Fire extinguisher training requirements
If an employer provides fire extinguishers for employees to use, OSHA requires training on extinguisher use and the hazards of fighting small fires when each employee is hired and at least once a year after that. Employers that require everyone to evacuate, keep no extinguishers for employee use and meet OSHA's emergency and fire prevention plan rules are exempt. Hands-on fire practice is not required for general employees.
What OSHA requires
Under 29 CFR 1910.157(g), an employer that provides portable extinguishers for employee use must run an education program on the general principles of extinguisher use and the hazards of fighting a fire in its early (incipient) stage.
That education is due when an employee is first hired and at least once a year after that.
Employees named in the emergency action plan to use firefighting equipment need training on that equipment when they are first assigned and at least once a year after that.
OSHA defines education as systematic instruction that does not have to be a formal class. An incipient stage fire is one small enough to be controlled with a portable extinguisher or small hose without protective clothing or breathing gear.
Sources: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.157(g)(1); OSHA 29 CFR 1910.155(c)(14)
When an employer is exempt
Total evacuation: an employer is exempt from all of 1910.157, including training, when it has a written fire safety policy requiring everyone to evacuate when the alarm sounds, has an emergency action plan and fire prevention plan meeting 1910.38 and 1910.39, and keeps no extinguishers in the workplace. The exemption does not apply where another OSHA standard requires an extinguisher.
Extinguishers not meant for employees: where extinguishers are present but not intended for employee use, and the employer has both plans, only the inspection, maintenance and hydrostatic testing parts of the rule apply. The training section does not.
Designated users only: where the emergency action plan names certain employees as the only ones allowed to use extinguishers and everyone else evacuates, the employer is exempt from the placement rules. The designated employees still need annual training under 1910.157(g)(3) and (g)(4).
An emergency action plan must be written and kept at the workplace, but an employer with 10 or fewer employees may communicate it orally.
Is hands-on training required?
Not for general employees. In a 1986 letter, OSHA accepted a program that gave all employees written material on extinguisher use at least once a year through a company newspaper, and said extra hands-on training is at the employer's discretion and goes beyond the standard.
In a 1993 letter, OSHA said an annual program that included fighting a live fire, followed by annual classroom sessions with a demonstration, meets 1910.157(g) for employees who are not fire brigade members. Fire brigade members must also meet the fire brigade standard, 1910.156.
Sources: OSHA standard interpretation, September 12, 1986; OSHA standard interpretation, May 27, 1993
What training covers
OSHA's evacuation eTool lists the steps for responding to a small fire: sound the alarm and call the fire department if appropriate, pick a safe escape path before approaching the fire, choose the right extinguisher, and discharge it within its effective range using the P.A.S.S. technique (pull, aim, squeeze, sweep).
It also tells employees to evacuate at once if the extinguisher runs out and the fire is not out, or if the fire grows past the early stage.
The Iowa Local Technical Assistance Program at Iowa State University lists the topics in its training video: types of fires, types of extinguishers, extinguisher parts, choosing extinguishers and their limits, and the P.A.S.S. technique.
Sources: OSHA Evacuation Plans and Procedures eTool, Fire Extinguisher Use; Iowa LTAP, Iowa State University, Fire Extinguisher Training
Published training prices
Some fire departments run extinguisher classes for local businesses, and private fire equipment companies offer on-site classes.
| Provider | Location | Published price | Class details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roanoke Fire Department | Roanoke, TX | Free | For employees of businesses in Roanoke |
| Hanover Fire Department | Hanover, NH | $15 per student, $110 minimum | Half hour classroom plus live fire practice |
| Pennsauken Fire Marshal's Office | Pennsauken, NJ | $187.50 per class | Up to 25 students, about 40 minutes classroom and 40 minutes practice |
| Goshen Fire Department | Goshen, IN | $250 donation per 10 trainees, $75 per extra 10 | Businesses in city limits, up to 30 per class |
| Best Fire Equipment Company | Napa, CA | $300 per hour ($300 minimum) plus fire tank, fuel and agent | On-site live fire class |
Sources: Roanoke Fire Department (TX), Public Education; Hanover Fire Department (NH), Fire Prevention Information; Pennsauken Fire Marshal's Office (NJ), Fire Extinguisher Training Program Application; Goshen Fire Department (IN), Fire Extinguisher Training; Best Fire Equipment Company (Napa, CA), Training
Sources and dates
- OSHA 29 CFR 1910.157(g)(1), read October 8, 2026https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.157
- OSHA 29 CFR 1910.155(c)(14), read October 8, 2026https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.155
- OSHA 29 CFR 1910.38(b), read October 8, 2026https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.38
- OSHA standard interpretation, September 12, 1986, read October 8, 2026https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/1986-09-12
- OSHA standard interpretation, May 27, 1993, read October 8, 2026https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/1993-05-27-1
- OSHA Evacuation Plans and Procedures eTool, Fire Extinguisher Use, read October 8, 2026https://www.osha.gov/etools/evacuation-plans-procedures/emergency-standards/portable-extinguishers/use
- Iowa LTAP, Iowa State University, Fire Extinguisher Training, read October 8, 2026https://iowaltap.iastate.edu/fire-extinguisher-training/
- Roanoke Fire Department (TX), Public Education, read October 8, 2026https://roanoketexas.gov/163/Public-Education
- Hanover Fire Department (NH), Fire Prevention Information, read October 8, 2026https://hanovernh.org/199/Fire-Prevention-Information
- Pennsauken Fire Marshal's Office (NJ), Fire Extinguisher Training Program Application, read October 8, 2026https://www.pennsauken.gov/DocumentCenter/View/461/Fire-Extinguisher-Training-Program-Application-PDF
- Goshen Fire Department (IN), Fire Extinguisher Training, read October 8, 2026https://goshen.in.gov/government/departments/fire/fire-extinguisher-training/
- Best Fire Equipment Company (Napa, CA), Training, read October 8, 2026https://bestfireco.com/training/
Common questions
How often is fire extinguisher training required?
When an employee is hired and at least once a year after that, if the employer provides extinguishers for employee use. Designated extinguisher users need training when assigned and yearly after that.
Does OSHA require hands-on fire extinguisher training?
Not for general employees. OSHA has accepted written annual education and calls hands-on practice optional and beyond the standard.
Do I need training if my workplace evacuates for every fire?
Not if you have a written total evacuation policy, an emergency action plan and fire prevention plan that meet OSHA's rules, and no extinguishers for employee use, unless another OSHA standard requires extinguishers.
What does fire extinguisher training cover?
The basics of extinguisher use and the hazards of fighting early stage fires: when to fight or flee, picking the right extinguisher, and the pull, aim, squeeze, sweep technique.
How much does fire extinguisher training cost?
Published prices range from free (Roanoke, Texas fire department, for local businesses) to $300 an hour plus materials for a private on-site live fire class.