This resource does not replace the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and its regulations, and it should not be used as or considered legal advice. Health and safety inspectors apply the law based on the facts they find in the workplace.

Background

Firefighter training includes simulations of dangerous scenarios — rope rescue, live fire and ice rescue are a few examples.

In order for firefighters to learn how to do their jobs effectively, training should resemble real conditions.

Concerns/hazards

During training, firefighters are exposed to real hazards and there is a potential for injuries or fatalities to occur.

Actions for employers

Employers must:

  • take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of firefighters involved in training sessions

Employers should:

  • develop written lesson plans and training safety plans for all training

Precautions

Consider the following precautions to keep firefighters safe during training:

  • develop a lesson plan for each training session that outlines the learning objectives and how they will be achieved
  • develop a training safety plan for each training session that anticipates what may go wrong, the measures that would be taken and the resources and equipment needed
  • in the training safety plan, identify:
    • circumstances in which training will be deferred to another date or stopped
    • how training will be stopped, such as by using a code like no duff, to differentiate between a training scenario and a real emergency
    • how an emergency will be managed
  • ensure all training participants understand the lesson plan and the training safety plan prior to training — consider holding a briefing at the start of the exercise
  • ensure all training participants are aware of the hazards of the training area
  • appoint a safety officer for high hazard training
  • ensure that all resources and equipment identified in the training safety plan are in place prior to training, such as a medical bag and defibrillator
  • ensure participants know where the safety equipment is located and how to use it
  • allow for the graduated acquisition of skills so that learners are competent in a set of skills before exposure to more difficult tasks and higher hazards
  • teach learners how to identify potential hazards and what to do to mitigate them
  • ensure the trainer is competent to deliver the training
  • consult with the joint health and safety committee or health and safety representative when developing the lesson plan and the training safety plan
  • consider a post-training debrief to review what went well and lessons learned

Applicable regulations and acts

Read:

  • Occupational Health and Safety Act
    • clause 25(1)(b) for maintaining equipment in good condition
    • clause 25(2)(c) for appointing a competent supervisor
    • clause 25(2)(h) for taking every precaution reasonable in the circumstances to protect workers

Related

Contact the Ontario Fire College for a copy of a sample training safety plan.

For information on measuring performance for initial fire suppression and rescue procedures, read NFPA 1410 — Standard on Training for Emergency Scene Operations

Read firefighter guidance note 3-3 Heat and cold stress