• Employee Training:

General Training Requirements

The SBCCD Fire and Life Safety Program Administrator is responsible for ensuring the following employee training is accomplished: 

o   Work collaboratively with District Safety & Risk Management to ensure employees are provided with training, which shall apprise employees of the fire hazards of the materials and processes to which they are exposed.

o   Work collaboratively with District Human Resources & Employee Relations to ensure that each employee reviews upon initial assignment those parts of the fire prevention plan which the employee must know to protect the employee in the event of an emergency. The written plan shall be kept in the workplace and made available for employee review.

• Fires are classified into four different classifications depending on the type of materials or fuels involved. The type of fire determines the type of extinguisher used to extinguish it. Accordingly, all fire extinguishers are identified with common symbols to indicate which class of fire the extinguisher will be most effective on. Fire Extinguishers located throughout the campus are typically rated for use on Class A, Class B and/or Class C fires and can used effectively on any such fire.
• Fire Classifications:

Class A Fires – Involve ordinary combustible materials such as wood, paper, rags, rubbish, and other solids.

Class B Fires – Occur in the vapor/air mixture over the surface of flammable and combustible liquids such as gasoline, fuel oil, paint thinner, hydraulic fluids, flammable cleaning solvents, and other hydrocarbon fuels.

Class C Fires – Involve energized electrical equipment.

Class D Fires – Involve combustible metals such as magnesium.

• Good Housekeeping Tips to Fire Prevention:

o   General work areas such as offices, labs, and shops must be kept organized, orderly and clean.

o   Discarded packing material or scrap paper should not be allowed to accumulate.

o   A sufficient number of waste baskets or trash receptacles made of noncombustible material should be placed in each work area.

o   Floors should be swept or vacuumed regularly to prevent the accumulation of potentially combustible materials.

o   Avoid using flammable solvents or materials with low flash points to clean floors, walls, furniture, or equipment. Details on the flammability and flash point of specific materials can be found on the associated MSDS sheet.

o   Store oil or chemical soaked rags only in metal containers suitable for flammable storage.

o   Flammable materials should be stored in metal cabinets specifically designed for flammable storage.

o   Equipment installed to prevent accidental ignition of combustible material, e.g., grounding wires or dust collection equipment, must be routinely inspected by the appropriate department supervisor to ensure proper operation.