSH Act in the form of a bill, Protecting America’s Workers Act (PAWA), with the intent to expand & strengthen workplace safety laws. PAWA was introduced a few different ways before in several congressional sessions, but never passed.

What is PAWA? Well it looks to update/amend OSHA to cover more workers, update penalties, strengthen protections, enhance public accountability, clarify an employer's duty to provide safe work environment. What does it entail? Let’s take a look at what PAWA aims to do:

• Over 8.5 million workers are not covered by OSHA. This includes federal, state, local public employees and some private sector.
• PAWA would include flight attendants, state correctional officers and workers in government agencies and provides OSHA protections to these workers.

Increase penalties for law-breakers

• Current law says willful OSHA violations that lead to a worker's death may be charged, at most, with a misdemeanor.
• Repeated and willful OSHA violations that result in serious injury or death can be charged as felony.
• Updates OSHA civil penalties (unchanged since 1990). Sets minimum penalty of $50,000 for worker death caused by a willful violation.

Protects whistle-blowers on unsafe conditions in the workplace

• OSHA's whistleblower provisions have had no update since adoption...in 1970.
• Updates those whistleblower protections by incorporating successful administrative procedures adopted in other laws (like the Surface Transportation Act).

Enhances the public's right to know about safety violations

• Improves public accountability and transparency.
• Mandates Department of Labor (DOL) investigates all cases of death or serious incidents of injury at work.
• Gives workers (and their families) the right to meet with DOL investigators.
• Requires employers to inform workers of their OSHA rights.

Clarifies employer's duty to provide a safe work environment, equipment and track recordable injuries/illnesses for all workers on-site

• Amends the General Duty Clause to include all workers on the worksite.
• Clarifies employer responsibility to provide the necessary safety equipment to their workers (example: PPE).
• Directs DOL to revise regulations  for site-controlling employers to keep a site log for all recordable injuries and illnesses among all employees on the worksite.

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That about wraps up PAWA and its goals. Think for a moment about these questions and then comment what you think in the box below!

• Does this frame of mind have merit? 
• Do you think this should be passed? 
• As an employee, do you feel this is headed in the right direction? 
• As an employer, do you feel this is headed in the right direction? 

No matter what side of the fence you are on, how can workplace safety training companies continue to assist employees & employers while its being negotiated?