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Fire safety training equips your staff to prevent, identify and respond to workplace fires, and to evacuate safely under pressure. For South African employers it is both a legal duty under the Occupational Health and Safety Act and a practical safeguard for people, premises and business continuity. BOTI delivers practical, facilitator-led fire safety and evacuation training on-site, in-house or virtually to teams across the country.
If you are an HR or L&D lead, business owner or operations manager responsible for a workforce, this page explains what the course covers, how it is delivered, what certification delegates receive, and how to fund it through your Skills Development budget.
The business problem fire safety training solves
A single fire incident can halt operations, destroy stock and equipment, trigger insurance disputes and, most seriously, injure or kill staff. Beyond the human cost, untrained teams expose the business to OHS Act liability, failed inspections and reputational damage.
The OHS Act and the Environmental Regulations for Workplaces require employers to provide and maintain a working environment that is safe and without risk to health. In practice that means trained fire fighters and evacuation marshals on every site, equipment that people know how to use, and drills that actually work. Fire safety training closes the gap between having extinguishers on the wall and having a team that can act decisively in the first 60 seconds.
Common triggers for booking this course include:
- A new or renovated premises that needs an emergency plan and trained marshals.
- An OHS audit, insurer requirement or client safety questionnaire flagging gaps.
- Staff turnover that has left a site without designated fire fighters or evacuation wardens.
- A near-miss or incident that exposed how unprepared the team was.
Who this fire safety training course is for
This is corporate training bought by employers for their staff and teams, not a job-seeker qualification. It is designed for:
- Designated fire fighters and emergency teams who must operate extinguishers and hose reels.
- Evacuation marshals and floor wardens responsible for clearing and accounting for people.
- General staff in offices, factories, warehouses, retail, hospitality, healthcare and labs who need basic awareness.
- Safety reps, SHE officers and facilities managers building or maintaining the site emergency plan.
- HR and L&D teams sourcing compliant training across multiple branches.
Content is pitched to the audience in the room, from broad fire awareness for all staff through to hands-on suppression for nominated responders.
What the fire safety training course covers
The programme blends classroom theory with practical, hands-on application. A typical outline includes:
| Module | Focus |
|---|---|
| Fire science basics | The fire triangle, classes of fire (A to F), and how fires start and spread |
| Hazard identification | Spotting and reducing fire risks specific to your workplace |
| Fire prevention | Housekeeping, electrical safety, flammable storage, hot-work controls |
| Firefighting equipment | Selecting and using extinguishers, hose reels and fire blankets safely |
| Practical fire fighting | Live or simulated extinguisher use under supervision |
| Evacuation procedures | Routes, assembly points, roll call and the role of marshals |
| Emergency planning | Building and testing an emergency evacuation plan |
| Roles and communication | Alarms, signage, liaison with emergency services, special-needs evacuation |
| Drills and review | Running effective drills and learning from each one |
Courses can be tailored to your sector and risk profile. Examples include flammable-liquid handling for manufacturing, kitchen-fire response for hospitality, or oxygen and chemical risks for healthcare and laboratories. We can also align the content with your existing emergency plan and floor layouts.
Delivery formats and national reach
BOTI delivers fire safety training in the format that suits your operation:
- On-site / on-premises — staff train on your actual layout, equipment and evacuation routes.
- In-house (closed group) — a dedicated session for your team only, scheduled around shifts and operational demands.
- Public / scheduled — individuals or small groups joining a set calendar date.
- Virtual instructor-led — live online theory for awareness-level groups, ideal for multi-branch or remote teams, with practical components arranged on-site.
We train teams nationally, including Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban and surrounding regions, as well as remote and distributed workforces. For employers with sites in multiple provinces, we coordinate a consistent programme across all locations.
Certification
Fire safety training is delivered as a practical, facilitator-led skills programme. Delegates receive a BOTI certificate of completion (this is not an accredited qualification). These certificates support your OHS compliance file, audit evidence and insurer requirements as a record of the training delivered and attended. Need accredited training? Ask about BOTI’s QCTO- and SETA-accredited programmes — for example our occupational and unit-standard qualifications in office administration, management and business administration.
Funding the training: Skills Development and B-BBEE points
Fire safety training is a sound use of your Skills Development budget, and it can strengthen your B-BBEE position.
- Skills Development Levy (SDL): Employers above the payroll threshold pay the SDL at 1% of payroll. Investing in staff training puts that levy to work and supports the Workplace Skills Plan and Annual Training Report submissions to your SETA, which underpin mandatory grant claims.
- B-BBEE skills development element: On the generic scorecard, the skills development spend target is 6% of the leviable amount (not 6% of payroll). Training spend on your staff counts toward earning these points.
- Budget efficiency: Closed in-house sessions train a whole team at a predictable cost per head, making it easy to plan against your annual training budget.
We can supply the documentation you need — attendance registers, certificates and course outlines — to support your WSP/ATR and B-BBEE evidence. Funding and scorecard outcomes depend on your circumstances, so treat this as general guidance and confirm specifics with your SETA, skills development facilitator or B-BBEE verification agency.
Why choose BOTI
- Established and trusted — a recognised SA corporate training provider with more than 450 courses.
- Trusted by leading employers — clients include Sasol, Glencore and the City of Johannesburg.
- Practical and tailored — training built around your premises, risks and emergency plan, not a generic slide deck.
- National coverage — on-site delivery in major centres and beyond, plus virtual options for distributed teams.
- Compliance-ready outputs — certification and records that slot straight into your OHS and audit files.
Fire safety sits within a broader compliance picture. Many clients combine it with our wider occupational health and safety training and pair fire marshals with first aid training for a complete emergency-response capability. Browse the full health and safety course range to build a programme for your site, and request a quote or book a 15-minute callback when you are ready to scope dates.
Ready to protect your people and premises? Request a quote or book a 15-minute callback and we will scope a fire safety and evacuation programme for your team. Ask for our free Workplace Fire Safety and Evacuation Readiness Checklist to benchmark your current preparedness before you train. Phone 011-882-8853 to speak to a consultant.
Frequently asked questions
How long does fire safety training take?
Awareness sessions for general staff can run in a few hours, while a fuller fire fighter and evacuation marshal course is typically a full day, depending on group size and the practical components. We confirm duration when we scope your session.
How many staff need to be trained?
There is no single fixed ratio, but the OHS Act expects enough trained fire fighters and evacuation marshals to cover every shift and floor. We help you work out the right number of responders for your headcount and layout.
Can the training be delivered at our premises?
Yes. On-site delivery is our most popular option because staff practise on your actual equipment, signage and evacuation routes. We train teams in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban and nationally.
Is the training accredited?
Fire safety training is delivered as a practical, facilitator-led skills programme, and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of completion — this is not an accredited qualification. The certificate supports your OHS compliance file and audit evidence. If you need accredited training, ask about BOTI’s QCTO- and SETA-accredited programmes in related areas.
Can we use our Skills Development budget to pay for it?
Yes. Fire safety training supports your WSP/ATR submissions and counts toward the skills development element of your B-BBEE scorecard. Confirm the specifics with your SETA or skills development facilitator.
How often should we refresh fire safety training?
Good practice is to refresh responder training and run evacuation drills regularly, commonly annually, or sooner after layout changes, new hazards or staff turnover. We can set up a recurring schedule across your sites.