Most people who need fire fighting training are not becoming firefighters. They are employees appointed to an emergency role at work, and the training exists because the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 requires employers to provide for emergencies.
This page covers workplace fire fighting training — who needs it, what the levels mean, and how to establish that a course is real.
Entry Requirements at a Glance
Entry requirements for workplace fire fighting training.
- Generally no formal academic requirement — these are workplace competency courses
- Physical capability for the practical component, which involves handling extinguishers and hoses
- Functional English or the language of assessment
- Being employed or appointed in an emergency role, where the employer arranges the training
- Basic fire fighting is entry level; intermediate and advanced levels build on it
- A valid South African ID for certification
- A medical fitness assessment for advanced or breathing apparatus training
Academic and Minimum Admission Requirements
The legal driver is the employer’s duty. The Occupational Health and Safety Act requires an employer to provide and maintain a working environment that is safe and without risk to health, and the Environmental Regulations for Workplaces and the General Safety Regulations deal with emergency equipment, escape routes and emergency procedures. Fire fighting training is how employers meet part of that.
The National Building Regulations and the SANS 10400 standards deal with fire protection in buildings, and municipal fire safety by-laws add local requirements including inspections and certificates for certain premises. If you are responsible for a building rather than a workplace, the municipal fire service is the authority to ask.
The levels mean different things. Basic fire fighting covers fire behaviour, extinguisher types and their correct use on small fires. Intermediate adds hose work, teamwork and more substantial fires. Advanced covers breathing apparatus and structural fire fighting, and it is a different order of training with medical requirements.
Match the level to the role. An office fire marshal needs basic training. A warehouse or workshop emergency team may need intermediate. Advanced training is for industrial emergency teams, not for a general workplace appointment.
Verify the provider. Fire fighting unit standards are registered and providers are accredited by the relevant SETA or the QCTO. The certificate should name the accrediting body and carry a verifiable number, not only the provider’s branding.
Subjects, APS and Qualification Requirements
Academic requirements.
- No matric or academic qualification is typically required for basic or intermediate levels
- Functional English or the language in which the course is assessed
- Physical capability for the practical assessment
- A medical fitness assessment for breathing apparatus and advanced training
- No APS applies — these are workplace competency courses
- No prior qualification required for basic level; higher levels require the level below
Documents and Application Requirements
What is needed to enrol.
- Certified copy of your South African ID
- A letter of appointment or nomination from the employer, where the employer arranges it
- A medical fitness certificate, for breathing apparatus or advanced training
- Proof of any prior fire fighting training, for higher levels
- A current first aid certificate, where the emergency role includes it
- Proof of payment or an employer purchase order
Selection, Intake and Eligibility Considerations
The employer normally pays. Where training is required for a workplace emergency role, it is an employer obligation, not an employee expense. If you are being asked to fund training for a role your employer has appointed you to, question that.
Certificates expire. Fire fighting and first aid certificates carry defined validity periods and require refresher training. Employers are expected to keep appointments current, so diarise the renewal.
Practical assessment is the point. A course conducted entirely in a classroom with no live fire practical teaches you very little about actually using an extinguisher under pressure. Ask what the practical component involves before booking.
Fire equipment servicing is separate. Extinguishers and fire equipment must be serviced by competent persons to the applicable SANS standards, and that is a different competency with its own requirements. Being trained to use an extinguisher does not qualify you to service one.
Evacuation planning is the other half. Fire fighting training without an evacuation plan, marshals, assembly points and drills is incomplete. The most valuable thing most workplaces can do is run a real drill, and the training should cover how.
Know when not to fight a fire. Any competent course teaches that evacuation beats intervention for anything beyond an incipient fire. Training that encourages people to tackle developed fires is dangerous, and that is a reasonable thing to judge a provider on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who needs workplace fire fighting training?
Employees appointed to emergency roles — fire marshals and emergency team members. It is how employers meet emergency preparedness duties under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Which level do I need?
Basic for an office fire marshal, intermediate for warehouse or workshop emergency teams, advanced with breathing apparatus for industrial emergency teams. Match the level to the role.
Who pays for it?
The employer, where the training is required for a workplace emergency role. It is an employer obligation rather than an employee expense.
Does the certificate expire?
Yes. Fire fighting and first aid certificates have defined validity periods and require refresher training. Employers must keep appointments current.
Training requirements, unit standards, accreditation and certificate validity are set by the SETAs, the QCTO and the Department of Employment and Labour, and building requirements by the municipal fire service. Confirm current requirements with them.