Fire Extinguisher eLearning
Online fire extinguisher training covering the classes of fire, which extinguisher goes with which, and the judgement that matters most: when to walk away.
Who it is for
Who this fire extinguisher course is for
Extinguishers are the most misunderstood item in any building. People reach for the nearest one, use it on the wrong fire, and make things worse. This course is for anyone who might pick one up.
- Nominated fire wardens and marshals
- Kitchen, workshop and plant room staff
- Facilities, maintenance and caretaking teams
- Office and retail staff with extinguisher duties
- Anyone working near electrical or flammable liquid risks
- Supervisors responsible for extinguisher checks
Course content
What the fire extinguisher course covers
Four short lessons covering the fire triangle and classes of fire, extinguisher types and colours, fight or leave and how to use an extinguisher, and checks, then a 12-question assessment.
The fire triangle and classes of fire
How fire burns, how extinguishers work by removing a side of the triangle, and the classes of fire.
Extinguisher types and colours
Water, foam, carbon dioxide, dry powder and wet chemical extinguishers, their colour codes, and which fires each must not be used on.
Fight or leave, and using an extinguisher
The rules for deciding whether to tackle a fire, and how to use an extinguisher if you do.
Checks and maintenance
Visual checks of extinguishers, servicing, siting, and reporting used, damaged or missing extinguishers.
Outcomes
What you will be able to do afterwards
- Identify the class of a fire from what is burning
- Match extinguisher type to fire class, and know which to avoid
- Judge whether to fight a fire or evacuate, and use an extinguisher correctly
- Carry out a visual check and report a used, damaged or missing extinguisher
Your legal duty
The law behind fire extinguisher training
In England and Wales the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the responsible person to provide appropriate firefighting equipment, to maintain it, and to give adequate fire safety training to employees: including, where relevant, on the equipment provided.
No law requires an ordinary employee to fight a fire. The course is clear that evacuation is always the default and that extinguisher use is a choice, not a duty.
- Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 - England and Wales
- Duty to provide and maintain appropriate firefighting equipment
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 - emergency procedures
- Scotland and Northern Ireland are covered by their own fire safety legislation
Practicalities
How the course works
Would you rather have a tutor?
Live-fire practical training has to be done in person. We can arrange it on your site alongside the online awareness element.
For employers
Fire Extinguisher training for a team
Extinguisher awareness pairs naturally with fire warden training and general fire safety, most sites buy the three together.
- One invoice instead of a card payment per person
- Licences allocated as people join, so induction is covered
- Completion and expiry reporting for your records
- Renewal reminders before certificates lapse
- Bespoke versions built around your own procedures
Fire Extinguisher eLearning: common questions
No. Discharging a live extinguisher has to be practised in person. This course covers the knowledge: classes, types, checks and the decision to fight or leave.
No. Nothing requires an ordinary employee to tackle a fire. Getting out and raising the alarm is always the safe default, and the course says so plainly.
The course covers this properly rather than in a sentence, because using the wrong type on electrical equipment is one of the most dangerous mistakes people make.
Someone competent should carry out a visual check monthly, with a formal service by a competent person annually. The course covers what the visual check involves.
About 30 to 45 minutes, with no time limit. Start it, pause it, and come back whenever suits. The certificate is issued as soon as you pass the end assessment.
Yes. It runs in a browser on any modern phone, tablet or computer, with nothing to install.
Yes. Open a business account and we invoice you for the licences, which you allocate as people need them, with completion reporting included.
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