Fire Safety and Evacuation
The fire triangle and classes
Fire needs fuel, heat and oxygen. Removing any one extinguishes it. Know the classes: A (solids), B (flammable liquids), C (gases), D (metals), F/K (cooking oils), and electrical fires. Match the extinguisher: water for A only, foam for A and B, CO2 for electrical and liquids, dry powder for general use, wet chemical for cooking oil.
Prevention and detection
Know the common causes: smoking, electrical faults, cooking, storage of flammables, and blocked exits. Guards must keep fire exits, corridors and extinguishers unobstructed, check that fire doors are closed and not propped, and report faulty alarms, broken signage or missing equipment.
Evacuation
Use the nearest safe exit, never lifts, stay low under smoke, close doors behind you, and go to the assembly point. Know the sweep procedure and the role of the fire warden. PASS for extinguisher use: Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep - only on a small fire, with a clear escape route behind you.
Traps to watch
Water on electrical or oil fires; using a lift; re-entering; propping fire doors; and 'it's only a small fire, I'll ignore it'.
Rule of thumb
If the fire is bigger than you, or smoke is thick, evacuate and call - do not fight it.
Worked example
A small waste-paper bin fire in an office. Correct answer: raise the alarm, ensure people are safe, use the correct extinguisher (water or dry powder) with an exit behind you, and if it spreads, evacuate.