Introduction to Fire Safety Management

Introduction to Fire Safety Management
The plant affecting the primary hazards or one or more
control measures such as:
➤ Heating systems (oil to electrical)
➤ Air handling circulatory units affecting the possible
movement of smoke and smoke control
➤ Introduction/removal of equipment that may produce
static electricity.
The procedures in place:
➤ Refuelling, plant isolations, etc.
➤ Emergency response arrangements
➤ Fire plan.
The work processes:
➤ Introduction of or removal of hot work operations
➤ Introduction of powder coating processes or those
that may generate dust
➤ Addition or reduction in the use of fl ammable substances
or LPG.
In addition changes to legislation, the results of investigations
into fi res or false alarms, or enforcement action
may also establish a need to review and revise the fi re
risk assessment.
Where intermediate control measures are introduced
such as the provision of additional fi re wardens/security
teams to cover for a lack of fi re warning/detection
systems, the fi re risk assessment should be reviewed
regularly to ensure that any such intermediate control
measures remain effective.
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The enforcement agencies also consider that
regular reviews of assessments are undertaken
as a matter of course; such reviews are
likely to be included in an overall annual review
into the effectiveness of the safety management
system, which should be reported to
the board or senior management team or an
organisation.
14.3.4 The emergency plan
The completed fi re risk assessment will form the basis
for producing the emergency plan (see Chapter 5). The
plan must be made available to all employees, their representatives
(where appointed), other employers (in a
multi-occupied building) and the enforcing authority.
The purpose of producing an emergency plan is to
establish a formal management system that will ensure
that the premises can be safely evacuated and to
communicate its contents so that the people who may
come into the building know what to do if there is a fi re.
As in the case of written risk assessments, if an
employer employs fi ve or more persons, details of the
emergency plan must be recorded. In addition, if the
premises are licensed or an alterations notice requiring an
emergency plan is in force, then details of the emergency
plan must also be recorded.
Figure 14.7 Emergency fi re plan
In multi-occupied, larger and more complex
premises, the emergency plan will need to be
more detailed to refl ect the fi ndings of the fi re
risk assessment. Where the building is multioccupied
it should also have been compiled
following consultation with other occupiers,
employers and other responsible persons,
e.g. owners who have control over the building,
who have themselves completed a fi re
risk assessment.
In the majority of cases a single emergency
plan covering the whole of a multi-occupied
building will be necessary if the emergency
plan is to be effective.
It is therefore recommended that one
responsible person is nominated to coordinate
the task.
Note: The provision of fi re action notices and a basic fi re
safety training programme should meet the emergency
planning needs of a small premise with normal or low
risk rating.