Fire Drill Ready: Workplace Safety

The extinguisher drill fits in one word, PASS. What does it stand for?

• Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep
• Push, Alert, Spray, Stop
• Pull, Alarm, Spray, Sweep
• Point, Aim, Shoot, Swing

Answer: Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep. Pull the pin, aim at the base of the fire, squeeze the handle and sweep from side to side.

The fire alarm goes off while you are on the 9th floor. Which way down should you avoid?

• A marked escape route
• The nearest exit
• The lift
• The stairs

Answer: The lift. Lifts can lose power or open onto a burning floor. Use the stairs unless a fire officer tells you otherwise.

A server rack sparks and catches fire. Which extinguisher must you NOT reach for?

• Carbon dioxide (CO2)
• Water
• Clean agent
• Dry powder

Answer: Water. Water conducts electricity, so whoever holds the hose can get a shock. CO2 is the usual choice for electrical equipment.

A colleague's sleeve catches fire. What should they do straight away?

• Run to the nearest tap
• Wave the arm to blow it out
• Stop, drop and roll
• Keep walking to the exit

Answer: Stop, drop and roll. Running or waving feeds the flames oxygen. Stopping, dropping to the ground and rolling smothers them.

Petrol spills and catches fire in the company garage. Under the Indian standard, what class of fire is it?

• Class C
• Class A
• Class B
• Class D

Answer: Class B. IS 15683 groups fires by fuel: A is ordinary solids, B is flammable liquids, C is gases and D is metals.

Smoke fills the corridor on your way out. Why should you crouch low?

• Cleaner air is near the floor
• Exits are at knee height
• It is faster to crawl
• Fire alarms are low down

Answer: Cleaner air is near the floor. Hot smoke rises, so the air near the floor is cooler and cleaner.

On your escape route you reach a closed door. What should you do before opening it?

• Feel it with the back of your hand
• Open it wide to check
• Kick it open quickly
• Pour water under it

Answer: Feel it with the back of your hand. A hot door means fire on the other side. Find another way out, and close doors behind you as you go.

Using a CO2 extinguisher, why should you never hold the black horn?

• It gets red hot
• It gets freezing cold
• It can give an electric shock
• It can snap off

Answer: It gets freezing cold. Expanding CO2 chills the horn to around −78°C, cold enough to cause a frost burn. Hold the handle only.

In building fires, what kills more people than the flames themselves?

• Collapsing floors
• Jumping from windows
• Smoke and toxic gases
• Falling debris

Answer: Smoke and toxic gases. Smoke inhalation causes far more deaths than burns. A few breaths of thick smoke can knock a person out.

Oil in a pan catches fire in the office pantry. What is the right move?

• Turn off the heat and cover the pan
• Fan the flames down
• Pour water on it
• Carry it outside

Answer: Turn off the heat and cover the pan. Water on burning oil causes a fireball. If it is safe, switch off the heat and smother it with a lid or fire blanket, then leave the pan where it is.

Before 112 arrived, India's fire brigade had its own three-digit number, which the government still lists. Which number?

• 100
• 101
• 102
• 108

Answer: 101. 101 is fire, 100 is police and 102 is ambulance. 112 now reaches all of them through one call.

You have got out of a burning office building. What should you do next?

• Go back in for your laptop
• Head to the assembly point for the roll call
• Wait in the lobby near the lift
• Leave for home without telling anyone

Answer: Head to the assembly point for the roll call. The roll call tells fire crews who is still missing. Don't go back in until the fire service says it is safe.

Fire needs three things to keep burning: heat, fuel and one more. Take any one away and it goes out. What is the third?

• Nitrogen
• Smoke
• Carbon dioxide
• Oxygen

Answer: Oxygen. This is the fire triangle. Water removes heat, a fire blanket cuts off the air, and clearing away fuel starves the flames.

A deep-fat fryer catches fire in the canteen kitchen. Which type of extinguisher is designed for burning cooking oil?

• Water
• Foam
• Dry powder
• Wet chemical

Answer: Wet chemical. Wet chemical reacts with the hot oil to form a soapy layer that cools it and stops it reigniting.

Someone wedges a fire door open to let in a breeze. Why is that dangerous?

• It sets off the alarm
• It wears out the hinges
• It blocks the sprinklers
• It lets smoke and fire spread

Answer: It lets smoke and fire spread. Closed fire doors hold back smoke and flames and protect escape routes. If a door must stay open, fit a hold-open device linked to the alarm.