Fire Safety
Fire risk assessment
Colin de Jongh
Health and Safety Manager
Regulatory Reform Order
(Fire Safety)
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Enacted 1st October 2006
Fire certificates cease to have effect
New duty holder “Responsible Person”
Must carry out a fire risk assessment
Responsible Person
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The person who has to any extent the
control of :
A
workplace – the employer,
managers, supervisors etc.
 The premises – owner, occupier or
agent
Responsible Person
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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.
General Fire Precautions
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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
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Training and instruction
Measures to mitigate the effects
Any
questions?
Main causation of fires
(12 months Jan 05 to Dec 05)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Deliberate ignition - 53
Electrical - 34
Cooking - 13
Friction, heat and sparks - 12
Smoking materials - 11
Naked light - 4
>£250K
Organisations
(12 months Jan 05 to Dec 05)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Dwellings - 27
Local/national government – 25
Hospitality & food and drink industry - 13
Retail – 12
Chemical Industry - 11
Education - 9
>£250K
Fire safety risk assessment
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Identify the fire hazards
Identify the people at risk
Evaluate, remove or reduce, and protect
from risk
Record, plan, inform, instruct, and train
Review
Any
questions?
1. Identify the fire hazards
Identify:
 Sources of ignition
 Sources of fuel
 Sources of oxygen
The fire triangle
Sources of ignition
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ARSON
Smokers materials
Naked flames
Electrical, gas,
portable heating
equipment
Hot processes- paint
stripping, welding
Lighting equipment
Sources of fuel
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Flammable liquid
based products
Packaging materials
Waste products
Stationary
Soft furnishings and
furniture
Some construction
materials
Sources of Oxygen
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The air around us
Air conditioning
Some chemicals
Oxygen supplies –
cylinder storage
Pyrotechnics
Any
questions?
2. Identify the people at risk
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Employees especially
those who work alone
Vulnerable people
Contractors
Young people
Other people in the
immediate vicinity
Fire fighters
3. Evaluate, remove, reduce,
and protect from risk
Evaluate the risk of a fire occurring:
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Accidentally
By act or omission
Deliberately
3. Evaluate, remove, reduce, and
protect from risk
Evaluate the risk to people
Fire is spread by:
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Convection
Conduction
Radiation
Contact or direct heat
Smoke movement through a
building
Why do we close fire doors?
Why we do close fire doors
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
Remove or reduce the hazards
- sources of ignition
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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
Remove or reduce the hazards
- sources of fuel
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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.
Remove or reduce the hazards
– sources of oxygen
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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
Remove or reduce the hazards
– to people
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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
Fire detection and warning systems
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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
Fire-fighting equipment and
facilities
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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
Fire-fighting equipment and
facilities
Co2
Foam
Powder
Water
Fire-fighting equipment and
facilities
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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
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
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
Escape routes
Suitable:
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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
Emergency evacuation of persons
with mobility impairment
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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
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
Signs and notices
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Comply with British or
European standards
Not mixed
Be fire resistant
British Standard
European Standard
Installation, testing & maintenance
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Installed by competent persons
Maintained in line with manufacturers
guidance
Tested weekly
Inspected quarterly
Records kept for inspection
Any
questions?
4. Record, plan, inform, instruct &
train
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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
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
We don’t want to
end up like this
Or this
Any
questions?