Managing Fire Safety In Common Parts of Flats and Mixed Use Buildings

1. Managing Fire Safety In Common Parts of Flats and Mixed Use Buildings • Simon Gibbins Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service

2. Today’s Presentation will look at: • The Impact of The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. • Managing Fire Safety at the Design Stage. • Managing Fire Safety in a partly occupied buildings subject to construction activity. • Fire Safety Management following the Completion of Works for occupation.

3. The Impact of The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005: • Came into force in October 2006. • It covers general Fire Precautions and other fire Safety Duties that are needed to protect ‘relevant persons’ in case of a fire in and around most premises once occupied. • The basis for compliance is through a risk assessment process. • The scope of the order now includes the common areas of flats and maisonettes. • The responsibility for complying with the order lies with the ‘Responsible Person’.

4. Who is the responsible person? • In the Workplace – The employer and any other person who may have control of any part of the premises, e.g. the manager or owner, • In all other Premises – The person or people in control of the premises, • Any person who has to some extent control of the premises (the duty extending only so far as the extent of control) e.g. A contractor responsible for maintaining the fire alarm. • If there is more than one responsible person e.g. in a multi-occupied complex each responsible person must take all reasonable steps to co-operate and co-ordinate with each other.

5. The Impact of The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005: • It would be useful for Designers to carryout a preliminary fire risk assessment as part of the design process. • A full fire risk assessment should be completed prior to the building being occupied. • The provision of Fire Safety Information.

6. Article 29 –Alterations Notices • If your premises are considered by Enforcing Authority to be a high risk (or premises which would be high risk if change is made to them) then we may serve an Alterations Notice on the ‘Responsible Person’. • If Alterations notice is in force then there is a duty on the ‘Responsible Person’ to inform the Enforcing Authority before you make any changes to your premises or in the way it is used.

7. Alterations NoticesChanges may include: • A change to the premises, • A change to the Services, fittings or equipment in or, on the premises, • An increase in the quantities of dangerous, substances which are present in or on the premises, • A change to the use of the premises.

8. Enforcement of the Order • The Enforcing Authority has powers to: • To inspect the premises (to carryout a fire safety audit) to check whether the duties of the order are being complied with, • To issue an Enforcement Notice, • To issue a Prohibition Notice.

9. Managing Fire Safety At the Design Stage • When developing the fire safety design for a building the designer should consider the way in which it will be managed upon occupation. • Once the building is in use the management regime should be maintained and any variation should be subject to a suitable risk assessment process.

10. Managing Fire Safety At the Design Stage • Consider:- • Fire Alarm Operation and maintenance. • Unwanted fire signals. • Fire Fighting Operations may impede the effectiveness of an evacuation in Buildings, which has been designed for Phased Evacuation.

11. The new version of ADB now provides guidance on the provision of disabled refuges in non-residential buildings. ADB now recognises the misconception that refuges are not places where disabled people should be left alone indefinitely until rescued by the Fire and Rescue Service, or until the fire is extinguished. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the Responsible person to provide a fire risk assessment that includes an emergency evacuation plan for people likely to be in the premises, including disabled people and how that plan will be implemented. Managing Fire Safety At the Design StageConsider- Disabled Evacuation:

12. A Disabled evacuation strategy may include • Refuges, evacuation chairs combined management procedures. • Refuges /lobbies and specially designed Evacuation lifts – particularly were escape is in upward direction • Refuge/lobby and Fire Fighting lift

13. To facilitate the effective evacuation of people from refuges ADB now details the use an emergency voice communications (EVC) systems. • EVC should comply with BS 5839 -9- 2003 type B

14. Further Guidance concerning disabled evacuation can be found in: • BS 5588 – 8- 1999. Code of Practice for the means of escape for disabled people, • BS 5588 – 12- 2004. Managing fire safety, • HM Government fire safety risk assessment- Means of Escape for Disabled people and various HM risk assessment guides.

15. Managing Fire Safety During the Construction Phase • Colindale Fire – London 06

16. Managing Fire Safety During the Construction Phase • The Regulations • The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007. • The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

17. Managing Fire Safety in a partly occupied building subject to construction activity. • Pre-planning prior to the activity-taking place is essential, • Contractors and responsible person to carry out a fire risk assessment prior to the commencement of works, • Liaison and exchange of information between contractors and the responsible person is necessary, • Contractors must inform the responsible person of the significant findings of their risk assessment and the preventative measures they have employed, • Contractors agreed method statements may be required, • Risk Assessments to be subject to a review throughout the works.

18. The fire risk assessment process may consider the following: • Maintaining means of escape, • Fire separation between the construction site and the occupied parts of the building, • Means of raising the alarm in the event of a fire • Fire procedure – Contractors and Occupiers briefed on the actions to take in the event of a fire, • Focused Staff training and extra vigilance adopted, • Provision of suitable and sufficient fire fighting equipment, • The likelihood of increased false alarms on automatic fire detection systems, • Management of combustible waste & highly flammables, • Permit to work for high risk activities such as welding etc, • Maintaining suitable fire service access…..

19. Completion of Works/Handover/Occupation. • Fire Safety Information provided to the occupier. • Occupiers Fire Risk Assessment Completed by a competent person. • Building signed over for occupation by the Building Control Body. • General Fire Safety Arrangements in Place.

20. Managing Fire Safety for Occupation • A management system may include: • Develop a Management Structure, • Consider Staffing Levels, • Fire Training, • Security, • Maintenance and Testing of Fire Safety Systems, • Liaison with the Fire & Rescue Service, • Contingency Planning, • Degraded System Planning, • Abnormal Occupancy Planning, • Risk Management, • Fire Load Management Control,

21. FurtherGuidance on fire risk assessment and fire safety management would include: • BS 5588-12-2004. Managing Fire Safety. • HM Government fire safety risk assessment guides.

22. To summarize • The common areas of flats and maisonettes fall with the scope of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. • The management of fire safety should begin at the design stage, continue during the construction phase and be maintained and reviewed throughout the life of the building.

23. Thank you for listening