Hold fire: Fire risk assessment Q&A

Transcription

1 Hold fire: Fire risk assessment Q&A Making the right fire safety decisions in your business

2 INTRODUCTION Navigating the perils of fire safety The risk of fire is a serious threat to safety. Fortunately, the statistical chances of being caught in a fire remain low. But, just because you would be unlucky to experience a fire doesn t mean you can ignore the possibility. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 was designed to align fire safety legislation to suit the need of modern businesses. Essentially the reforms regulate fire safety only where necessary to relieve unnecessary burdens. Under the Order in non-domestic premises, those responsible for fire safety are known as responsible persons. However, a responsible person may feel it is more appropriate to entrust fire safety to a competent person from a reputable service provider that employs professional career fire safety experts. In this guide through a simple Q&A we help businesses navigate the perils of fire risk assessment. We provide you with an overview of discharging the responsibilities of a responsible person and highlight the benefits of working with a security company that has a team of fire safety experts to eliminate uncertainty and ensure your fire precautions are up to scratch. Page 2

3 Q1. Who are responsible persons? A responsible person may typically be: An employer The owner The landlord An occupier A responsible person may also be anyone else with control of the premises, e.g. a facilities manager, building manager, managing agent or risk assessor. If there s more than one responsible person, they must work together to meet their responsibilities. Q2. What are the obligations of a responsible person? Responsible persons have a range of duties to perform. This includes: Carrying fire risk assessments and reviewing them regularly Telling staff about any risks identified Provide and maintain appropriate fire safety measures Make plans for emergencies Make information about fire safety instruction and training available to staff Q3. Which premises are covered by the Fire Safety Order? All non-domestic premises are in scope of the Fire Safety Order Non-domestic premises are defined as: All workplaces and commercial premises All premises the public have access to Page 3

4 Q4. Who is responsible if a building is shared with other businesses? In shared premises it is likely that there is more than one responsible person. Fire safety planning needs to be coordinated to make sure people on or around the premises are safe. For common or shared areas, the responsible person is the landlord, freeholder or managing agent. Q5. Where should new businesses or those new to the role of responsible person start? Fire safety starts and ends with the fire risk assessment. Just because your environment may have a fire alarm, extinguishers and blankets or some emergency lighting, don t assume everything is OK. Whether your business is a start-up moving into a vacant office; or someone is assuming the role of responsible person in an existing organisation, the best advice is to undertake and complete a written fire risk assessment. Q6. What level of detail is involved when making a fire risk assessment? Fire risk assessment goes into a significant level of detail. As would be expected of a process that is ultimately designed to protect people from harm, it is quite involved and covers the following areas: Providing information and fire safety training to employees Providing information to people that may visit the premises The needs of vulnerable people, such as the elderly, the young or those with disabilities Emergency routes and exits An emergency fire evacuation plan Fire detection and warning systems Fire-fighting equipment Removal or safe storage of dangerous substances Page 4

5 Q7. How long does a fire risk assessment take? A responsible person, new to the role is going to have to do some reading up to get up to speed. Someone who has done one before may have to refresh. This is before any inspecting or writing gets done. An experienced, professionally certified fire risk assessor may take a day to inspect and write up a report. For a responsible person without the appropriate skill set, undertaking fire risk assessment of the same environment is likely to require twice as long and probably longer. Q8. Why isn t fire risk assessment just a straight forward box ticking exercise? The process of fire risk assessment is often interpretive and there is a degree of subjectivity attached to it. Two experienced and trained fire risk assessors may have different opinions on a given point. For those without training, certification and experience in performing fire risk assessment, interpretation of the regulations may be doubly difficult and this may lead to uncertainties around compliance. Uncertainty could mean inadequate fire safety, enforcement action or harm should a fire break out. Q9. What happens if a business fails to comply with the rules? Local fire and rescue authority visit premises to check whether fire risk assessment and fire prevention measures are appropriate. Fire safety officers should help with understanding and compliance with the rules. If they believe fire safety measures aren t adequate a sliding scale of enforcement actions may be taken. They can issue: An informal notice suggesting safety measures A formal fire safety notice telling you how to fix the problems described in the notice, including: - An alterations notice is appropriate if premises have high safety risks or will have high safety risks if the use of the premises changes - An enforcement notice is appropriate wherever the fire and rescue authority finds serious risks that are not being managed - A prohibition notice takes immediate effect if the fire and rescue authority thinks access to your premises needs to be prohibited or restricted because the fire risk is significant An appeal may be made against formal fire safety notices within 21 days of receiving a notice Penalties range from 5,000 up to unlimited fines and up to 2 years in prison Page 5

6 Q10. What is Fire Safety Management? Fire Safety Management is a service that enables businesses to take control of managing fire safety risks. The service offers a complete solution to performing fire risk assessments, producing the necessary documentation and providing the installation of any fire safety equipment such as extinguishers or lighting, and provision for training, etc. Fire Safety Management may be especially appealing if the expertise is available from a supplier that provides other essential services to your business. Companies which offer fire alarm services as part of a portfolio of security services are a natural candidate to relieve the burden of fire risk assessment and its related obligations. Q11. What are the costs of Fire Safety Management services? The risks of inadequate fire safety, enforcement action, and the unthinkable consequences of a fire breaking out are pretty compelling and it is well worth considering professional Fire Safety Management services. A competent professional fire risk assessor is able to complete the process much more quickly and eliminate the uncertainty that may result when fire risk assessment is carried out by a responsible person. In relative terms, a professional fire risk assessment by a competent practitioner may actually cost less than the time that needs to be given up away from core business duties by the responsible person(s). Q12. How do you recognise the best Fire Safety Management service providers? Voluntary regulation means the fire safety business is unregulated. This leaves room for well-intentioned one man bands with limited resources. It also provides an opportunity for cowboy operators. As a result the quality of fire safety services is likely to vary. Look for the credentials of the company and its employees. The most experienced fire risk assessors are likely to have a background in the fire and rescue services. Such a background often means they have first-hand experience of firefighting and have been fully trained in fire prevention. Page 6

7 SUMMARY Why select ic2 as your Fire Safety Management service provider? ic2 is a leading mid-market CCTV provider and was established in The business is owned and managed by a team with a collective experience of over 100 years in the electronic security business. ic2 holds CCTV and security accreditations with NSI and BSI. The increasing integration of electronic security and fire alarms means Fire Safety Management services are a natural extension of our business. The high standards we apply to electronic security are applied to our Fire Safety Management services. Our fire risk assessment team consists of committed career fire safety professionals. Training and experience gained during many years with the fire and rescue service means the team is highly motivated, having seen the often devastating aftermath of fire and its effect on people and business. A prestigious client list including luxury international boutique brands, top flight sporting venues, retail developments and educational and social environments demonstrates how solutions are deployed to meet a variety of requirements. From deterring theft of high value luxury goods, to fan and public safety and child protection, solutions are deployed to meet a range legitimate purposes for which they are appropriate and fit for purpose. Page 7

8 REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING Fire safety in the workplace GOV.UK Fire safety advice Fire Industry Association Appropriate response: A guide to security system integration, monitoring and verification ic2 CCTV and Security Specialists (UK) Ltd T: E: info@ic2cctv.com W: About Us Keeping you safe and secure at all times ic2 provide you with innovative solutions tailored to you and your sector. We are London-based with a national team of surveyors and engineers that work closely with our clients throughout the UK and internationally. Our unique consultative approach allows us to tailor bespoke systems to your individual requirements, ensuring that your operational requirements are met. We appreciate the need to demonstrate the best value to you every time and as a technology-led company, you can expect our cutting-edge and ground-breaking approach to serve your needs for many years to come. Please feel free to contact us to discuss any requirements you may have. We are happy to give you impartial advice, should you have any queries. Disclaimer: E&OE. ic2 CCTV Ltd. accepts no liability whatsoever from use of the information contained in this document. Content provided for information purposes only. Advisory notice: Should there be any doubt about your obligations and responsibilities, ic2 CCTV Ltd. recommends specialist advice should be sought on all matters relating to fire safety.