John Kay Facilities Manager FIRE SAFETY AWARENESS

Causes of fire in the workplace Classes of fire & types of extinguishers Action in the event of a fire Duties of the Fire Warden Signage Elstree House escape procedures TRAINING SYLLABUS John Kay Facilities Manager

388 fire fatalities. 11,100 non-fatal casualties. 624,000 fire or false alarms. 287,000 total fires 337,000 false alarms 75,500 accidental fires. FIRE COSTS 2011 – 2012 John Kay Facilities Manager Approx. 80% of businesses fail within two years of having a fire. Insurance settlements are in excess of £2,500 million per year. Many insurance companies will refuse to cover buildings with inadequate fire safety measures. MOST RECENT FIGURES RELEASED 25 TH NOVEMBER 2012

CAUSES OF FIRE IN THE WORKPLACE John Kay Facilities Manager

Arson & vandalism – approximately 50% are disgruntled employees or ex-employees. Electrical faults – abuse of extension leads & plug multi- blocks. Smoking – disposal of cigarette ends in metal bin with lid. Heating equipment – covering the vents or positioned too close to flammable materials. CAUSES OF FIRE IN THE WORKPLACE Praxis Real Estate Management Ltd. John Kay Facilities Manager

Flammable liquids should be kept in purpose built cabinets or lockers located in a safe area preferably outside. Employees or contractors welding or grinding without carrying out the proper safety checks, risk assessment or appropriate permit to work. Anyone who does carry out any type of hot work should also provide their own safety equipment. CAUSES OF FIRE IN THE WORKPLACE John Kay Facilities Manager

GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

The types of fire can be split into six main groups: Class A Class B Class C Class D Electrical fires Class F CAUSES OF FIRE IN THE WORKPLACE Praxis Real Estate Management Ltd. John Kay Facilities Manager

Flammable solid materials such as wood, paper, cardboard, textiles, rubber and some types of plastics. CLASS ‘A’ FIRE - CARBONACEOUS John Kay Facilities Manager

Flammable liquids or liquefiable solids such as petrol/gasoline, oil, paint, some waxes & plastics but not cooking fats or oils. CLASS ‘B’ FIRE - LIQUIDS John Kay Facilities Manager

Flammable gases such as natural gas, hydrogen, propane & butane. CLASS ‘C’ FIRE - GASES John Kay Facilities Manager

Flammable and combustible metals, such as sodium, magnesium & potassium. CLASS ‘D’ FIRE - METAL John Kay Facilities Manager

Technically class ‘E’ fires do not exist as electricity itself does not burn. However, it is considered a dangerous and very deadly complication to a fire therefore class ‘E’ generally refers to fires involving electricity. ELECTRICAL FIRES John Kay Facilities Manager

Fires that involve cooking fats and oils. CLASS ‘F’ FIRE – FATS & OILS John Kay Facilities Manager

The fire triangle illustrates the requirement of three basic elements for a fire to succeed. The removal of one element prevents or extinguishes the fire. These elements are: Heat Fuel Oxygen THE FIRE TRIANGLE John Kay Facilities Manager

Five types of fire extinguisher: Water Foam Dry Powder Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Wet Chemical FIRE EXTINGUISHERS John Kay Facilities Manager

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS - WATER John Kay Facilities Manager For use on class A fires. Extinguishes by cooling. 40 – 50 seconds duration. NOT to be used on fuel, electrical or chip pan fires as it will cause a violent reaction.

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS - FOAM John Kay Facilities Manager For use on class A or B fires. Extinguishes by forming a blanket that inhibits the air supply. 35 – 40 seconds duration. NOT to be used on electrical fires as it is essentially water-based.

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS – DRY POWDER John Kay Facilities Manager For use on class A or B or electrical fires. Extinguishes by smothering or cooling. Duration is dependant on size. Difficult to use in windy conditions. Creates a lot of mess when used indoors.

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS – CO2 John Kay Facilities Manager For use on electrical fires and B class fires. Extinguishes by smothering.. Duration dependant on size. Clean extinguishing agent that doesn’t cause much damage. Danger from frost on discharge. Protect with sleeve or do not touch.

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS – WET CHEMICAL Real Estate Management Ltd. John Kay Facilities Manager For use on class A and F fires. Extinguishes by smothering. 35 – 40 seconds duration. NOT to be used on electrical fires as it is essentially water-based.

FIRST AID HOSE REELS John Kay Facilities Manager For use on class A fires. Extinguishes by cooling. Constantly charged with water and ready to use. NOT to be used on electrical, fuel or oil based fires.

EXTINGUISHER SUMMARY John Kay Facilities Manager

Positioned by qualified fire safety officers to cover certain areas and risks. Normally found near to exits. Larger buildings have designated fire points. NOT to be used for propping open doors, especially fire doors. EXTINGUISHER PLACEMENT John Kay Facilities Manager

Is it within your ability? Are you sure of the correct extinguisher? Test the extinguisher before use. Always fight the fire with your back to the escape route. If you fail to extinguish the fire after the use of one extinguisher, get out. If you are in doubt at any time of your safety, get out and stay out. CONSIDERATIONS BEFORE TACKLING A FIRE John Kay Facilities Manager

LVA – Loud Vocal Alarm. Alert as many personnel as possible. Close the door on the fire and if possible, any windows to prevent spread. Sound the fire alarm at your nearest break glass call point. Only tackle the fire if you are confident it is safe to do so. Telephone the emergency services on 999 giving them as much information as possible. Evacuate the building. Proceed to the designated assembly point for a roll call. Do not re-enter the building until you are told it is safe to do so. ACTION ON DISCOVERING A FIRE John Kay Facilities Manager

Take appropriate and effective action if a fire occurs. Ensure escape routes are available for use. Identify hazards in the workplace. Record and report their observations. Have the appropriate equipment at hand. THE PRINCIPLE DUTIES OF THE FIRE WARDEN John Kay Facilities Manager

Ensure the alarm has been raised. Ensure that all processes have been made safe in your area i.e manufacturing processes. Evacuate staff from the building or area that you are responsible for. Ensure that any staff or visitors with a disability are assisted as planned. Liaise with the building manager to establish that all personnel in your area have been accounted for (or not). THE PRINCIPLE DUTIES OF THE FIRE WARDEN IN EVENT OF FIRE John Kay Facilities Manager

Fire safety signs and signage systems form an integral part of the overall fire safety strategy of a building and are fundamental to the communication of good fire safety management information. Clearly visible and unambiguous signage is essential for speedy escape, particularly in buildings where many of the occupants might be unfamiliar with the building layout. All fire safety signs must comply with BS SIGNS AND SIGNAGE John Kay Facilities Manager

Where a Fire Risk Assessment highlights the need for a sign, the sign should be displayed prominently, conspicuously and appropriately having regard to the environment and occupancy profile of the building. They should not be sited such that they are overridden with other types of public information or property management signs and should be consistent in style and design throughout the building. SIGNS AND SIGNAGE John Kay Facilities Manager

SIGNS AND SIGNAGE John Kay Facilities Manager Mandatory Signs Fire SignsProhibition Signs Safe Condition Signs