Dr Julie Riggs, Senior Head of Education, British Safety Council discusses the evolutional changes in fire safety training 

The act of combustion, the generation of a flame, smoke and creation of fire has been studied with fascination over the years, with ground-breaking studies carried out over the late 18th Century.  Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier, Joseph Priestley, Carl Wilhelm Scheele identified gasses within combustion.  Sir Benjamin Thompson carried out research on heat transfer as a movement of particles.  Sir Humphry Davy’s measurements of flame temperatures and his invention of the safety lamp in 1815 has shaped our understanding around the dynamics of combustion.  However, you could argue that Davy’s most important discovery was Michael Faraday.  Under Davy’s mentoring, Faraday contributed an array of elements to the periodic tables and revolutionised the understanding of chemistry and physics.   

Faraday, who was inspired by Davy’s lecturers at the Royal Institution in London as a teenager, returned in 1848 to give a series of six lecturers on the chemical history of a candle.  The lectures are so beautifully written you can be entranced by the descriptive journey Faraday takes in performing his experiments. 

A rise in understanding fire safety 

The 19th century saw an acceleration in knowledge and a paradigm shift in scientific understanding. Due to the legacy of such an experimental period, by the time we enter the beginning of the 20th Century, we understand the relationship of combustion and the contributing factors of fuel, heat, and oxygen.  Indeed, the Triangle of Combustion, later evolving to the Fire Tetrahedron, the fourth element a chemical chain reaction, formed the basis for many businesses to understand and apply fire safety management, which is still used today. 

In parallel, during the same period of scientific exploration, Johann Friedrich Herbart, considered the founder of modern pedagogy founded the idea in the 19th Century that education and teaching are linked.  Herbart informs us that teaching only leads to a correct ‘grasp of the world’, it does not impart knowledge or shape aptitudes and skills.  In other words, we need to do more than just impart knowledge, we need to be creating effective teaching and learning environments. 

The progression of pedagogy 

Until the 1950s ‘talk and chalk’ education style had been adopted, with the educator at the front of a classroom and delegates listening and repeating their learning.  The experience would have not been inclusive and there would have been little evaluation of understanding.   As the 50s evolved, a progression in pedagogy slowly advanced.   Within health and safety education, there has been a dramatic shift of tutor led training to student led learning.  Consider the way we deliver fire safety training.  No longer do we just verbally instruct our occupants to leave by the nearest exit if they hear an alarm.  We actually test their level of understanding and expected behaviour via fire drills.   Such training is paramount to most organisation’s basic induction for occupants. 

The advent of safer fire-resistant buildings and improved fire-suppression techniques, have contributed towards reduction in the incidence of fires.  Indeed, if we examine the trend of deadliest incidents of fatalities due to fire, often the events are pre- 1940s.  The fire industry has contributed greatly to the reduction of unnecessary deaths.  And has reduced the risk of human behaviour and error when escaping from a building.  Although fire evacuation training remains a vital part of health and safety teaching, we have seen in more recent times a shift towards delivering a more mature model of fire safety.  In particular, understanding how occupants can contribute towards fire prevention.  Moving from a model of just evacuation and firefighting to also include recognising potential hazards and prevention at source. This training needs to ensure occupants feel empowered to act accordingly and keep themselves and others safe. 

The degree of training provided will depend on the nature of the organisation, fire risks and the occupants. The first step to identifying training needs can be the application of a fire safety training matrix.  A matrix will have the ability to provide an overview on the different roles in your organisation and the skills and competencies required. 

Every organisation will be different, but a foundation of understanding provides an essential insight into recognising the importance of fire safety and assisting in fire prevention and fire evacuation.   

Key topics for Fire evacuation could include, what to do if you discover a fire, actions to take if you hear an alarm, evacuation routes and assembly points and a personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP). Similarly, topics for basic understanding could include the fire triangle, sources of fire and the prevention of fire. Finally, for specific site rules, shutting down procedures and storage of substances could also be key topics. You may even decide to train staff in using fire extinguishers. 

For those identified by the skills matrix that have a role in fire risk assessing or prevention, including fire wardens, you may decide further investment in training is required. Teaching occupants how to recognise fire hazards and empower individuals to report, reduce or eliminate the fire risk can lead to a greater understanding and contributing behaviours.    

The importance of consistent training 

Within your skills matrix, you should identify how often training and refresher training is required.  Consider the risk of new staff, temporary staff, visitors, contractors and remote staff returning to a premises.   

The pandemic has altered many aspects of our routine tasks and activities.  The world has seen an upsurge of people changing roles, the ‘great resignation’ or the ‘big quit’ is an ongoing trend since the beginning of 2021 and therefore staff turnover may require a more frequent refresher training.   

Another possibility for needing a refresher on fire safety training would be the location of the business or occupants has changed. With hybrid working becoming a norm, consideration must be given for such changes.  Although the majority of risks present in a standard home office would be minimal, educating employees to ensure fire detection and alarms are working and electrical equipment is tested and in a good condition, would contribute towards a duty of care. 

The transferable education of fire safety awareness can afford protection to them and their home occupants.  A lifelong essential knowledge. Writing your commitment to training should be established in a fire safety policy. With clear responsibilities and arrangements, communicated to all occupants. 

The pandemic has introduced new range of vocabulary, such as hybrid working, zoomed out, dynamic workspaces and a personal favourite, the waist up world (where our video conference facilities only projects the upper body of our colleagues).  Although traditional classroom courses are slowly returning, we have seen a high demand for digital, remote learning and classroom blended delivery.   

Digital technology has developed beyond a few PowerPoint slides and a PDF online, it is interactive, engaging and supports different learning preferences of our students. Evolution has encouraged a blending of technology used by trainers in either classroom or virtual delivery and the use of tutorial videos and remote tutor support for digital. These silo approaches have blended to offer a variety to students. If we look at virtual learning, trainers will use different delivery techniques to a classroom setting, using more technology, break out spaces, videos, animation, chat forums, use of apps to test and quiz students, set homework and create online activities.  Augmented reality, virtual reality, smart glasses and wearable technology is maturing, most of us have already embraced our smart watches.   

LED-driven digital flames and a laser training extinguisher provide a realistic simulation for people to experience fire extinguisher training, without the need for a messy clean up after firing a foam extinguisher at a tray of oil.  Of course, it does not fully recreate an actual experience, but it does make such training accessible to everyone and can increase the level of learning.   

Engaging beyond the textbook and slideshow, technology, such as eLearning, can also support students with disabilities, such as subtitling on videos/animation and colour filtering on screens for dyslexia. 

Delegates expectations, technology advancements, a diversity of pedagogical techniques and an increase understanding of fire safety issues are driving these rapid changes.  Standing at the front of a classroom offloading information to a passive audience is not the most effective method for educating.   

Challenges often force change and innovation and the reaction to the pandemic has enhanced a steady embracement of new educational techniques, student centric learning and digital technology that connects, informs and inspires, shaping our fire safety education industry. Embracing the blending of our digital, virtual and human worlds will create a greater depth of knowledge and contribute to our legacy of continuous improvement and lifelong learning. 

This article originally appeared in issue 9 of International Fire and Safety Journal