About this course
This course prepares employees to respond to fires and other workplace emergencies in a food manufacturing facility, and covers the two OSHA standards that govern emergency preparedness: 29 CFR 1910.38 (Emergency Action Plans) and 29 CFR 1910.39 (Fire Prevention Plans). Food plants consistently combine combustible dust, packaging materials, ammonia or CO2 refrigeration systems, and high-amperage electrical equipment, all of which raise the stakes for a well-rehearsed emergency response.
Under 1910.38, an employer's emergency action plan must cover procedures for reporting a fire or emergency, evacuation routes and exit assignments, procedures for employees who perform critical shutdown duties before evacuating, how the facility accounts for all employees after an evacuation, and rescue or medical duties for designated employees. Under 1910.39, the companion fire prevention plan addresses hazards before ignition: housekeeping and storage of combustible and flammable materials, control of ignition sources, and maintenance of fire protection equipment such as extinguishers and sprinkler systems. OSHA allows the two plans to be combined into a single document as long as every required element from both standards is addressed.
This training applies to all employees at a covered facility, since every worker needs to know the evacuation signal, their nearest exit route, and the designated assembly point. Employees assigned specific duties — shutting down a line, accounting for headcount, or operating fire extinguishers — need additional role-specific instruction beyond this general awareness course.
After completing this course, learners will be able to recognize facility alarm signals, follow their assigned evacuation route to the correct assembly point, understand what to do (and not do) during a fire or emergency, and identify common fire hazards and housekeeping practices that reduce ignition risk on the plant floor.
Topics covered
- How to report a fire or emergency
- Evacuation routes, exits, and assembly points
- Accounting for employees after an evacuation
- Common ignition sources and housekeeping controls in food plants
- Fire extinguisher basics and equipment maintenance responsibilities
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