The Changing Role of Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service Group Commander Bill Majury

Existing fire safety arrangements Proscriptive V Self Compliance Fire Services (NI) Order 1984 (Fire Certificates) Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 2001 (Risk Assessment)

The new fire safety regime will be introduced through: The Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 (Part III Fire Safety) & The Fire Safety (Northern Ireland) Regulations A Commencement Order will be issued indicating a date for the new arrangements to come into force..

In England and Wales the new fire safety regime has been introduced through: The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order In Scotland it has been introduced through: The Fire (Scotland) Act The Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006.

Will the risk change? Will principles of fire precautions in buildings change? Will principles of fire risk assessment change?

The aim is to simplify existing fire safety legislation and reinforce the modern risk based approach to fire prevention. In general the law will seek to ensure the safety of persons lawfully in, or in the immediate vicinity of the premises or those whose safety would be at risk in the event of fire in the premises. (Art 52”Relevant Person”)

THE ORDER APPLIES TO ALL PREMISES, EXCEPT: (Art 50) Domestic premises. Construction sites, ships and hovercraft, mines and offshore installations. Premises to which Part 1 of Schedule 1 of Fire Certificate (Special Premises) Regulations applied. Premises occupied by armed forces. Borehole sites. Any premises and land other than buildings used as part of agricultural or forestry undertaking.

Who or what does the Order apply to? Relevant Premises. (Art 50) Employers (Art 25) Persons with control of a relevant premise. (Art 26)

Persons with a Disability The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 Designed to prevent discrimination against disabled people especially in the area of accessing services or premises The Building Regulations (Northern Ireland) Part R outlines access and facilities for disabled people

Most fire safety legislation looks at Means of Escape but gives very little if any consideration to persons with a disability. Employees with a disability are considered in a Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations risk assessment. Customers and visitors to premises are often considered but due to the difficulty in catering for and identifying certain types of disability they are ignored.

The new Order and Regulations requires all “relevant persons” to be considered as part of the fire risk assessment. “Relevant Person” definition: (a)Any person who is, or may be, lawfully in the premises or (b)Any person- (i)Who is, or may be, in the immediate vicinity of the premises and (ii)Whose safety would be at risk in the event of fire in the premises.

Guidance on carrying out a risk assessment suggests you must identify those at risk such as; Lone workers Visitors & customers unfamiliar with the layout Children and young persons People with disabilities.

Ideally everyone in a building should be able to escape unaided in the event of fire. Most buildings do not allow this and some other arrangements need to be made. In the case of employees this can usually be achieved by a PEEP (Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan) Visitors and customers can be covered by generic / standard evacuation plans. If used training for staff is vital.

What will NIFRS expect to see in a risk assessment with regards to persons with disabilities? Identification and arrangements for disabled employees. Consideration of visitors and customers relevant to the type of premises.

What action can NIFRS take? Notice of deficiencies. Action plans. Enforcement notices. Prohibition notices. Alterations notices. Prosecutions.

Thank you for listening Group Commander Bill Majury Questions