Unit introduction
This group of workers is undertaking fire extinguisher training with a live-fire simulator. The company takes fire fighting training for its employees very seriously, because it knows that a quick first response can make the difference between a minor incident and a full-scale catastrophe.
Fire is a fact of life in Australia, and there is no industry more at risk from its devastating effects than the timber industry. Our country has some of the most fire-prone regions in the world, and every year each state and territory puts its fire fighting services on high alert during the fire season. As well as the real risk of a fire outbreak in the forest itself, the timber stored in factories and warehouses is also a very efficient fuel.
This is why every business in the industry needs to have a sound fire prevention policy and well-developed emergency procedures. It also needs to have appropriate fire fighting equipment on hand to cope with the first response to an outbreak of fire, before the emergency services arrive.
In this unit, we'll look at the principles of fire, the environmental conditions that increase the risk of a fire occurring, and some of the measures that can be put in place to reduce the risks. We'll also look at the basic fire fighting equipment and safety gear that worksites need to have at the ready in the event of a fire.
Working through this unit
There are two sections in the unit Preventing fires:
- Bushfires.
- On-site fires.
Each section begins with Your job, which introduces you to the topics covered and gives you a link to the Task you will need to undertake to demonstrate your understanding. Your trainer may ask you to submit the completed Tasks as part of your assessment evidence for the unit.
Select the link below to go to the first section for this unit.