Fire training drills in veterinary services

An employee of a veterinary service must help to prevent fire.

The Practice Manager must arrange to have the fire extinguishers maintained and checked at regular intervals. It is also important to always reinforce the following measures:

• No smoking allowed inside the premises
• All staff must be aware of the position of all fire extinguishers
• Fans and heaters should be turned off in non-occupied areas
• Lights and electrical equipment must be switched off after closure
• Faulty electrical issues must be labelled and brought to the Practice Manager’s attention
• Damaged electrical equipment including extension cords must never be used
• The Safety Data Sheets recommendations must be followed for the storage of any chemicals as some are explosive

Drills

Training sessions must cover the following topics:

• Fire procedures
• Evacuation procedures
• Use of fire emergency equipment such as extinguishers, hose reels, and fire blankets

The fire drill does not necessarily have to be on a large scale, but it has to simulate a fire emergency to test the action taken by all staff.

Those drills generally help to improve communication, ensure that new staff understands the procedure, and ensure that the fire alarms are working.