TRAINING and development company TLC Business Solutions teamed up with G4S Secure Solutions (Isle of Man) Ltd to train employees from a number of local companies in fire-fighting techniques.

G4S operate a "live fire training unit" which recreates common fires that might occur in the home or office.

TLC hosted two courses with this unit last month for a mixture of TLC and G4S clients.

The course covered types of fire and the relevant extinguisher to use in each and it gave staff the hands-on experience of putting out controlled fires generated by the unit.

The course was overseen by Geoff Watterson, a qualified fire safety technician from G4S.

Managing director of TLC Sue Gee said: "We are delighted to offer this course to our clients.

"It both gives people very practical and necessary knowledge and raises awareness of the important services that G4S offers.

"We had to put on an extra course due to high demand, which just goes to show how great the need is for this sort of training on the Island."

Ninety percent of fires are successfully put out by non-professional fire fighters using local equipment, but if wrongly used the equipment can do more damage than good.

There are four common types of fire extinguisher, each of which is designed for use on a different kind of fire. 

Broadly, water is designed for use on paper or wood fires, foam on flammable liquids, dry powder for gases and CO2 for electrical appliance fires.

In addition, fire blankets are commonly used for putting out chip pan fires. 

Martin Millward, technical manager at G4S Secure Solutions (Isle of Man) Ltd, said: "It can take just minutes for a fire to escalate out of control, and fire extinguishers are important for catching them in their early stages before that can happen.

"Hesitating because you are not used to using extinguishers or using the wrong one for the type of fire that has broken out can have very serious consequences.

"It is extremely important that staff receive basic training in fire-fighting."

Caroline Nicholson, Principal of Victoria House Nursery, has taken the course offered by G4S.

She said: "I had never actually used an extinguisher myself before the course.  It was excellent to really experience it, as it took the fear out of using quite specialist equipment. 

"The course was first class – simple and really, really beneficial.  I asked all my staff to take part, not just for work, but for their own safety and professional development.

"It makes a safer world when people are able to physically try these things themselves."