Trainer continues to advise trainees about possible staff training mentioning:
Off-site training
Many employers send staff to an external, purpose-built facility for them to:
Obtain first-hand practice with extinguishers and hoses
Gain experience in actual fire-fighting in a safe and controlled environment
View videos relating to the emergency type being addressed
Talk to professionals with extensive experience in dealing with specific emergency types.
Role plays
Staff training in emergency/evacuation plans will often feature role plays simulating emergency and evacuation situations. Role plays are similar to ‘drills’ but differ in that they have a specific (as opposed to a generic) focus. Role plays:
Feature a detailed emergency/evacuation scenario for the business developed by the EMC or its delegated personnel
Reflect at least one established emergency evacuation situation for the business or a section or area of the business
Should aim to duplicate actual workplace conditions to the best extent possible – for example they should:
Include customers, playing the role of actual customers – a role play without guests is not very realistic
Be conducted both at day and night times and at busy and quiet times – they should never simply be conducted at quiet times when no customers are present and there are lots of staff
Feature the use of alarms, sirens and public address announcements – to replicate the noises of an actual situation: some venues will ‘make smoke’ when conducting fire-related role p[lays to add realism to the training
Must allocate roles and responsibilities to those involved – these should reflect the roles and responsibilities for venue staff as laid down in the evacuation and EMPs
Must feature a debriefing at the end of the role play – to optimise lessons learned and identify practices requiring improvement or change.