Why Fire Fighting Training Is a Legal Requirement — Not an Option

Every year, workplace fires in South Africa cause injuries, fatalities and significant property loss — most of which are preventable. The Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 (the OHS Act) places a clear duty on employers to provide and maintain a working environment that is safe and without risk to the health of employees. Part of meeting that duty is ensuring that a proportion of your workforce is trained to respond to a fire in its earliest stage, before it develops into an uncontrollable blaze.

Fire Fighting Level 1 — accredited against SAQA Unit Standard 13961, “Use hand-operated firefighting equipment to combat first-order fires” — is the foundational qualification that satisfies this requirement for most South African workplaces. This post explains what the training covers, who is legally required to have it, and how it fits into your broader fire safety compliance framework.

The Legislative Framework: What the OHS Act and SANS 10400-T Require

The OHS Act 85 of 1993 does not prescribe an exact ratio of trained fire fighters to employees in the way that General Safety Regulation 3 prescribes first aider ratios. Instead, the Act’s General Safety Regulations require employers to take steps to prevent the outbreak of fire and to provide adequate means to combat fire — including ensuring that employees who may be required to use fire-fighting equipment are competent to do so.

SANS 10400-T, the South African National Standard governing fire protection in buildings, reinforces this requirement from a structural and operational perspective. Together, the OHS Act and SANS 10400-T establish that:

• Fire hazards must be identified as part of a workplace fire risk assessment.
• Appropriate fire-fighting equipment must be provided and maintained in working order.
• Employees designated to use that equipment must be trained and competent.
• An emergency evacuation plan must be in place, with designated roles including trained fire fighters and emergency coordinators.

In practice, this means that the question for most employers is not whether to train fire fighters, but how many trained fire fighters are appropriate for the size and risk profile of the workplace — a determination that flows directly from your fire risk assessment.

What Is SAQA US 13961?

SAQA Unit Standard 13961 is titled “Use hand-operated firefighting equipment to combat first-order fires.” It is the registered unit standard underpinning Fire Fighting Level 1 (also referred to as Basic Fire Fighting) training in South Africa.

The unit standard focuses on a specific, practical competency: the ability to safely and correctly use hand-operated firefighting equipment — primarily portable fire extinguishers and fire hose reels — to suppress an incipient (first-order) fire. An incipient fire is one in its earliest stage, before it has spread beyond its point of origin and while it can still reasonably be contained using portable equipment without putting the responder at serious risk.

The training is intentionally scoped to this first-response window. It does not qualify learners to fight structural fires or operate fixed suppression systems — those competencies require Advanced Fire Fighting training. What it does produce is an employee who can make a rapid, correct decision about whether to attempt suppression, select the right extinguisher for the class of fire, and deploy equipment safely while other employees evacuate.

What Fire Fighting Level 1 Training Covers

Altramed’s Fire Fighting Level 1 training is completed in one day and is structured around the practical skills and knowledge outcomes defined in SAQA US 13961. Without reproducing the full curriculum, the training addresses the following areas:

• Fire behaviour and the fire triangle — understanding the three elements required for combustion (fuel, heat, oxygen) and how removing any one of these elements extinguishes a fire.
• Classes of fire — distinguishing between Class A (ordinary combustibles), Class B (flammable liquids), Class C (gases), Class D (metals) and Class F (cooking oils and fats), since the class determines which extinguishing agent is appropriate.
• Types of hand-operated firefighting equipment — portable fire extinguishers (CO₂, dry powder, wet chemical, foam) and fire hose reels, including their applicable fire classes, limitations and location requirements under SANS 10400-T.
• Safe deployment of portable fire extinguishers — the PASS technique (Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep) and safe operating distances.
• Decision-making at the scene — when to attempt suppression and when to evacuate immediately, protecting life over property.
• Workplace evacuation procedures — roles of the trained fire fighter within the broader emergency evacuation plan, including communicating the alarm, assisting evacuation and reporting to the assembly point.

The training combines classroom theory with a practical live-fire component, ensuring learners leave with genuine confidence in equipment use rather than classroom knowledge alone.

Who Needs Fire Fighting Level 1 Training?

While the OHS Act does not specify a fixed ratio, best practice — and the expectation of a Department of Labour inspector during a workplace audit — is that a meaningful number of employees per floor or per work area are trained fire fighters. The appropriate number is determined by your fire risk assessment.

In general terms, Fire Fighting Level 1 training is essential for:

• Employees formally appointed as fire fighters or emergency wardens in your workplace emergency plan.
• SHE representatives and safety officers who need to demonstrate competency in emergency response as part of their role.
• Employees working in higher-risk environments — warehouses, manufacturing facilities, chemical stores, commercial kitchens, printing operations and construction sites — where the probability of ignition is elevated.
• Any employee who may be expected to use a fire extinguisher or hose reel during an emergency, since using firefighting equipment without training exposes both the individual and the employer to liability.

An important legal point: providing fire extinguishers on-site does not, by itself, discharge your duty under the OHS Act. If an untrained employee attempts to use equipment they have not been trained on and suffers harm — or fails to suppress a fire that a trained employee could have contained — the employer’s liability is significantly exposed. Trained fire fighters are a legal and operational necessity, not an optional add-on.

Basic vs. Advanced Fire Fighting: What Is the Difference?

Fire Fighting Level 1 (Basic) qualifies an employee to combat first-order fires using hand-operated equipment. Advanced Fire Fighting training builds on this foundation and prepares designated fire fighters to manage more complex fire scenarios, conduct systematic searches, use breathing apparatus, coordinate team responses and assist emergency services on arrival.

For most commercial and light-industrial workplaces, Level 1 is the minimum required competency for designated fire fighters. Advanced training is typically mandated for larger industrial facilities, high-risk environments and workplaces where the fire risk assessment identifies scenarios beyond a simple first-order response.

Altramed offers both Basic and Advanced Fire Fighting training, allowing you to build a tiered fire response capability matched to your specific risk profile.

The Fire Equipment Link: Training and Compliance Go Together

Trained fire fighters are only as effective as the equipment available to them. SANS 10400-T specifies the type, number, placement and maintenance intervals for fire-fighting equipment in buildings. Having correctly selected, correctly positioned and correctly serviced equipment — CO₂ extinguishers near electrical panels, dry powder or foam units in chemical stores, fire hose reels at prescribed intervals — is the other half of the compliance picture.

For fire equipment supply, servicing and compliance inspections, we refer clients to our partners at Altrafire. Combining Altramed’s accredited fire fighter training with Altrafire’s equipment compliance services gives your workplace a fully documented, legally defensible fire safety solution.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Fire Fighting Level 1 training accredited?

Yes. Altramed’s Fire Fighting Level 1 training is aligned to SAQA Unit Standard 13961 and is delivered by an accredited training provider registered with the Department of Labour. Learners who achieve competency receive a certificate of competence.

How long does Fire Fighting Level 1 training take?

The training is completed in one day, combining classroom instruction with a practical live-fire component.

How often should fire fighting training be refreshed?

The OHS Act requires that employees remain competent in their roles. Best practice — and the expectation of most fire risk assessors and DoL inspectors — is that fire fighting training is refreshed every two to three years, or immediately following any significant change in the workplace’s fire risk profile, equipment or layout.

Does the OHS Act specify how many fire fighters a workplace must have?

The OHS Act does not prescribe a fixed ratio. The appropriate number of trained fire fighters is determined by the workplace fire risk assessment, taking into account the size of the premises, the number of occupants, the nature of the activities conducted and the fire equipment installed. Altramed’s OHS consulting team can assist with this assessment.

Can Fire Fighting Level 1 and First Aid training be combined?

Yes. Altramed regularly delivers combined training schedules — pairing fire fighting training with First Aid Level 1 — allowing employers to meet multiple compliance obligations in a single training intervention, reducing the time employees spend off the floor and consolidating training costs.

Book Accredited Fire Fighting Training in South Africa

Altramed delivers Fire Fighting Level 1 training at our Gauteng training facility and on-site at client premises nationally. Our training is aligned to SAQA US 13961 and accredited with the Department of Labour, giving your employees — and your compliance records — the credentials that stand up to a DoL audit.

To book training or discuss your fire safety training requirements, contact us on 086 111 1504 or visit www.altramed.co.za. For fire equipment supply, servicing and fire risk assessments, contact our partners at www.altrafire.co.za.