Cal/OSHA Fire Safety & Emergency Evacuation Training

This training is developed around Title 8 CCR Section 6151 — Portable Fire Extinguishers, Cal/OSHA's primary standard governing employee education and training on portable fire extinguisher use. It also covers Title 8 CCR Section 3220 (Emergency Action Plan), Section 3221 (Fire Prevention Plan), the means of egress requirements in Sections 3215 through 3235, and the fire protection requirements in Group 27 (Sections 6150 through 6184).

This course is based on Cal/OSHA's General Industry Safety Orders. Construction worksites are also covered by Cal/OSHA's Construction Safety Orders, which have their own fire protection requirements, so construction employers should confirm which orders apply to their site. The fire safety, extinguisher, and evacuation principles in this course still apply.

Fire safety training isn’t just a best practice; it’s a core requirement for protecting workers, assets, and day-to-day operations in California workplaces. Effective training helps employees understand risks, respond quickly to emergencies, and reduce the severity of fire-related incidents.

Below are some of the most important reasons fire safety training is essential for California workers:

• Protecting lives and reducing injuries
• Preventing property damage and business disruption
• Meeting Cal/OSHA, NFPA, and California Fire Code requirements
• Fire safety requirements
• Supporting productivity and operational continuity

• Based on Cal/OSHA Title 8 CCR Section 6151 and related Title 8 requirements, covering everything from fire prevention plans to emergency evacuation
• Teaches judgment, not just theory, with a practical fight-or-flee checklist and clear "when not to fight a fire" criteria, so employees know when to grab an extinguisher and when to walk away.
• Covers the P.A.S.S. technique in full — Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep.
• Goes beyond extinguisher use with a full lesson on emergency evacuation, including evacuation roles, headcounts, assembly points, and drills.
• Explains how the California Fire Code, enforced by local fire authorities, works alongside Cal/OSHA requirements.

This training is for California employees who may encounter a small workplace fire, need to respond safely, or must evacuate during a fire or other emergency.

• Employees working in offices and commercial facilities
• Manufacturing and industrial workers
• Warehouse and distribution personnel
• Construction and maintenance workers
• Facilities and building maintenance personnel
• Hotels, restaurants, and hospitality employees
• Healthcare and institutional employees
• Laboratory and research personnel
• Supervisors and managers responsible for workplace emergency procedures
• Employees designated to use portable fire extinguishers
• Members of workplace emergency response or evacuation teams
• Evacuation wardens, area monitors, and others designated to assist in an evacuation
• Employees who perform hot work or handle flammable and combustible materials

In most California workplaces, yes every employee must take this course.

Employers who provide portable fire extinguishers for employee use must educate employees upon initial employment and at least annually, and every employee must be briefed on the Emergency Action Plan and the parts of the Fire Prevention Plan they need to know.

Employees designated to use firefighting equipment need additional equipment training.

No. This Cal/OSHA course on Fire Safety and Emergency Evacuation exists precisely because that's the wrong instinct. Fighting a fire is only appropriate when it's still in the incipient stage — small, confined to its point of origin, and controllable with a portable extinguisher or small hose. Anything beyond that, and the right move is to evacuate.

Both. Along with fire prevention and portable fire extinguisher use, the course covers the Emergency Action Plan required by Title 8 CCR Section 3220, exit routes, shelter-in-place, evacuation roles, accounting for employees, and evacuation drills.

Not quite. Cal/OSHA requires employees designated to use firefighting equipment to receive appropriate equipment training upon assignment and at least annually thereafter, because muscle memory under stress is different from watching someone else do it once.

Employers should make sure to provide hands-on training for employees through live-fire training props.

There are no prerequisites for this course.

Cal/OSHA requires education on portable fire extinguisher use upon initial employment and at least annually.

Employees designated to use firefighting equipment must also receive equipment training upon assignment and at least annually thereafter.

The Emergency Action Plan must be reviewed with each employee upon initial assignment, when responsibilities change, and when the plan changes.

Certificate of Completion: Immediately after passing the final exam, you can download, save, or print your certificate in PDF format.

Validity: The course certificate is valid for one year.

Renewal: Simply take this course within 12 months to maintain compliance and stay current on fire safety and emergency evacuation practices at facilities or sites.