We all know how devastating fires can be, so it should come as no surprise when we say you should focus a lot of your CSCS test revision efforts on this topic.
We’ll go through as much as possible to ensure you are fully prepared to answer any questions in the fire safety section of the CSCS test in 2026.
CSCS Revision Notes – Fire Prevention and Control
One common term you will hear on your work site or any place of work is “fire assembly point”; this is a designated area where you must go if the fire alarm sounds.
If you’re working on-site and you hear the fire alarm sounding, go straight to your fire assembly point. There might be multiple fire assembly points, so make sure you go to your designated one.
Fires can spread rapidly, if you’re the first person to discover a fire on-site you should sound the fire alarm immediately – do not stop to gather any belongings.
As we mentioned in our previous CSCS test revision page, a site induction will cover many safety rules. One of the most important rules you will learn at a site induction is the location of your fire assembly point.
If there’s a large fire on-site and you have not been trained to use a fire extinguisher you should not attempt to put the fire out. You should raise the fire alarm immediately and then go straight to your fire assembly point.
There are many things we all can do to help reduce the risk of a fire on-site. One of the simplest ways is by keeping your work area tidy and ensuring you get rid of waste correctly.
Sometimes the nature of your work will require you to carry out tasks in important areas such as fire escape routes. If you have to work within any fire escape route you must ensure your tools and equipment do not block the route.
If you notice frost around the valve of an LPG cylinder it most likely means that the valve is leaking.
Be careful when using a CO2 fire extinguisher because the nozzle will become very cold after use.
Some jobs on-site may require you to carry out tasks that could potentially start a fire, if this is the case you might need a hot-work permit.
A hot-work permit will tell you many things but one thing it will not tell you is where to find your local fire station.
If you’re carrying out a job that requires a hot-work permit you will need to ensure you have an appropriate fire extinguisher to hand and you will need to ensure you check for signs of a fire after you’ve completed your task.
There are many jobs that will require you to have a hot work permit. For example, if you have to use an angle grinder to cut steel or if you have to do soldering work on a pipe – these will likely require a hot-work permit.
CSCS Test Revision – Fire Extinguishers
| Fire Extinguishers: When you take your CSCS test, you will be expected to know the different types of fire extinguishers, their colours, and the materials they can be used on. | ||
| Types of Fire Extinguishers | Fire Extinguisher Colours | Can be used on: |
| Water | Red | Wood, paper, plastic, cardboard, textiles |
| Carbon Dioxide | Black | Flammable liquids such as petrol and paint, electrical fires |
| Foam | Cream | Wood, paper, plastic, cardboard, textiles, flammable liquids such as petrol and paint |
| Dry Powder | Blue | Organic materials, flammable liquids, flammable gases, electrical equipment |
| Wet Chemical | Yellow | Cooking oil/fat fires, wood, paper, plastic, cardboard, textiles |
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Excellent stuff