These short CSCS revision notes were created to help you revise and familiarize yourself with some of the core concepts you’ll need to know in order to pass your CSCS test.
To pass the “fire prevention and control” section of the CSCS card test you will need to know about fire extinguishers, controlling fire risks at work and procedures to follow if there’s a fire at work.
Regardless of which test you’re taking, you will face questions from this section so it’s best to revise and go through these 20 quick revision points just before your test.
After going through these notes you can have a go at the sample questions below or try our full CSCS mock test on fire extinguishers to see how much you know about fire extinguishers.
CSCS Revision Notes on Fire Prevention and Control
- When you first arrive on site you will hear the term fire assembly point, this is the location you must go to if you hear the fire alarm.
- The first thing you must do upon discovering a fire is raise the fire alarm.
- If you’re working and you hear the fire alarm you must stop what you’re doing immediately and go to the fire assembly point.
- If your job requires a “hot work permit” this means that the job you’re about to do could start a fire.
- A hot work permit tells you a lot about controlling and minimizing the risk of a fire but it does not tell you where your local fire station is located.
- If you’re carrying out a job that requires a hot work permit you will need to have a fire extinguisher close to where you are working and you must check and ensure there are no signs of fire after you’ve finished working.
- A fire needs three basic elements; these are oxygen, heat and fuel.
- After using a CO2 fire extinguisher you should not touch the nozzle because it will be very cold.
- You should not use foam or water fire extinguishers on electrical fires because these are conductors of electricity.
- A water fire extinguisher is one of the most widely used fire extinguishers, these are used to tackle fires that involve solid combustibles e.g. paper, wood and plastics.
- Dry powder fire extinguishers can be identified by their blue colour band.
- CO2 (carbon dioxide) fire extinguishers can be identified by their black colour band.
- Foam fire extinguishers can be identified by their cream colour band.
- Wet chemical fire extinguishers can be identified by their yellow colour band.
- If there’s frost present on the valve of an LPG cylinder this means that there’s a leak in the valve.
- The location of the fire assembly point and other safety procedures will be explained to you during your site induction.
- One simple way we can all help to prevent fire hazards is by keeping our work area clean and by using the correct bins to store waste.
- If you need to work in an area that is a fire escape route you must ensure your tools and equipment do not block the route.
- There are many fire risks on site but two of the most common are poor housekeeping and uncontrolled hot works.
- If there’s a large fire in your work area and you’re not trained to use a fire extinguisher you should not attempt to tackle the fire and go to your fire assembly point immediately.
Fire Prevention and Control Quiz
Here are some CSCS example questions derived from the revision notes above. All the answers are listed in the revision notes above.
- Where must you go if you’re working and suddenly hear the fire alarm sounding?
- What’s the first thing you should do if you’re the first person to discover a fire at your workplace?
- What does it mean if you need to carry out a task which requires a “hot work permit”?
- How many basic elements does a fire need? What are they?
- Should you use water or foam fire extinguishers on electrical fires?
- What colour band do water fire extinguishers have?
- What colour band do dry powder fire extinguishers have?
- What colour band do wet chemical fire extinguishers have?
- What colour band do carbon dioxide fire extinguishers have?
- What colour band do foam dioxide fire extinguishers have?
- When would you expect to learn about the location of the fire assembly points at your work site?
- What should you do if you’re the first person to discover a fire, there is a fire extinguisher available, but you have never used one before nor have you ever had any training on using a fire extinguisher?
- What must you ensure if you have to carry out a job in a location designated as a fire escape route?
- What type of fire extinguisher should be used on solid combustibles e.g. paper, wood and plastics?
- Why should you avoid touching the nozzle of a CO2 fire extinguisher just after using it?
- What does frost on the valve of an LPG cylinder indicate?
- What must you ensure after completing a job which requires a hot work permit?
Wrapping up
Hopefully, these CSCS revision notes and sample quiz on fire safety will help you to answer most of the questions you’ll face in the “Fire prevention and control” section of your real CSCS test.
If you think you fully understand these concepts and would like a full CSCS practice test on fire extinguishers please go here.