Fire Safety Training

Starting from the lowest level and working up, here are the training requirements from the Queensland Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008 (BFSR):

General evacuation instruction – all workers – basic evacuation procedures
First response evacuation instruction – all workers – instruction on fire equipment and installations for the building
Evacuation coordination instruction – Evacuation Coordinators (Wardens) – instructions on the persons role in controlling an evacuation
Fire Safety Adviser (FSA) – One person for High Occupancy Buildings only – evacuation and emergency planning responsibilities and management

Training Requirements for Each Level

Covers items listed on the Evacuation Diagram for the building and workplace procedures for evacuation
Who – All workers
New Workers - Must be completed by a person who starts working in the building within 2 days of starting
Renewal – every 12 months
Changes – must be retrained within 1 month of a change to the evacuation diagram or procedures.
Training method – non-accredited – may be conducted in house by a supervisor, warden or Fire Safety Adviser.
Relevant TMT training - General Evacuation Instruction

Covers training in the use of the fire alarms and fire-fighting equipment and a demonstration of the use of the same equipment
Who – All workers
New workers – training conducted within 1 month of starting
Renewal – every 2 years
Changes – all workers to be retrained within 1 month of changes occurring
Training method – non-accredited – may be a video or CD they watch, may be provided by supervisor, warden, FSA or external provider
Relevant TMT training - First Response Evacuation Instruction

Commonly referred to as a warden (e.g. fire warden, evacuation warden, floor warden, chief warden)
Covers training in carrying out the evacuation procedures for a building or site
Who – All persons responsible for coordination of an evacuation
New Workers - When a person becomes responsible for controlling an evacuation they must be trained in how they will carry out the evacuation at most 1 month before they become responsible
Renewal - every 12 months thereafter.
Changes – All coordinators to be retrained within 1 month of a change to the evacuation coordination instructions.
Training Method – non-accredited – may be conducted by the person responsible for the evacuation procedures, a Chief Warden or a FSA.
Relevant TMT training - Evacuation Coordination Instruction

Covers instruction in fire safely planning and management
Who - A Fire Safety Adviser must be appointed for occupiers of High Occupancy Buildings
- Use the sheet provided by QFES at https://www.qfes.qld.gov.au/buildingsafety/documents/QFES-BFS-InfoSheet-FSA.pdf to determine whether they meet the requirements for a FSA
- Once FSA is trained, they may be appointed across multiple buildings
New FSA – Must have completed the defined Fire Safety Adviser units of competency
Renewal – every 3 years
Training Method – Accredited Units only – See the link https://www.qfes.qld.gov.au/buildingsafety/documents/QFES-BFS-InfoSheet-FSA.pdf for the unit codes.
Relevant TMT Training - Fire Safety Advisor Full Course (currently being redesigned - check back later for progress)
Relevant TMT Training - Fire Safety Advisor Refresher

General Evacuation Instruction and First Response Evacuation Instruction
- All workers completed every year, thereby ensuring you meet 12 months for General Evacuation and 24 months for First Response Evacuation
- Conducted initially by external party and then refreshers done internally by evacuation coordinator or FSA
Evacuation Coordination Instruction
- All coordinators done by external party every 12 months, unless an onsite Fire Safety Adviser is available to conduct training
Fire Safety Adviser
- Nominated person trained by a Registered Training Organisation as per regulations