The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), as promulgated in CFR 1910.157(g)(1) [and (2)] requires that, where an employer has provided portable fire extinguishers for employee use in the workplace, it shall also provide an educational training program to familiarize employees with the general principles of fire extinguisher use and the hazards involved with incipient stage firefighting and training in the use of appropriate equipment. The education and training shall be provided at least annually.
Portable Fire Extinguisher (PFE) Training is being offered to UTHSC employees on Monday, November 24th. Sessions will be held hourly at 8, 9, 10, and 11 am; and 1, 2, 3, and 4 pm. To register, please visit the HR training portal uthsc.edu/hrtraining and go to the training calendar. If you are experiencing difficulty registering for the class, you should send an email including your 6-digit personnel number, name and department to labsafety@uthsc.edu. The training sessions are being held in the Goodman Dorm Parking Lot (T Lot).
Topics covered during the 1-hour training session include;
- Classes of fires and the types of extinguisher needed to extinguish each.
- Limitations of PFEs
- Personal protection precautions
- PASS procedure for extinguishing fires
- Hands-on extinguishing of an actual fire
PFE training is required for those employees who intend, or are expected, to use a fire extinguisher to put out a small fire in their work area, especially those who work in laboratories. Completion of this training qualifies for 1-hour HR 128 credit.