Introduction to Fire Safety Management

Directors and senior managers often carry out the
function of the top-level executive. In order to achieve
this, directors and senior managers will need to establish
the policy and put in place and monitor the detailed
organisation and arrangements section of the safety
policy.
As the top level of management, directors and senior
managers are responsible for putting in place arrangements
to support a positive safety culture including:
➤ Establishing the methods of management control
throughout the organisation
➤ Securing effective cooperation between individuals,
safety representatives and groups
➤ Ensuring effective communication throughout the
organisation is maintained
➤ Facilitating and monitoring the necessary individual
and organisational competencies.
BS 5588 Part 12 (fi re safety management) confi rms current
‘best practice’ when it argues that fi re safety management
is best achieved through the appointment of
a single individual who is made responsible for all fi re
safety matters within the organisation. Experience shows
that where the responsibility for fi re safety management
is spread throughout an organisation, break down in
communication and control results in the ineffectual management
of fi re safety. BS 5588 confi rms the view that if
the role of the manager responsible for fi re safety is illdefi
ned the standard of management is likely to be poor.
As previously discussed senior managers and
directors have specifi c personal liabilities placed upon
them by the HSWA and the RRFSO. Section 37 of the
HSWA and Article 32(8) RRFSO allow that, in addition to
the liability of a corporate body to be prosecuted for a
breach of statutory duty, an individual manager may also
be prosecuted for the same offence.
In its own guidance the HSE advise that the health
and safety duties of the board are to:
➤ Review the health and safety performance of the
organisation regularly (at least annually)
➤ Ensure that the health and safety policy statement
refl ects current board priorities
➤ Ensure that the management systems provide for
effective monitoring and reporting of the organisation’s
health and safety performance
➤ Be kept informed about any signifi cant health and
safety failures, and of the outcome of the investigations
into their causes
➤ Ensure that the board addresses the health and
safety implications of all the board decisions
➤ Ensure that health and safety risk management
systems are in place and remain effective. Periodic
Organising for safety
audits can provide information on their operation
and effectiveness.
The above issues can easily and succinctly be adapted
to meet fi re safety needs of an organisation.
3.2.4 Middle managers and supervisors
The role of middle managers and supervisors will normally
be centred on implementing the detailed arrangements
for all functions of the organisation, including
health and safety.
Although used in the HSWA and supporting ACoPs
and guidance, the term supervisor is becoming increasingly
redundant. The HSE, recognising that the term
‘supervisor’ can give a negative impression of an overly
autocratic role, acknowledges the alternative role of ‘team
leader’.
Whichever term is applied, middle managers and
team leaders have a key role to play implementing health
and safety policies. Their roles are likely to include:
➤ Providing information, training, instruction and supervision
for those staff they have responsibility for
➤ Providing technical input to the formulation of
polices and work practices
➤ Providing feedback to senior management on the
effectiveness of health and safety policies and their
implementation.
3.2.5 The competent safety adviser (safety
assistance)
Both Article 18 of the RRFSO and Regulation 7 of the
MHSW Regulations require that the responsible person
and/or the employer appoint one or more competent
persons to assist him undertaking the measures he
needs to take to comply with the requirements imposed
upon him under the relevant statutory provisions.
This is an absolute legal duty to appoint one or
more persons who have adequate knowledge, training,
experience or other qualities to enable them to assist the
responsible person and/or the employer discharge their
legal duties.
In deciding who and how many persons to appoint
as competent advisers the employer/RP must take into
account:
➤ Nature and scope of work activities and the size of
the undertaking/premises
➤ The work involved
➤ The principles of risk assessment and prevention
➤ Any current legislation and standards
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