Profession industrial firefighter

Industrial firefighters are responsible for emergency response in case of a fire outbreak or other hazardous situations in industrial areas or facilities. They actively respond to contain fires and the outbreak of other hazardous substances to protect the industrial crews and premises. They ensure the industrial facility complies with health and safety regulations. They also regulate the clean-up of the scene and assess the damage.

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Personality Type

• Enterprising / Realistic
• Realistic / Social

Knowledge

• Industrial tools

  The tools and equipment used for industrial purposes, both power and hand tools, and their various uses.

• Industrial engineering

  The field of engineering concerned with the development, improvement, and implementation of complex processes and systems of knowledge, people, equipment, etc.

• Fire-fighting systems

  The devices and systems used to extinguish fires; the classes and chemistry of fire.

• Fire safety regulations

  The legal rules to be applied for fire safety and fire prevention in a facility.

• Hydraulics

  The power transmission systems that use the force of flowing liquids to transmit power.

• Health and safety regulations

  Necessary health, safety, hygiene and environmental standards and legislation rules in the sector of particular activity.

• Fire prevention procedures

  The regulations concerning fire and explosion prevention, and the equipment, systems and methods used in it.

• Regulations on substances

  The national and international regulations on the classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures, e.g. regulation (EC) No 1272/2008.

• First aid

  The emergency treatment given to a sick or injured person in the case of circulatory and/or respiratory failure, unconsciousness, wounds, bleeding, shock or poisoning.

Skills

• Work safely with chemicals

  Take the necessary precautions for storing, using and disposing chemical products.

• Work with chemicals

  Handle chemicals and select specific ones for certain processes. Be aware of the reactions which arise from combining them.

• Perform search and rescue missions

  Assist in fighting natural and civic disasters, such as forest fires, floods and road accidents. Conduct search-and-rescue missions.

• Manage major incidents

  Take immediate action to respond to major incidents that affect the safety and security of individuals in private or public places such as road accidents.

• Monitor chemical process condition

  Monitor the conformity of the chemical process, checking all indicators or warning signals provided by the instruments such as recording instruments, flowmeters and panel lights.

• Manage emergency care situations

  Manage situations in which decision making under time pressure is essential to save lives.

• Select hazard control

  Perform appropriate selection of hazard control measures and risk management

• Ensure public safety and security

  Implement the relevant procedures, strategies and use the proper equipment to promote local or national security activities for the protection of data, people, institutions, and property.

• Assess risk factors

  Determine the influence of economical, political and cultural risk factors and additional issues.

• Assess contamination

  Analyse evidence of contamination. Advise on how to decontaminate.

• Evacuate people from buildings

  Evacuate a person from a dangerous building or situation for protection purposes, ensuring the victim reaches safety and is able to receive medical care if necessary.

• Dispose of hazardous waste

  Dispose of dangerous materials such as chemical or radioactive substances according to environmental and to health and safety regulations.

• Assist people in contaminated areas

  Assist workers in remediation activities as well as people at risk of exposure in safety operations, such as instructing on wearing protective gear, entering and leaving restricted areas, and usage of remediation equipment.

• Provide first aid

  Administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation or first aid in order to provide help to a sick or injured person until they receive more complete medical treatment.

• Work as a team in a hazardous environment

  Work together with others in a dangerous, sometimes noisy, environment, such as a building on fire or metal forging facilities, in order to achieve a higher degree of efficiency while heeding the co-workers' safety.

• Use different types of fire extinguishers

  Understand and apply various methods of firefighting and various types and classes of fire extinguishing equipment.

• Manage factory operations

  Oversee factory operations, including planning, organising, controlling and directing factory production activities.

• Contain fires

  Take the appropriate measures to prevent fires from spreading.

• Extinguish fires

  Choose the adequate substances and methods to extinguish fires depending on their size, such as water and various chemical agents. Use a breathing apparatus.

• Avoid contamination

  Avoid the mixing or contamination of materials.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB