fire guidance note word document [1]

8/11/2019 Fire Guidance Note Word Document [1]

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This guidance gives advice on how to avoid fires in the workplace and how to ensurepeoples safety if a fire does start.

Typically U. K. Fire Brigades attend over 36, fires in workplaces every year. The

costs of a serious fire can !e high and afterwards "any !usinesses do not reopen.

For a fire to start three things are needed.

A source of ignition

Fuel;

Oxygen

If any one of these are missing a fire cannot start. Steps should be taken to ensure thatthe three elements do not come together.

Fuel

#$ygen %gnition &ource

A large proportion of fires are started deliberately.

Other major causes are electrical faults and carelessly discarded smoking materials.

Since most fires can be avoided fire prevention should be a common objective

throughout all levels of organisations.

Fire

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Fire

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#ost aspects of non domestic fire safety in the $% are controlled by the Fire

'recautions (ct )*+ -F'(.

&he Fire 'recautions -/orkplace 0egulations )**+ and its !''' amendment define

certain fire safety measures such asensuring means for detecting and fighting fire escaping from (orkplaces in the event of a

fire and re)uiring employers to include fire ha*ards in their risk assessments.

&he basic re)uirement of the F+A is that all premises meeting certain specified criteria

must have a valid fire certificate. Fire certificates are issued by the fire authorities unless

special premises are involved in (hich case they are issued by the ,ealth - Safety

xecutive /,S0.

&he re)uirements of the F+/102 apply to the majority of (orkplaces.

1.B.

'ossession of a fire certificate does not a!solve the e"ployer fro" carrying out his

own fire risk assess"ent under the F'-/0.

Other relevant legislation includes34

2anage"ent of ealth and &afety at /ork 0egulations )***

ealth and &afety -&afety &igns 4 &ignals 0egulations )**6

ealth and &afety -5onsultation with "ployees 0egulations )**6

MANAGING FIRE SAFETY

Fire safety management should include consideration of the follo(ing 34

#aintaining security procedures and preventing storage of combustible materials

next to buildings.

Storage and use of ,ighly flammable substances /eg solvents and solvent based

products0 and oxidising agents /eg. halogenation materials0.

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#inimisation of process dust /eg roughing0

limination of ignition sources /eg sparks heat and naked flames0

#anagement of dust extractors and dust collection systems.

#aintenance of clear gang(ays and escape routes.

#anagement of (aste and rubbish.

+rovision of information and training.

+rovision and maintenance of appropriate e)uipment eg detectors alarms

emergency lighting and extinguishers.

Appointment of fire marshals.

6evelopment of emergency procedures and practice drills.

Arrangements for raising an alarm and contacting the emergency services.

FIRE RISK ASSESSMENT

A fire risk assessment (ill help determine the chances of a fire occurring and the dangers

from fire that your (orkplace poses for the people (ho use it. &he assessment method

may follo( the same approach as that used in general health and safety risk assessments.

For fire risk assessments there are five steps that need to be taken34

&tep ) Identify potential fire ha*ards in the (orkplace /eg combustible materials

sources of ignition0.

&tep 7 6ecide (ho might be in danger in the event of a fire /eg employees visitorscontractors vulnerable persons0.

&tep 3 valuate the risks arising from the fire ha*ards and carry out necessaryimprovements.

1B. %f the assess"ent has identified changes which affect the "eans of escape or has

identified new ha8ardous "aterials, notification should !e given to the appropriate

authority. Fire

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&tep 2ecord your findings and any actions taken and communicate to your employees.

&tep 9 %eep the assessment under revie( and revise it as necessary.

COMPLETING OF FIRE RISK ASSESSMENT

&he five steps listed above can be expanded on as follo(s34

S&+ !8I69&IF: FI2 ,AA26SFor a fire to occur it needs sources of heat and fuel. If these ha*ards can be kept apart

removed or reduced then the risks to people and business is minimised. In order to do

this you must first identify fire ha*ards in your (orkplace.

%dentify (ny 5o"!usti!les : &hese can be divided into t(o main groups;combustible fuels such as paper (ood cardboard etc; and highly combustible fuelssuch as thinners solvents polyurethane foam etc.

%dentify (ny &ources of eat 4 All (orkplaces (ill contain heat


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some occasions (hen certain people (ill be especially at risk from fire because of theirspecific role disability location or the (orkplace activity. :ou need to consider matters

carefully if34

;isitors or contractors are present on site.

'ersons are disa!led eg physically, visually, "entally etc

'eople are una!le to react


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A=$A& &, 2IS%

Attempt to classify each area as Ehigh Enormal or Elo( risk. If Ehigh risk you mayned to repeat the previously mentioned steps.

>ow 0isk 4 Areas (here there is minimal risk to persons lives (here the risk of fireoccurring is lo( or the potential for fire heat and smoke spreading is negligible and

people (ould have plenty of time to react to an alert of fire.

1or"al 0isk 4 Areas (ill account for nearly all parts of most (orkplaces. 1here an

outbreak of fire is likely to remain confined or spread slo(ly (ith an effective fire

(arning allo(ing persons to escape to a place of safety.

igh 0isk 4 Areas (here the available time needed to evacuate the area is reduced by

the speed of development of a fire eg highly flammable or explosive materials stored or

used /other than small )uantities under controlled conditions0. Also (here the reactiontime to the fire alarm is slo(er because of the type of person present or the activity in the

(orkplace.

S&+ 7 4 &, FI96I9?S

&he findings of the assessment and the actions /including maintenance0 arising from it

should be recorded. If there are @ or more employees you 2U&T retain a record (hich

may be in (riting or by electronic means. It should indicate34

&he date the assessment (as made;

&he ha*ards identified;

Any staff and other people especially at risk;

1hat actions need to be taken and by (hen /(ction 'lan?

&he conclusions arising;

+2+A2 &, #2?9>: +=A9 4 &he aim of the plan is to ensure that in the

event of a fire everyone including contractors casual employees and visitors are

sufficiantly familiar (ith the action they should take and that the (orkplace can be safelyevacuated to a location (here persons (ill not be in danger. &he employer is responsible

for preparing the plan and in most small (orkplaces this should not be difficult. In

smaller (orkplaces it may simply take the form of a fire action notice.

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fire guidance note word document [1]

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