The Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order
(RRFSO) and Healthcare guidance
document – Llandrindod Wells 10 May 2006
Prof David Charters, PhD, CEng, FIFireE
Director of Fire Engineering
Presented by Nigel Smithies
Director BRE Fire & Security
REFORM OF GENERAL FIRE SAFETY LAW
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order
2005
Andy Jack
Head of Fire Safety Legislation
Branch
WHY REFORM?
Fire laws developed over time
Piecemeal development
Often resulting from large tragic fires
RESULT OF PIECEMEAL
DEVELOPMENT
Many pieces of legislation apply at the
same time, with different enforcers
The morass of law is difficult to
understand
WHAT DOES THE REFORM
MEAN?
Consolidated law with fewer enforcers
Key tool for business and enforcers to
prevent fires and save lives
Elevates prevention to the same level as
protection
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE
Employers (where there is one)
Occupiers (includes the self employed)
Owners
Others where they have a contract or tenancy
that gives them a degree of control over
safety issues (so included contractors who
install and maintain fire protection measures)
NOT NEW - RIA
General requirement for risk assessment since
1992
Fire specific requirement for employers since
1997
Fire specific law over-rides other non-fire
specific law (e.g. conditions of licence).
Risk based fire precautions over-ride set fire
conditions (e.g. fire regs over-rode a fire
certificate)
Publicity for the RRFSO
• Series of Road Shows has just come to an end.
• Main publicity Starts ~16 weeks prior to commencement
date ie ~ June 2006.
– A3 flier to all employers in England and Wales is first
phase (1Million +) – this may be sufficient guidance for
small premises.
– Web
– Advertisements in the press.
– Advertisements on local radio.
– On-line pre-ordering for the guides.
Overview
•
•
•
•
•
Background to the RRO
Guidance documents
Fire risk assessment process
Healthcare guide
Summary
Introduction
• A fire risk assessment must be carried out. If you employ
five or more people etc you must record significant
findings actions to be taken etc
• This is different from carrying out a fire precautions survey
of your building.
• The fire risk to people must be reduced to as low as
reasonably practicable
• Not just accidental fires - the risk of Arson is to be taken
into account
• Enforced, primarily, by the Fire & Rescue Service Penalty – up to two years imprisonment
Fire risks in different occupancies
Occupancy
Casualties/
year
Casualties/
occupant.year
Probability of
casualty/year
6287
1.1 x 10-3
1 in 910
Hotels
98
2.5 x 10-4
1 in 4,000
Banks…etc
44
1.6 x 10-5
1 in 63,000
Public administration
194
1.4 x 10-4
1 in 7,100
Schools
43
4.1 x 10-6
1 in 240,000
Further Education
10
1.2 x 10-5
1 in 83,000
NHS
43
3.4 x 10-5
1 in 29,000
Dwellings
Background
• Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (RRO) will
consolidate existing fire safety legislation, the person
responsible for premises is under duty to take general fire
precautions and to undertake a fire safety risk assessment
to safeguard safety of all people in case of fire at all times
• Same duty imposed on employers by the Fire Precautions
(Workplace) Regulations 1997
• Duty under the Order will be extended beyond workplaces
to include the majority of premises to which people have
access
• Order will be supported by a suite of eleven guidance
documents for the majority of premises under which the
order applies
RRO (Fire Safety) Guides
Guide
Use
Fire safety in offices and shops
All offices and retail premises
Fire safety in factories and warehouses
All factories and warehouse storage premises
Fire safety in premises providing sleeping
accommodation
All places where sleeping accommodation is provided, except hospitals, care homes, places of custody and single
private dwellings
Fire safety in premises providing residential
care
Suitable for all residential and nursing homes
Fire safety in educational premises
Teaching establishments ranging from crèches through to universities
Fire safety in small and medium places of
assembly
Public houses, clubs, restaurants and cafés, village halls, community centres, libraries, marquees, churches and
other places of worship or study accommodating up to 300 people
Fire safety in large places of assembly
Suitable for premises where more than 300 people could gather, eg shopping centres, large nightclubs, exhibition
and conference centres, sports stadia, marquees,museums, libraries, churches, cathedrals and other places of
worship or study
Fire safety in theatres and cinemas
Suitable for all theatres and cinemas
Fire safety at outdoor events
Suitable for all open air events, eg theme parks, zoos, music concerts, sporting events, fairgrounds and county
fairs
Fire safety in healthcare premises
All healthcare premises
Fire safety in the transport network
Suitable for all transportation terminals and interchanges, tunnels and sub-surface railways.
Guidance documents
Guidance documents
• Primarily aimed at the lay person, although can be used
by enforcers
• Guidance documents to be published prior to order
coming into effect
• Documents to be based on a template document (Offices
and Shops)
– Part 1 Fire risk assessment (5 Step process)
– Part 2 Further information on fire risk assessment and
fire precautions
– Appendices, providing further technical information
– 120 pages
Offices and Shops
Means of escape:
• Number of people
• Mobility Impaired People
• Protected corridor
• Exit widths/stair capacity
• Number of escape routes/exits
• Travel distance
• Lighting/signage
Evacuation strategy:
• Total simultaneous/phased
• Self evacuation
• Protected routes
Patient care areas
Means of escape:
• Number of patients
• Dependency of patients
• Number of staff
• Sub-/compartmentation
• Height above ground
• Number of escape routes/exits
• Travel distance
• Lighting/signage
Evacuation strategy:
• Progressive Horizontal Evacuation
• Staff assisted (bed) evacuation
• Protected refuge areas
Evacuation
Offices and shops:
• Total simultaneous/phased
• Self evacuation
• Protected routes
Hospitals:
• Progressive Horizontal Evacuation
• Staff assisted (bed) evacuation
• Protected/refuge areas
Part 1
Preface:
• Not prescriptive standards, but guidance
• Other fire risk assessment methods may be equally valid
• Other arrangements acceptable subject to equivalency
• Recent buildings acceptable subject to maintenance
• Not for use in designing new buildings or alternations
• Can be used to develop a fire strategy
Who should use the guide?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Employers
Managers
Responsible persons
Occupiers
Employees
Owners of premises and
Enforcers.
•
Less complex premises
-
•
More complex premises
-
no formal training or
experience
comprehensive training &
experience
Responsible person
• Responsible person – responsible for complying:
– Employer or
– Other person having control:
• Occupier or
• Owner
• ‘…requires fire precautions to be put in place “where
necessary” and to the extent that it is reasonable and
practicable in the circumstances of the case.’
• ‘…must carry out a fire risk assessment…of all “relevant
persons”.’
• Expected to work together if there is more than one.
Other duties under the order
Include:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Appoint ‘competent person’ to implement fire safety measures
Provide information to employees about risks and safeguards
Consult employees or their elected representatives
Provide parents with information on risks before employing a child
Inform non-employees about risks and fire safety procedures
Cooperate with all responsible persons in a premises
Provide an employer working in your premises with information
Provide others employees with instructions and information
If not an employer, ensure compliance in areas for which you have control
Consider the presence of dangerous substances and risk to persons
Establish suitable means for contacting the emergency services
Provide information, instruction and training to employees
Provide maintenance of fire-fighting, AFD, means of escape…etc
Employees cooperate
What is a fire risk assessment?
• Aims are:
– Identify fire hazards in the premises
– To reduce the risk of those hazards causing harm to as low as
reasonably practicable
– To decide which physical fire precautions and management policies are
necessary to ensure the safety of people in your building if a fire does start
• Definitions:
– Hazard:
– Risk:
– Responsible person:
– Competent person:
Anything that has the potential to cause
harm.
The change, high, normal or low, of harm
occurring.
Someone who has control of the premises
“Someone with enough training
and experience or knowledge and other
qualities.”
5 Step process
Step 1 Identify fire
hazards
Step 2 Identify people at risk
Step 3 Evaluate, remove, reduce and protect
Preventative measures
Evaluate the risk
Remove or reduce hazards
Remove or reduce the risks
to people
Protective measures
Detection and warning
Fire fighting
Escape routes & Lighting
Signs and notices
Maintenance
Step 4 Record, plan, instruct, inform
and train
Record significant findings and actions
Prepare an emergency plan
Inform relevant people…etc
Provide training
Step 5 Review
Keep assessment under review
Revise where necessary
Step 1
Identify fire hazards
Checklists:
• Fuels
• Ignition sources
• Oxygen
Much of fire risk assessment is common sense !
Eg Minimising hidden risks such as poor fire stopping
Step 2
Identify people at risk
Including:
• Patients, employees, visitors, contractors …etc
Especially:
• Employees who work alone
• People who are in isolated areas of the building
• People who are unfamiliar with the premises
• Patients who are dependent on staff
• Others who may be mobility impaired or disabled
• People who are not able to leave the premises quickly
Step 3
•
•
•
•
•
Evaluate the risks and take action
Evaluate the risks of a fire
starting
Evaluate the risk to people from
a fire starting somewhere in the
building
Remove or reduce the
hazards that may cause a fire
Remove or reduce risks to
people from a fire
Installation testing and
maintenance
Step 4 Record, plan, instruct, inform and train
•
•
•
•
Record significant findings and
action
Prepare an emergency plan
Inform, instruct, cooperate and
coordinate
Fire safety training
Step 1
Significant
findings of fire
hazards
Step 2
People who
are at risk
from the
hazards
Step 3
Remove or reduce the risk and
control measures to protect against
any residual risks
Step 4
Further action needed
Train, inform,
instruct and
coordinate
Deep fat fryer
in staff change
kitchen
Patients and
staff
Safety lid fitted, and fire blanket
provided
Staff not allowed to use
fat fryer until safety
training given.
High levels of
smoking in
bedrooms.
Patients and
staff
Automatic water fire suppression
system installed in bedrooms.
System maintained and
tested.
Step 5
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Review
Changes in work processes (including equipment)
Alterations to the building (including internal layout)
Substantial changes to furniture and fixings
Change to storage of hazardous substances
Failure of the fire precautions eg AFD, a fire door
Significant changes to stock quantities
The presence of people with different or specific disability
(including change of ward type)
Part 2
Further information on fire risk
assessment and fire precautions
Literature review of source and reference documents:
• Guides will make reference to other publications
• Part 2 is 80 pages
• Relevant guidance which will become defunct with the
introduction of the RRO will be reviewed with salient and
relevant points incorporated:
– Home Office guides
– HTM 86
Part 2
Further guidance on…
Sections:
1 Fire risks and prevention measures
2 Fire detection and warning systems
3 Fire-fighting equipment and facilities
4 Escape routes
5 Escape route lighting
6 Signs and notices
7 Recording , planning, informing and training
Appendices
A Review checklist
B Fire resisting separation, fire doors and door fastenings
C Historic buildings
D Glossary
E Nucleus fire precautions
References
Examples – Further guidance
1.13 Restricting the spread of fire and smoke:
“To reduce the risk to people if there is a fire, you need to consider how
to control or restrict the spread of fire and smoke”
Textiles and furniture
“Information on textiles and furniture is available in FIRECODE HTM 0503 Operational Requirements, Section 3 ‘Textiles and furnishings’.”
“The use of flame-retardant bedding, upholstered furniture and soft
furnishings will substantially reduce the fire risk “
HTM 86 Fire risk assessment in hospitals:
“Acceptable (SHTM 85 Standard)
The hazard is acceptable, if more than 75 % of all items of textiles and
furniture achieve the standard required in HTM 87, and there is an
agreed policy of planned replacement and maintenance to comply with
HTM 87 ‘Textiles and furniture’.”
• .
Examples – Further guidance
1.16 Arson:
• Outside well lit/secure perimeter fence, if practical
• Secure entry points, as appropriate
• Regularly remove combustible waste
• No skips adjacent to the building
• Encourage staff to challenge people acting suspiciously
• Remove automatic entry rights to previous staff
• Ensure that security and fire alarm are monitored/actioned
• Secure flammable liquids against use by intruders
• Fit secure metal letter boxes…etc
Examples – Further guidance
1.17
People especially at risk:
• Those at high risk include patients who have low mobility, alertness or
responsiveness, eg:
– Those who cannot walk, either with or without assistance;
– Those with learning difficulties;
– Those who suffer from mental illness.
•
Those at even higher risk include patients whose clinical treatment
and/or condition creates a high dependency on clinical staff, eg:
– Intensive therapy units;
– Special care baby units;
– Operating departments.
Examples – Further guidance
4 Further guidance on escape routes:
High risk features:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Patient dependency
Height above ground
Adjacent to high fire load departments
Poor overall management of the premises
Low numbers of trained staff on duty
Large protected areas
Poor fire resisting separation
Escape routes are long and poorly defined
Smoking is not controlled…etc
Medium and low risk features also listed.
Example - Further guidance
4.2
Typical building examples:
• Ground to second floor premises with high risk patients:
–
–
–
–
–
•
High level of observation or;
High standard of detection and alarm system or;
High number of staff on duty or;
An automatic suppression system or;
A combination of:
• Short travel distances and;
• A high degree of refuge and;
• Escape lighting throughout the ward and;
• Escape bed-lifts
…etc
Summary
• Regulatory Reform Order (Fire Safety) on the statute
books (2005)
• 11 New guidance documents to be published soon
• Healthcare guide:
– Extensive
– More fundamental approach, particularly to fire hazards
– Fire precautions ‘consistent’ with HTM 86 standards
• Expected to come into force October 2006
• Registers, training, schemes:
www.ife.org.uk www.abe.org.uk
IFE, ABE, BRE…
www.bre.co.uk
plan view
supply fan
to main extract fan
intumescent damper
ignition source
extract ducting
supply ducting
smoke
detectors
bedside
visitor's locker
chairs
door
bedside
locker
patient
chairs
bed
window
patient's
lockers
2.9m
bed
7.3m
side elevation
supply fan
extract duct
intumescent damper
ignition source
visitor's
chairs
bed
patient's
chairs
bed
supply
branch
patient's
locker
window
plastic
visitor's
chairs
main
supply
duct
smoke
detectors
plastic
visitor's
chairs
bedside
locker
bed
patient's
chairs
5.7m
bed
7.3m
Figure 1 - Full-scale test rig for hospital ward smoke damper tests
patient's
locker