AN INTRODUCTION TO THE FIRE SAFETY ORDER

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AN INTRODUCTION TO THE FIRE SAFETY ORDER

• PHIL THOMPSON MIFireE
• FIRE SAFETY ADVISOR
• UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON

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• Until the 1st October 2006, fire safety
  legislation was covered by the Fire Precautions
  Act 1971 and the Fire Precautions (Workplace)
  Regulations 1997, as amended 1999.
• The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
  replaces all previous fire safety legislation.

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Changes

• The main change is the emphasis on prevention
  and fire safety management.
• It also now covers people in the vicinity of
  the premises and places a greater emphasis on the
  maintenance of equipment, including equipment
  provided for fire service use, e.g. dry risers

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Who is responsible for complying?

• Workplace employer or any other person in
  control i.e. occupier or owner.
• In all other premises person or people in
  control will be responsible
• If there is more than one responsible person they
  must work together.

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WHAT IS HAPPENING?

• The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order has now
  gone through the Parliamentary processes required
  to make it law..
• This 'new' law is not in fact new

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WHY?

• Effective fire safety legislation should be a key
  factor in fire prevention.
• The law has been simplified by getting rid of
  most of the overlaps and putting in place one set
  of legal requirements for fire safety that apply
  to most places people use.
• The main focus of the new law will still be
  people's safety.
• It uses risk assessment

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WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR ME?

• The main emphasis of the changes is the move
  towards fire prevention. Fire certificates have
  been abolished and have ceased to have legal
  status.

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Responsible Person

• Ultimate responsibility falls to the Vice
  Chancellor.
• Deans and Heads of Schools/ Departments have
  responsibility for ensuring that arrangements for
  managing Fire Safety are in place and regularly
  monitored.

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and in addition

• The Director of Estate Facilities Management
  (EFM)
• Deans and Hods/Hos
• Personnel with management responsibility

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• The Director of Estate Facilities Management
  (EFM)
• is responsible for the implementation of the
  University Code of Practice for Fire Safety
  Management where it applies to building structure

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• Deans and Hods/Hos are responsible for-
• acting upon the recommendations and requirements
  of fire risk assessments and fire safety linked
  to a particular process or procedure under their
  control
• and for ensuring that all persons under their
  responsibility are trained and given adequate
  instruction in the case of fire.
• They are also required to appoint suitable
  responsible persons to undertake all necessary
  fire arrangements and procedures

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• Personnel with management responsibility shall
  ensure
• that all local precautions and procedures are
  followed
• and that persons under their responsibility are
  trained
• and given adequate instruction in the case of
  fire.

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• Staff must comply with all instructions given to
  them in regard to fire safety and any other fire
  procedures as required by supplementary codes of
  practice.
• Staff must also report any observed shortcomings
  in fire precautions to their local management.

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Fire Risk Assessment

• What is a fire risk assessment?
• Its an organized and methodical look at your
  workplace, office, school, workshop, etc, the
  activities carried on there and the likelihood
  that a fire could start and cause harm to those
  in and around the premises.

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• Your risk assessment will have to take into
  consideration the effect a fire may have on
  anyone in or around your premises.
• The risk assessment will help you to identify
  risks that can be removed or reduced
• The new regulations will apply to the voluntary
  sector and self-employed people with premises
  separate from their homes.
• A series of guides has been produced.

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• The Risk Assessment should pay particular
  attention to those at special risk, i.e. disabled
  and those with special needs
• The Risk Assessment will help you to identify
  risks that can be removed or reduced

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Whats the aim?

• To identify the hazards and reduce the risks of
  those hazards causing harm to as low a level as
  reasonably practicable.
• To decide what physical and management policies
  are necessary to ensure the safety of people in
  your building if a fire does start.

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just to remind you

• HAZARD anything with the
  potential to cause harm
• RISK the chance, high normal or
  low, of harm occurring

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How is it done?

• By following five basic steps

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STEP 1

• IDENTIFY THE FIRE HAZARDS
• Sources of ignition
• Sources of fuel

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STEP 2

• IDENTIFY THE PEOPLE AT RISK

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STEP 3

• EVALUATE, REMOVE, REDUCE AND PROTECT FROM RISKS

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Preventative measures

• Evaluate the risk of a fire occurring
• Evaluate the risk to people from fire
• Remove or reduce fire hazards
• Remove or reduce the risk to people

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Protective measures

• Detection and warning
• Fire fighting extinguishers, fire mains, and
  Sprinklers
• Escape routes
• Lighting
• Signs and notices
• Maintenance

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STEP 4

• RECORD, INFORM, PLAN, INSTRUCT, TRAIN
• Record significant findings and action taken
• Inform relevant people
• Prepare an emergency plan
• Provide instruction, and co-operate and
  co-ordinate with others
• Provide training

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STEP 5

• REVIEW
• Keep assessment under review
• Revise where necessary (especially when any
  changes or alterations are made)

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What happens if this is not done properly, or at
all

• In the event that the responsible person fails
  to meet their obligations under the RRFSO then
  the local authority Fire and Rescue Service have
  the power
• to take Informal Action
• to take Formal Action

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Informal Action

• Notification of Fire Safety Deficiencies Form
• Identifies deficiencies which must be met under
  the Order
• Given a reasonable period of time in which to
  remedy the deficiencies

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Formal Action

• Alterations notice
• issued to premises which constitute a serious
  risk to persons, whether due to the features of
  the premises, their use or any other circumstances

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• once served you must before making-
• a change to the premises
• a change to services, fittings or equipment
• an increase in quantities of dangerous substances
• a change of use to the premises
• notify the Fire Authority of the proposed changes

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• Enforcement Notices
• served when you fail to comply with the
  requirements placed upon you by the Order
• you will be given the steps to be taken to ensure
  compliance
• prosecution may be considered for non-compliance
  in the time allowed

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• Prohibition Notice
• where the inspector considers the use of the
  premises involves a risk to persons so serious
  that the use of the premises ought to be
  prohibited or restricted, the Authority may serve
  a Prohibition Notice

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Legal Enforcement

• When there is a failure to comply with fire
  safety duties imposed by the Order, and that
  failure has put one or more persons at serious
  risk of death or injury in case of fire,
• the Authority will consider prosecution

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Penalties

• On summary conviction a fine not exceeding the
  statutory maximum (currently 5k) or
• on conviction on indictment a fine (max 20k) or
  max of 2 years imprisonment, or both
• An indictable offence is a serious offence which
  requires trial by jury in a Crown court

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What should I do now?

• If you havent already, read your risk assessment
  
• Check the fire tracker for progress
• Check the fire warden master list
• Have a meeting!!

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• Burden
• or Benefit?

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Need help or advice

• Contact the University Fire Safety Advisor Phil
  Thompson at the Health Safety Department
• or the Fire Safety Assistant Paul West at Trevin
  Towers Eastbourne