A fire can grow in minutes. Knowing how to prevent one, raise the alarm and get out calmly saves lives. Every company, of any size, must be prepared.
What the law requires
The employer defines the first aid, fire-fighting and evacuation measures and names the workers responsible for them (Lei n.º 102/2009, article 15(9)). The company must have an internal structure to put them into practice (article 75) and train, in sufficient numbers, the workers in charge of them (article 20(3)). Fire safety in buildings also has its own rules, in Decreto-Lei n.º 220/2008 (Decree-Law 220/2008). Workers have the right to be informed about the emergency measures and about who carries them out (article 19).
How a fire starts
A fire needs fuel, an oxidiser (oxygen) and heat: the fire triangle. Remove one of the three and the fire goes out. The most common causes in companies are faulty or overloaded electrical installations, hot work (welding, cutting), build-up of paper and cardboard, poorly stored flammable products and cigarettes.
Prevention
- Keep things tidy and clean and remove rubbish and combustible material.
- Store flammable liquids in proper containers, away from flames and heat sources.
- Do not overload sockets or use damaged electrical equipment.
- Smoke only in permitted places.
- Keep exits, corridors, extinguishers and electrical panels clear.
- Use equipment only for its intended purpose and switch it off at the end of the day, where applicable.
Extinguishers
Each type suits certain fires. Read the label and know the extinguishers at your workplace.
- Water: fires involving solids, such as paper and wood. Never on live electrical installations or on oils and fats.
- Multi-purpose dry powder (ABC): solids, flammable liquids and gases, and small fires in electrical equipment.
- Carbon dioxide (CO2): good for fires in electrical equipment, leaving no residue.
- Foam: solids and flammable liquids.
To use one: pull out the pin, aim at the base of the flames, squeeze the lever and sweep from side to side. Attack with the wind at your back and without the fire between you and the exit. Only try to put out a small fire if you have been trained to do so. If the fire grows, leave the area.
Raising the alarm
- Sound the alarm or tell the person in charge.
- Call 112, giving the location, what is burning and whether anyone is injured.
- Follow the company's emergency plan.
Evacuating
- Stay calm, without running or pushing.
- Follow the green signs to the outside and go to the assembly point.
- Do not use lifts.
- If possible, switch off equipment and close doors behind you, without locking them. Closed doors slow down fire and smoke.
- In smoky areas, get down low, where the air is easier to breathe.
- Touch a door with the back of your hand. If it is hot, do not open it.
- Help those who need it, without putting yourself at risk.
- Do not go back into the building to fetch belongings. Return only when the fire service allows it.
- At the assembly point, answer the roll call so that it is known who is safe.
Drills train all of this. Taking part seriously is a duty of cooperation.