Introduction to Fire Safety Management

Consultation and the arrangements for gathering
information from workers and their representatives are
particularly important if adaptation to the individual is
to be addressed as part of the principles of control to
prevent human error.
6.3 The hierarchy of risk control
measures
The principles of control outlined above provide a basis
from which to consider the adequacy of existing control
measures, both those already in place and those that
are likely to be required. The principles themselves do
not provide a hierarchy from which to assist confi rmation
that the risks have been reduced so far as is reasonably
practicable, neither do they establish a hierarchy of
which control or series of controls to use.
The following is a summary of the preferred hierarchy
of risk control principles as outlined in the HSE publication
HSG65 as they relate to general health and safety.
Eliminate risk by substituting the dangerous for the
less dangerous, e.g.:
➤ Use less hazardous substances
➤ Substitute a type of machine that has a better
guarding system to make the same product
➤ Avoid the use of certain processes entirely perhaps
by contracting out.
Combat risks at source by engineering controls and
giving collective protective measures priority, e.g.:
➤ Separate the operator from the risk of exposure to a
hazardous substance by fully enclosing the process
➤ Protect the dangerous parts of a machine by
guarding
➤ Design process machinery and work activities to
minimise the release, or to suppress or contain, airborne
hazards (LEV)
➤ Design machinery to be operated remotely and to
which materials are fed automatically, thus separating
the operator from danger areas such as moving
blades, etc.
Minimise risk by:
➤ Designing suitable systems of working
➤ Using personal protective clothing and equipment;
this should only be used as a last resort.
HSG65’s hierarchy refl ects that risk elimination and the
use of physical engineering controls and safeguards to
control risk can be more reliably managed rather than
General principles of control
those that rely solely on people, particularly when they
are prone to error.
The hierarchy shown above relates to the management
of occupational safety and health issues, the hier -
archy is very often extended slightly following a very
similar layout enabling the effective management of both
the primary and secondary fi re hazards to be considered.
The hierarchy is shown below:
Elimination
Substitution
Reduction
Isolation
Control
Personal protective equipment
Discipline (personal, signage, etc.)
Figure 6.2 The hierarchy of risk control measures
6.3.1 Elimination
The most effective way of managing risk – removing an
entire process, task or activity eliminates the risk entirely.
Perhaps changing a process that requires heat via a
naked fl ame to a cold process may be possible given the
technological advancement made over recent years. With
regard to fi re risk management elimination can only effectively
be used to manage primary fi re hazards although if
it can be used effectively it will have an impact on managing
the secondary fi re hazards. On many occasions it
is not possible to stop undertaking a process and thus
an alternative control measure or selection of control
measures from within the hierarchy must be considered.
6.3.2 Substitution
The replacement of a high risk hazard, such as a solventbased
paint, with that of a risk-free or low risk alternative
such as a water-based paint. A further example would
be the use of battery powered hand tools as a substitute
for 220/240 volt electrical tools which possess greater
fi re risks not to mention slip/trip risks from the cables.
6.3.3 Reduction
Reducing can take a number of forms such as the
reduction in the numbers of persons exposed to the
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