Carrying Out A Fire Risk Assessment

Carrying Out A Fire Risk Assessment

It is essential to carry out a fire risk assessment. When a building or facility is being constructed the same should be continuously reviewed, evaluated as well as updated. Also, it assists in recognising and measuring hazards and risks associated with fire. Therefore, the organisation can decide whether the identified risks are acceptable or additional control measures are required.

A fire risk assessment is a methodical and scheduled investigation of your premises, performed in order to ascertain the fire risks and safety levels of your surroundings. The elements of this assessment are carried out in order to highlight the likelihood of a fire starting and the harm it could cause in certain circumstances to those in and around the area. The main aims of the assessment are to:

• Identify – Any potential fire risks and hazards (sources of ignition, fuel etc).
• Reduce – Those risks to a level that is as low as reasonably possible.
• Evaluate – What precautions need to be put in place to ensure the safety of those in and around your premises (escape routes, lighting, training etc).

A well trained professional who has good experience and knowledge of fire safety should carry out the fire risk assessment.

A fire risk assessment follows the 5 steps of a standard risk assessment.

1. Identify the hazards

• oxygen sources;
• fuel sources; and
• ignition sources

Decreasing ignition sources:

SMOKING

It is essential to have a ‘no smoking’ sign in every workplace. Any designated outdoor location where smoking cigarettes are allowed must be of a low fire risk design. In addition, they must be kept away from any flammable or combustible products and supplied with metal ashtrays full of sand.

Bring the smoking regulations to the focus of all employees as well as site visitors. Show the appropriate indications, specifically in common areas such as canteens as well as site access points.

PLANT AND EQUIPMENT

Also, consideration should be offered to the storage space of plant and tools concerning fire threat. Select plant, both electrical and engine driven, to prevent it from getting too hot throughout its usage, particularly in dirty conditions.

Preserve all plant appropriately and, specifically, air filters need to be cleaned on a regular basis in dirty conditions. Position the vents well so that the air is without combustible gases as well as vapours.

Portable fuelled generators in your home or in confined locations provide a power source for heating and other equipment. However, this can put workers at risk of serious diseases as well as death from carbon monoxide poisoning. This danger is present from the exhaust fumes of any combustion engine. Consequently,  care needs to be taken to prevent using various devices such as pressure washers, disc cutters, flooring brushes and also chainsaws.

ELECTRICAL INSTALLATIONS

Electrical instalments, must be developed, installed, checked and maintained by competent personnel.

Some common electric faults for fire threats include:

• cord laid or near combustible material, frequently in roofing and also ceiling voids
• use of flat twin as well as earth cable as expansion leads as opposed to appropriate versatile cable
• overloading of outlets in site accommodation

Decreasing potential fuel sources:

Harmful substances can put people’s safety at risk from fire and explosion. Employers must:

• prepare plans to take care of accidents, incidents and emergencies involving hazardous substances
• discover what dangerous materials exist in their workplace and what the fire risks are
• identify areas in the office where fire may take place and look out for ignition sources in those locations
• have control measures in place to either get rid of those risks or, where this is not possible, control them
• put controls in position to reduce the impacts of any incidents involving unsafe materials
• ensure employees are correctly informed and educated to handle the threats from the unsafe materials

2. Protect Vulnerable Members Of Staff

All facility / building occupants and visitors are vulnerable should a fire occur. However, some people are considered to be at greater risk than others, due to their age, health or mobility. Examples of high-risk people include apprentices under the age of 18, pregnant members of staff, and those with a disability or limited mobility. So that the entire workforce is protected, a special action plan should be included to evacuate all at-risk people in the case of an emergency. Some people may need special assistance and this should be accounted for when creating your fire safety plan.

3. Evaluate the risks and the adequacy of the control measures

Fire prevention: Presence of oxygen, fuel and ignition sources and their proximity to each other.

Fire protection: Control measures to prevent fires from starting and  spreading (housekeeping, hot work permits-to-work, protected electrical equipment, anti-static footwear, compartmentation, etc.)

FIRE PRECAUTIONS:

• means of fire / smoke detection
• contacting the fire / rescue services and safe assembly
• means of raising the alarm
• ways of fighting the fire (fixed and portable fire fighting equipment such as, hoses, sprinklers, extinguishers, blankets, etc.)
• means of escape (doors, routes, emergency lighting and signs)

MANAGEMENT ISSUES:

• emergency plan (building zones, assembly points and fire marshal / wardens)
• staff and contractor training and instruction (including marshals / wardens, practice fire evacuation, fire awareness, etc.)
• fire inspections (housekeeping, equipment, etc.)
• maintenance of equipment (electrical and gas equipment, fire detection, warning, fighting, etc.)

4. Prevent Enforcement Notices, Fines And Legal Penalties

As a Responsible Person, you are legally obliged to carry out a risk assessment and create an Emergency Plan. This should be codified as a written document and the appropriate training carried out so it can be implemented at short notice.

The Fire and Rescue Service may carry out a fire audit on your premises at any time. They will expect to see a clear Emergency Plan that demonstrates compliance with the Fire Safety Order. If you fail to show this, then they may impose an Enforcement Notice, requiring you to make changes. In the case of a serious breach, they may issue a Prohibition Notice barring you from the use of your building until changes are made.

An Enforcement Notice is an extremely serious business. Depending on the required changes, you will have around 28 days to comply with the demands. Failure to do this may result in a prosecution.

In addition, the Responsible Person is deemed to be personally, criminally liable for failure to comply with an Enforcement Notice. A successful prosecution could bring personal fines and imprisonment of up to 2 years.

5. Service & Maintenance

You must ensure all existing equipment is kept in working order, and checked at regular intervals by a competent person.  One way of achieving this is by using a third party accredited company to carry out these checks.

Here is a quick list of necessities that must also be in place as part of your fire risk assessment procedure:

• Employees and all relevant persons must be made aware of the relevant information and the risks identified by the assessment. They must also be made aware of the measures you take to prevent such risks and how these measures will protect your employees in the event of a fire.
• Employees need to be consulted and a handful of them nominated to carry out specific roles in connection to your fire safety proposals.
• If employing children you must provide their parents with clear information on the fire risks as identified in your assessment. You must also make them aware of the measures you plan to put in place.
• All non-employees and temporary site workers/visitors must be made aware of the relevant risks and the fire safety procedures behind them.
• You must take into consideration the presence of dangerous substances and the risks they present to your premises in the event of a fire.
• A suitable method of contacting emergency services must be established.
• Appropriate information and training must be provided to employees the moment they begin working for your company and then periodically after that.
• All fire-fighting equipment and detectors should be properly and periodically maintained by a competent person in an efficient manner.
• All emergency escape routes should be highlighted clearly and maintained regularly.