Introduction to Fire Safety Management

Communication is defi ned as:
The imparting, conveying, sharing and
exchange of ideas, knowledge and
information.
Inputs Internal flow Outputs
Figure 4.3 Diagram of effective organisational communications
Inputs
The fi rst step of effective safety management is to formulate
policy. It is vital for good sources of information to be
readily available and to be used when developing safety
policies and practices. This can only be achieved if an
organisation monitors the changes of health and safety
legislation together with any associated guidance; developments
in technology that are relevant to risk control
systems; and the application of good management practices
that have been demonstrated to enhance safety
performance.
Internal fl ow of information
The type of information that has to be communicated
internally includes:
➤ The health and safety policy and practices
➤ The level of commitment by senior management
to the policy and its implementation
➤ What the safety objectives are and how they are to
be achieved
➤ How performance is to be measured and the outcome
of that measurement
➤ The outcome of the investigation of any safety
events including fi re incidents and personal injury
accidents or near misses and false alarms.
There is a wide range of methods for communicating
safety information within an organisation. Successful
managers will adopt suffi cient methods to ensure that
safety information is widely known and understood.
Key to effective internal communication is the visible
behaviour of senior managers; the quality of written
information and face to face discussion.
Managers will need to lead by example, for instance
if there is a requirement for fi re doors to be closed in
specifi ed locations on site, senior managers will always
be seen closing them. Similarly if the policy of the
organisation is to encourage the active participation of
employees the senior managers’ behaviour will refl ect
that policy in their dealings with staff.
Senior managers will also take an active interest in
safety matters and be directly involved in, for example,
Safety culture
taking part in fi re safety tours of the workplace, chairing
safety committee meetings, being actively involved in
safety event investigations and responding positively to
suggestions made by staff.
As important as the visible behaviour of senior
managers is the information that is communicated in
writing. In many cases there is a legal duty to produce
written documentation, for example there is a requirement
to have a written health and safety policy and
written records of the signifi cant fi ndings of fi re risk
assessments (see Chapters 1 and 2). What is absolutely
crucial is that written communication is clear, concise
and understood by those it is provided for.
Examples of the range of written
communication:
➤ Policy documents
➤ Notices
➤ Posters
➤ Newsletters
➤ Electronic information via e-mails or
intranet
➤ Handouts at training programmes.
In addition to formal written policies, successful
organisations will use a range of other media to
communicate the safety information. The information
may be supported with photographs, diagrams and
cartoons. It will also be provided at strategic locations in
the workplace that is convenient to view and be provided
in a language that will be understood in the workplace.
The language used in some cases will be other than
English, particularly when the workforce is composed of
differing nationalities. Written communication may also
need to use the relevant vernacular to gain acceptance
and understanding of the target work group.
A key component, for instance, with regard to
communicating fi re safety arrangements is the need
to provide safety signage to direct people along an
emergency escape route. In this case the written
communication takes the form of internationally
recognised pictograms.
The provision of some very specifi c information for
employees is required by current UK legislation (see
‘Summary of key legal requirements’ at the rear of the
book). The main requirement is for the employer to
display prominently an approved poster or to issue each
employee with a leafl et.
The poster and the leafl et contain the relevant
information relating to the HSWA, and providing the
name and contact address of the relevant enforcing
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