1. Health and Safety Manager
Fire Safety
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

6. Any questions?

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

10. Any questions?

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

12. The fire triangle
Flammable gases, liquids and solids Oxygen always present in air, Ignition sources – hot surfaces, electrical equipment etc

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

16. Any questions?

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
Smoke produced by a fire also contains toxic gases which are harmful to people; a fire in a building with modern fittings and materials generates thick black oily smoke, which can obscure vision, causes great difficulty in breathing ultimately asphyxiating and block fire escape routes.

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
Remember those at special risk – disabled, visitors etc

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
Heaters – restrict the movement of and guard portable heating devices, have them checked regularly
Remove all naked flames where possible
Make sure electrical and mechanical and gas equipment is installed, used maintained and protected according with the manufacturers instructions

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
Ideally appropriate extinguishers alongside the fire risk, where the risk is not confined to a particular location, extinguisherss should be positioned on escape routes, close to the exit from the room or floor or final exit. No one should have to travel more than 30m to reach an extinguisher. On walls small 1.5m height, larger 1m or on stands.

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
Information signs for fire-fighters; static water supplies: private hydrants; standby fire pumps, generators; manual self closing devises fro roller shutter doors

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
Adequate – up to 750mm door up to 80 people per minute for high risk premises
100 normal
120 low risk
1050mm door 160
200
240
Additional 75 mill 15 persons or part of

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
Evacuation methods depend on degree of disability. If wheelchair bound ramps no greater than 1:12 or provide services in other accessible areas. If providing evacuation chairs adequate numbers of people have to be trained to use them.

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

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

39. Any questions?

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
Consider the potential risk of any significant changes before they are introduced. It is usually more effective and financially acceptable to minimise risk at the design stage than introducing changes or upgrades later on.

42. We don’t want to end up like this

43. Or this

44. Any questions?