Traditionally, many organizations have chosen to purchase fire safety training conducted either on-site at their own premises or at a training facility. While there are certainly advantages to this, there are also some drawbacks. It isn’t always easy to gather all staff at once, and it can be quite expensive and inflexible. Online training has become a popular alternative in many industries, including fire safety. But is it really possible to replace traditional instructor-led training with a self-paced online course?
The answer is both yes and no, depending on your specific circumstances. Some countries and their regulations allow for theory-only training, while others require practical components as well. For more in-depth information, we recommend our other blog posts where we dive deeper into specific regulations.
Regardless of what the rules say, we prefer to rely on our experience and expertise in the field. We believe the following elements are essential for creating a solid foundation of fire safety knowledge:
- Good general theoretical understanding of fire behavior, fire protection, etc.
- Understanding of your specific conditions and risks. How is your fire protection structured, and what risks exist?
- Practical fire extinguishing training.
- Practical drills for organization and evacuation.
Most regulations describe the level of knowledge employees should have rather than focusing on the exact type of training required. How do we ensure we reach an acceptable level of knowledge rather than just completing a mandatory course? Whether you choose online training or a physical course, your challenges remain the same: to increase the level of knowledge. We are convinced that our training, supplemented with practical exercises, provides the best conditions for achieving this.
Good General Theoretical Knowledge
Our training provides a strong foundation for understanding how fires work and how fire protection is structured. Theory is interspersed with practical tasks that contribute to a deeper understanding. In this regard, we would argue that web-based training is often superior to physical training because you can revisit sections you didn’t understand, and there is plenty of time to work through the various assignments.
Understanding Your Specific Conditions and Risks
How is your fire protection organized, and what are your risks? You know your business best, and a one-size-fits-all on-site course isn’t always the answer. What you need are tools to create understanding and time to work through the issues. In our training, we provide a knowledge base so you understand how fire protection works on a general level. We also include practical exercises to help you understand your specific environment.
Practical Fire Extinguishing Training
We provide the theoretical understanding of how extinguishers work, the different types available, and how and when to use them. Naturally, you cannot perform practical training inside your computer, but we provide the support necessary for you to organize your own extinguishing drill. We believe this type of drill is sufficient for basic handling of equipment and provides a solid foundation.
Practical Drills for Organization and Evacuation
This is perhaps one of the most important parts, yet it is almost never included in general fire safety training. What we offer is a strong theoretical foundation regarding evacuation and how to structure your organization. We also provide simple templates to help you plan, execute, and evaluate a drill.
Conclusion
We believe that neither an on-site course nor a web-based course is sufficient on its own. However, both can provide a great foundation to build upon. By using our web-based training, you and your company can raise your level of knowledge, and with our support tools, you will be able to conduct practical exercises to reinforce that theoretical expertise.
The choice is yours to weigh the pros and cons — but at only $7, trying our training is a very low-risk investment!