Fighting a fire is never something to rush into. Every year people are injured, and some are killed, because they tried to tackle a fire that was too big, with the wrong equipment, or without a safe way out.

Before you pick up an extinguisher, you need to make a quick but careful decision. This module explains who should fight fires, what to do first, and the questions to ask yourself before you act.

In this module you will learn about:

• Who should use fire extinguishers at work.
• What to do first when you discover a fire.
• How to decide whether a fire is safe to tackle.
• When you must not fight a fire.
• When to use a fire blanket.

Your employer decides who may use fire fighting equipment. Usually this is fire wardens and other staff who have been trained, including hands-on practice with real extinguishers.

• If you have not been trained, do not attempt to fight a fire. Raise the alarm and leave.
• Even if you are trained, you are never required to put yourself at risk.
• The aim is to deal with small fires in their very early stages, or to clear an escape route, not to fight a fire that has taken hold. That is the job of the fire service.

Employers appoint a group of responsible people, commonly called fire wardens or fire marshals, to respond when a fire breaks out. They receive practical training in how to select, hold and safely operate an extinguisher. Only fire wardens who have completed this training should consider fighting a fire during an emergency. Without the right knowledge, you put both yourself and others at greater risk. Incorrect use of an extinguisher can delay the evacuation, and picking the wrong type can make the fire worse instead of better.

If you have not had the training, the safest and most useful thing you can do is raise the alarm, help people to leave, and report what you know to the fire service.

If you discover a fire, always do these things before anything else:

• Raise the alarm by operating the nearest fire alarm call point, and shout to warn people nearby.
• Make sure the fire service is called on 112 or 999. Do not assume that someone else has done it.
• Make sure that people are leaving the area.
• If you decide to tackle the fire, tell someone first, so that they can tell the fire service where you are if anything goes wrong.
• If it is safe, switch off the power or gas supply to the equipment involved.

Only then should you consider whether the fire can be tackled safely.

Before you do anything else about a fire, raise the alarm. Operate the nearest manual call point so that everyone is told to evacuate. Do this even if you believe you can put the fire out, because the situation can change without warning. Then make sure the fire service is called on 112 or 999. Either you or someone else should do this before you take any firefighting action, and it is advisable even if you succeed in extinguishing the fire, because it may have spread into hidden spaces inside walls or ceilings. When you call, give precise information: where you are, what kind of fire it is, and exactly where it is burning.

If you speak to the emergency services, tell them you intend to fight the fire. If you do not, tell someone nearby before they leave. This matters if you cannot get out with everyone else, because it helps the fire service find you and understand why you are still in the building. Next, if it is possible, switch off any gas or electrical supply. A leak of gas or electricity can feed the fire, cause a dangerous reaction if the wrong extinguisher is used, and even reignite a fire that has been put out.

Gas left on can create an explosive atmosphere. If you cannot turn off the gas, do not try to fight the fire, especially if it involves a burning cooking pot on a hob.

Ask yourself these questions quickly. You should only tackle the fire if the answer to every one is yes:

• Is the fire small, no bigger than a waste paper bin, and not spreading?
• Do I know what is burning, and do I have the right extinguisher for it?
• Have I been trained to use it?
• Is my escape route clear and behind me, so that I cannot be cut off?
• Is the room free from thick smoke, and is there no risk of explosion?
• Do I feel confident to do it?

Before you use an extinguisher, assess the situation carefully. First, the size of the fire. Extinguishers are effective mainly in the early stages and are not meant for large or rapidly spreading fires. Second, how far it has spread. They are suitable only while the fire is in its direct burning phase, not when it has spread by convection, conduction or radiation. Conduction, for example, can carry heat along a metal pipe and start a fire in another area.

Third, the class of fire. Consider what materials are fuelling it or could fuel it, and whether electricity is involved. That tells you whether a suitable extinguisher for that class is actually available. If any of these answers is unfavourable, do not fight the fire.

The last thing to assess is your environment. You need enough space to reach the extinguisher, prepare it and use it safely, starting about two metres from the fire. If you can, switch off electricity or gas first. Position yourself between the fire and the way out, so that you always have a clear path to leave if you need to. If the room is filling with smoke or becoming very hot, fighting the fire is a serious risk to your safety.

Smoke is more dangerous than the fire itself and can kill, so it is never worth the risk. Always trust your instincts. If you do not feel entirely confident, leave straight away.

Do not attempt to fight the fire, and leave immediately, if:

• The fire is large, spreading, or has reached the ceiling.
• There is a lot of smoke, or the smoke is building up.
• Gas cylinders, flammable liquids or chemicals are involved, or close to the fire.
• You do not have the right extinguisher, or you are not sure what is burning.
• Your exit could be blocked by the fire.
• You have used one extinguisher and the fire is not out.

Trust your instincts. If you are in any doubt, get out, close the door, and leave it to the fire service.

Picture this. A small fire has started in a waste paper bin under a desk. The alarm has been raised, colleagues are leaving, and you are standing near the door with a water extinguisher. The flames are low, there is little smoke, and the bin is not near any electrical equipment.

This fire is likely to be safe to tackle: it is small, it is a Class A fire, you have the right extinguisher, and your exit is behind you.

If the bin were next to a computer with smoke coming from it, a carbon dioxide extinguisher would be the safer choice.

Now picture a staff kitchen. A pan of cooking oil on the hob has caught fire. Flames are rising from the pan, but the fire has not spread.

• Never use water, or a water or foam extinguisher, on burning oil. It will cause a violent fireball.
• Turn off the heat if you can do so safely.
• Use a fire blanket to smother the pan, or a wet chemical extinguisher.
• Do not try to move the pan.

If the flames have reached the extractor hood or cupboards, leave immediately and close the door.

Fire blankets are made of fire-resistant material, and are kept in a quick-release container on the wall. They are used:

• To smother small fires in containers, such as a pan of oil or a waste bin.
• To wrap around a person whose clothing is on fire. Remember: stop, drop and roll, then wrap them in the blanket to smother the flames.

A fire blanket can only be used once. After use, it must be replaced.

Fire blankets have a specific purpose. They are intended for very small, contained fires, such as a fire in a cooking pot, and they can be wrapped around yourself or another person whose clothing has caught fire. In those cases a blanket is more appropriate than an extinguisher. Many workplaces with kitchens, even ones that are not commercial, keep a fire blanket. The risk of a Class F fire from cooking oil or fat may not justify a wet chemical extinguisher, but a blanket lets you manage a cooking fire and stop it growing into a major one.

Use a blanket only if you know how to do so safely and properly, because incorrect use can increase the risk to you and to others.