WHARFEDALE BABIES
Health and Safety
3.4 Fire safety and emergency evacuation
Policy Statement
We ensure our premises present no risk of fire by ensuring the highest possible standard of fire
precautions. The person in charge and staff are familiar with the current legal requirements. Where
necessary we seek the advice of a competent person, such as our Fire Officer, or a Fire Safety
Consultant.
Procedures

The basis of fire safety is risk assessment checks. These are carried out by the Fire Safety
Officer.

The proprietor has received training in fire safety sufficient to be competent to carry out risk
assessment. The Fire Risk Assessment Record is part of this policy. This will follow the
guidance as set out in the Fire Safety Risk Assessment – Educational Premises document.
The premises are checked annually and any minor amendments recorded in a letter. The
document is only amended where there are major changes.

Fire doors are clearly marked, never obstructed and easily opened from the inside.

We maintain appropriate fire detection and control equipment.

Fire fighting appliances conform to BSEN standards, are fitted in appropriate high risk areas of
the building and are checked as specified by the manufacturer.

Our emergency evacuation procedures are approved by the Fire Safety Officer and are:

clearly displayed in the premises;

explained to new members of staff, volunteers and parents; and

practised throughout every term, once on each day of the week, to ensure all children and
staff know what to do.

Records are kept of fire drills, in the back of the Fire Checks book

Records are kept of the servicing of fire safety equipment.
Emergency evacuation procedure
Our procedures for practice drills:

Familiarise the children with the sound of the whistle.

Explain and show the children which door to use to get out.

Make sure staff are clear about how to lead the children from the building to the assembly
point – ask the older children to hold hands with a partner, if there are non-walking children
in nursery then each member of staff carries one each (two if necessary).

The nursery manager collects the phone, the Visitors’ Book and the register file containing
the parents details/emergency contact numbers and emergency numbers for staff. She
also checks that everyone has been evacuated from the front porch and toilet, the
staffroom, the children’s toilet and the playground. In addition the nursery manager times
how long it takes to evacuate the building.

The cook takes the key for the lock on the garden gate and after helping to take the
children to the assemble point, starts to evacuate babies in the prams from the front
garden.

The assembly point is the grassed area to the left of the main gate in our car park.

Account for children, staff and visitors using the register and Visitors’ Book..
In the event of a real fire the nursery manager:

Ensures the safe evacuation from the nursery (including the playground and garden)

Phones the fire brigade if it cannot be extinguished with a fire blanket or fire extinguisher.

Phones the Principal.

Phones the parents to collect the children if there is no way the nursery can continue to
operate that day.

Phones any staff emergency numbers if required.
The fire drill record book contains:

Date and time of the drills

How long they took.

Whether there were any problems that delayed evacuation.

Any further action to be taken to improve the drill procedure.
Legal framework

Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2005/20051541.htm
Further guidance

Fire Safety Risk Assessment - Educational Premises ( HMG 2006)
www.communities.gov.uk/publications/fire/firesafetyrisk6
Review of Policy:
We will monitor our progress and review this policy annually.