Essential Guide to Fire Safety Risk Assessment in Health and Safety Management

1. FireSafety Fire risk assessment Colin de Jongh Health and Safety Manager

2. Regulatory Reform Order(Fire Safety) • Enacted 1st October 2006 • Fire certificates cease to have effect • New duty holder “Responsible Person” • Must carry out a fire risk assessment

3. Responsible Person • The person who has to any extent the control of : • A workplace – the employer, managers, supervisors etc. • The premises – owner, occupier or agent

4. Responsible Person • Must appoint competent person(s) to assist with fire safety measures • Take general fire precautions to ensure safety of employees and other relevant persons • Does not apply to domestic premises, ships at sea, vehicles, fields or woods, mines etc. • Does apply to external events.

5. General Fire Precautions • Reduce the risk and spread of fire • Ensure means of escape at all times • Fire fighting measures on premises • Fire detection and warnings of • Action in the case of fire • Training and instruction • Measures to mitigate the effects

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7. Main causation of fires (12 months Jan 05 to Dec 05) • Deliberate ignition - 53 • Electrical - 34 • Cooking - 13 • Friction, heat and sparks - 12 • Smoking materials - 11 • Naked light - 4 >£250K

8. Organisations (12 months Jan 05 to Dec 05) • Dwellings - 27 • Local/national government – 25 • Hospitality & food and drink industry - 13 • Retail – 12 • Chemical Industry - 11 • Education - 9 >£250K

9. Fire safety risk assessment • Identify the fire hazards • Identify the people at risk • Evaluate, remove or reduce, and protect from risk • Record, plan, inform, instruct, and train • Review

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11. 1. Identify the fire hazards Identify: • Sources of ignition • Sources of fuel • Sources of oxygen

12. The fire triangle

13. Sources of ignition • ARSON • Smokers materials • Naked flames • Electrical, gas, portable heating equipment • Hot processes- paint stripping, welding • Lighting equipment

14. Sources of fuel • Flammable liquid based products • Packaging materials • Waste products • Stationary • Soft furnishings and furniture • Some construction materials

15. Sources of Oxygen • The air around us • Air conditioning • Some chemicals • Oxygen supplies – cylinder storage • Pyrotechnics

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17. 2. Identify the people at risk • Employees especially those who work alone • Vulnerable people • Contractors • Young people • Other people in the immediate vicinity • Fire fighters

18. 3. Evaluate, remove, reduce, and protect from risk Evaluate the risk of a fire occurring:- • Accidentally • By act or omission • Deliberately

19. 3. Evaluate, remove, reduce, and protect from risk Evaluate the risk to people Fire is spread by: • Convection • Conduction • Radiation • Contact or direct heat

20. Smoke movement through a building

21. Why do we close fire doors?

22. Why we do close fire doors

23. Evaluating the risks to people Consider: • Fires on lower floors can affect escape routes for those on upper floors • Fires developing in unoccupied spaces which people have to pass • Spread of fire or smoke via vertical shafts and service or ventilation ducts • Fires in service rooms affecting hazardous materials

24. Remove or reduce the hazards - sources of ignition • Replace potential sources of ignition with an alternative • Replace naked flame and radiant heaters with fixed convector heaters or central heating • Separate ignition sources and fuels • Check areas after hot work has taken place • Take precautions to avoid arson

25. Remove or reduce the hazards - sources of fuel • Ensure flammable materials, liquids and gases are kept to a minimum and stored properly • Do not keep flammable solids, liquids and gases together • Remove combustible waste daily • Store waste materials securely away from buildings.

26. Remove or reduce the hazards – sources of oxygen • Close all doors, windows and other openings when not required for ventilation • Shut down inessential ventilation systems • Do not store oxidising materials next to heat sources or flammable materials • Control use of oxygen cylinders

27. Remove or reduce the hazards – to people • Ensure that any risks remaining to people are controlled • Provide systems to warn people and allow them to escape in the event of fire • Provide adequate exits for the number of people present

28. Fire detection and warning systems • System will depend on the size and layout of the building • It should provide adequate warning in the event of a fire • Automatic or manual? • You may/will need special arrangements for people with disabilities

29. Fire-fighting equipment and facilities • Can reduce the risk of a small fire (waste paper bin) developing into a larger one • Controlling a fire in the early stages can reduce the risk to people • There should be enough portable extinguishers suitable for the risk • They should be sited throughout the premises at suitable locations

30. Fire-fighting equipment and facilities Co2 Foam Powder Water

31. Fire-fighting equipment and facilities • Class A fire – rule of thumb  one water extinguisher for every 200m² minimum 2 per floor • Additional risks – appropriate type & number of extinguishers. See BS 5306-8

32. Other facilities Can include: • Access for fire engines and fire-fighters • Fire-fighting shafts and lifts • Fire suppression systems – sprinklers • Smoke-control systems • Dry or wet rising mains and fire-fighters inlets • Information and communication systems • Fire-fighters switches

33. Escape routes Escape routes should be: • Suitable • Easily, safely and immediately usable at all times • Adequate for the number of people • Free from any obstructions, slip or trips hazards • Available for access by the emergency services

34. Escape routes Suitable: • Fire resistant construction • Escape routes should not go through other occupiers premises • Doors should open in the direction of travel • Be fitted with vision panels if over 60 people

35. Emergency evacuation of persons with mobility impairment • Do not use lifts unless alternative power supplies and protected from smoke • Take to refuge and wait for assistance or begin staged evacuation – provide communications. • You must have plans to evacuate without assistance • Consider use of evacuation chairs • Provide buddy system for those with visual impairment • Visual alarms in cases of hearing impairment

36. Emergency escape lighting Provided on all escape routes to assist in evacuation and should cover: • Exit doors and escape routes • Intersections of corridors • Outside each final exit and external escape routes and stairways • Changes in level • Fire equipment and alarm call points

37. Comply with British or European standards Not mixed Be fire resistant British Standard European Standard Signs and notices

38. Installation, testing & maintenance • Installed by competent persons • Maintained in line with manufacturers guidance • Tested weekly • Inspected quarterly • Records kept for inspection

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40. 4. Record, plan, inform, instruct & train • Fire risk assessment – recorded available for inspection • Actions prioritised and implemented • Evacuation plans developed, implemented and tested – at least twice annually or once per term • Employee groups informed of results • Employees, visitors, contractors given adequate training and instruction

41. 5. Review Review risk assessments, plans etc: • When changes occur – changes to work processes, alterations to the building or work patterns • Introduction of new equipment, hazardous substances, significant increase in people • At least annually

42. We don’t want to end up like this

43. Or this

44. Anyquestions?