The Association for Specialist Fire Protection Fire Risk Assessment, Ensuring That It Is Suitable And Sufficient Niall Rowan Technical Officer Association for Specialist Fire Protection
Fire risk assessment - Ensuring it is suitable and sufficient Niall Rowan Technical Officer Association for Specialist Fire Protection
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (and national equivalents) Best thing since sliced bread? Yes, No, Yes, No, Yes...erm Maybe What are the issues surrounding the legislation?
DIY Risk Based Legislation? Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 The Fire safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006, The Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 (sections 53-59) The Fire Safety Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010 General Applications Regulations 2007 under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, Fire Services Acts 1981 & 2003 (Ireland)
DIY MOT?
Can you imagine the Carnage?
D.I.Y Manuals 5-step checklist Making your premises safe Do you have paying guests? Fire Risk Assessment - Offices & Shops Fire Risk Assessment - Sleeping accommodation Fire Risk Assessment - Educational premises Fire Risk Assessment - Healthcare premises Fire Risk Assessment - Theatres, cinemas and similar premises Fire Risk Assessment - Factories and warehouses Fire Risk Assessment - Transport premises and facilities And many more
Fire Risk Assessors What do they look like?
And the big names get it wrong
The Dial Hotel and Market Inn, Mansfield 2 Pubs with hotel rooms above 1 x 9 rooms 1 x 6 rooms There was no fire Responsible Person and Fire Risk Assessor both prosecuted under the Order
Inspection by Fire & Rescue Service Common sense breaches : Locked exits Blocked stairways Inadequate Fire Doors Non maintained fire alarm Non maintained extinguishers Non maintained emergency lighting
Result of the prosecution? David Liu Responsible Person 8 months prison (down from 12 due to guilty plea) and 15,000 fine Emergency lighting John O Rourke Fire Risk Assessor 8 months prison (due to guilty plea) 5,862 fine Wholly unsatisfactory risk assessment Failure to use relevant guidance
We all want it Good, Cheap & Fast
Innovative solutions to selling risk assessments Rats the way to do it!
Assessments that are out of this world
OK so what is suitable and sufficient?
OK so what is suitable and sufficient? Use a Competent Person then?
What does Competent look like? conscious incompetent competent A unconscious Z
What does Competent look like? conscious Apprentice Journeyman incompetent competent Novice Master unconscious
The FRACC criteria An understanding of the relevant current best fire safety practices in premises of the type in question An awareness of the limitations of the fire risk assessor s own experience and knowledge A willingness and ability to supplement existing experience and knowledge, when necessary, by obtaining external help and advice
How do I achieve competence? Experience Training Education
1 st and 2 nd Party Registers
EN 45011 schemes (quality assurance)
BAFE SP 205
How do I choose?
Some numbers Over 100 training providers in UK Varying standards FPA has trained in the region of 800 Four main Fire Risk Assessor Registers More will come with take up of BAFE 2005
OK so what is suitable and sufficient?
Advice from the prosecutor Know the legislation Know the guidance documents Qualifications/Training/CPD Competency Beware of precedents/templates Be premises specific Keep up to date Get experience
Summary Assessor must be competent Varies with the circumstances/premises Only use a consultant who is on a register Avoid checklists other than for simple premises Record the assessment Review the assessment RPs - Act on the assessment
Niall Rowan - Technical Officer Association for Specialist Fire Protection niall.rowan@asfp.org.uk Kingsley House, Ganders Business Park, Kingsley, Bordon, Hampshire GU35 9LU ASFP Office Tel: +44 (0)1420 471612 ASFP Office Fax: +44 (0)1420 471611 Website: www.asfp.org.uk The Malt House Grand Canal Quay Dublin 2 ASFP Office Tel: +353 (0) 1 6791324 Website: http://www.asfpireland.ie/ This PowerPoint presentation is the copyright of the Association for Specialist Fire Protection