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Fighting Fire With Training

By Westerkamp, Thomas A
Publication: Maintenance Solutions
Date: Wednesday, December 1 2004
HEADNOTE

Developing a successful training program for fire safety starts with understanding the essential issues

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Facilities'

fire-safety systems are under increasing scrutiny in recent years in light of several high-profile fires. One essential component of fire safety is training for front-line technicians involved in the specification, installation, testing and maintenance of key system components.

A basic principle of management states that if you delegate, you must educate. So before managers can delegate responsibility for fire-safety tasks, they must provide proper training and education.

Developing plans and questions

Some fire-safety considerations apply to every situation, but other considerations are a function of a specific need and, as a result, require steps customized to each facility. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) describes a fire-safety plan as one that deals with five issues related to preparation and training.

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