Introduction to Fire Safety Management

Introduction to Fire Safety Management
➤ Being exposed to fi re or explosion while undertaking
fi re fi ghting action
➤ Coming into contact with live electrical equipment
due to degradation of wiring during a fi re
➤ Coming into contact with moving machinery while
trying to shut down in the event of an emergency
➤ Being struck by a moving vehicle while evacuating
➤ Being assaulted by a person panicking in the event
of a fi re.
The above list identifi es risks that may also need to
be taken into account during the risk assessment process.
The health risks, as previously mentioned (Chapter 5),
also include the short- and long-term effects of coming
into contact with chemicals and biological agents and
must also include the potential for harm from psychological
effects such as occupational stress, post-traumatic or
critical incident stress disorders for those involved in a fi re
situation.
Many of the above issues may well not fi nd
themselves recorded in a building specifi c fi re risk
assessment record, neither should they if in the opinion
of the risk assessor they present an insignifi cant risk.
However, an assessment of each should be made and
where required additional control measures considered
and implemented and records of such assessments kept.
It may also be appropriate once the hazards have
been identifi ed that a review of the inventories and risk
assessment strategy takes place, to ensure that the
hazards that pose a signifi cant threat are reprioritised
accordingly.
Groups/persons at risk
To ensure that the risk assessment record meets the
required standards it must identify the persons or groups
of persons who may be at risk, particularly as a number
of control measures may be specifi c to these groups of
people, e.g. hearing impaired persons will need to be
provided with an alternative to an audible warning device.
A defi nitive list of those that should be considered
can be found in Chapter 5. It is, however, generally the
case that any persons who may be on a premises are
likely to be at risk in the event of fi re but specifi c groups
may be more at risk as indicated in the preceding
paragraph. The mechanisms for recording those persons
at risk are also wide and varied; however, it is often the
case that those groups that are more at risk due to a
specifi c circumstance are clearly identifi ed.
Such groups of people may include the following:
➤ Those directly involved with work within a facility,
who may be working in a remote area such as a tank
or vessel that could be diffi cult to evacuate from
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➤ Contractors working on plant under noisy conditions
such as air conditioning units in a roof plant room,
who may not hear the alarm
➤ Visitors including those using meeting rooms who
may be unfamiliar with the fi re safety management/
escape routes
➤ Members of the public particularly in large places of
assembly such as shopping centres who may have
no knowledge of where to go and what to do in the
event of an emergency
➤ Young persons and children and their parents/
guardians who may attempt to fi nd them if they are
separated (e.g. crèche facility in a sports centre)
➤ Those with physical impairments or sensory impairment
that may prevent awareness or response, due
to their condition. It should also be noted that such
conditions may be temporary as in the case of a
broken leg
➤ Pregnant/nursing mothers who may be more susceptible
to physical/mental stresses that could be
affected by the need to undertake an emergency
evacuation.
Evaluating existing control measures (workplace
precautions and risk control systems)
It is unlikely that a building or premises will have no
controls in place for the management of fi re, it is therefore
essential when evaluating the level of fi re risk that
any such controls are analysed and included in a risk
assessment record. Having identifi ed and recorded the
current controls that are in place and any shortcomings
they may have, analysis of residual risk can be made.
Example. A fi re detection system has been
installed to meet current British Standards
and guidance by a competent installation
company, but is not being subject to regular
testing, inspection and maintenance; it may
therefore not operate when most needed. The
risk in relation to the system being unable to
give a warning in the event of fi re (to ensure
that those within the building can respond
and evacuate safely) has not been reduced to
the lowest level reasonably practicable and
will therefore need to be addressed.
A quantum of the level of risk (likelihood severity)
will refl ect the current controls in place, which in the
case of the example above may rate a medium risk if a
qualitative analysis is applied (see Chapter 5). The risk
assessment record should then identify controls that