Safety, fire prevention and emergency response
Safety is preventive and procedural. Know the fire triangle (fuel, oxygen, heat) and the fire classes (A solids, B liquids, C gases, D metals, F cooking oils) with the matching extinguishers (water, foam, CO2, powder). Know the evacuation principles: alarm, evacuation routes, assembly point, roll call, and the rule that lifts are not used in a fire. Understand compartmentation, fire doors (never propped open), and the evacuation plan posted on site.
Emergency response: the emergency chain - alert, secure the area, evacuate if needed, provide first aid, meet and brief the emergency services, and hand over. Know the site's emergency numbers (112 for fire/medical, 101 for police) and the internal escalation. Know the evacuation roles: fire warden, sweep, assembly-point controller.
Workplace safety: PPE, manual handling, slips and falls, electrical hazards, and the prevention advisor role. Know the difference between a preventive fire inspection (checking extinguishers, exits, signage) and a reactive response.
Traps: (1) using water on an electrical or oil fire; (2) telling people to use the lift; (3) forgetting the roll call at the assembly point; (4) re-entering the building to retrieve belongings; (5) assuming the alarm is false. Also, extinguisher use is only for small, incipient fires and only if you have a safe escape route.
Worked example: Smoke from a kitchen. You raise the alarm, call 112, close the door to the kitchen, evacuate the zone, guide people to the assembly point, do a roll call, and brief the fire brigade on arrival. Rule of thumb: alarm first, then evacuate, then contain - never fight a fire behind you.
Also know the PASS technique for extinguishers: Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep.