Combustible and flammable materials are present in every workplace. These fuels could include:

• cardboard and paper
  
  
• plastics
  
  
• timber and sawdust
  
  
• desks, chairs, shelving and other fittings or furniture
  
  
• petrol, diesel and gas
  
  
• solvents and other chemicals stored on-site.

There will also be various 'ignition sources' that may set these fuels alight under the right conditions, such as:

• electrical sparks from faulty machinery or loose wiring
  
  
• sparks from welding or grinding activities
  
  
• naked flames from matches or cigarette lighters
  
  
• smouldering cigarette butts.

Prevention

The two most important prevention measures you can take to avoid the possibility of a fire are:

1. maintain good housekeeping
   
   
2. keep potential ignition sources away from flammable and combustible materials.

This means that you should always try to keep the workplace clean, especially at the end of the day before you knock off, and always make sure that any activities that may cause sparks or flames are carried out well away from fuel storage areas.

The most obvious example of this is to avoid smoking near gas, petrol or diesel storage tanks or refuelling areas.

Fire fighting equipment

Fire extinguishers and hose reels are the most common equipment kept to fight fires on-site. Fire extinguishers are colour coded and labelled according to their contents.

It's very important to match the correct extinguisher to the type or class of fire. The contents of some extinguishers may be unsuitable - or even dangerous - if used on the wrong type of fire.

The links below go to tables which show the different classes of fire and the range of fire extinguishers used to combat these fires.

How to use fire fighting equipment

The links below will take you to some basic instructions on how to use fire extinguishers, hose reels and fire blankets. For details on the specific pieces of equipment at your own workplace, make sure you refer to the manufacturer's instructions.

Best of all, see if you can receive face-to-face training in your workplace or at a specialist training centre.