Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order

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Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order
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History of Fire Safety Legislation

• 1189 - First recorded attempt to legislate for
  fire safety
• 1212 - 3000 died in London
• 1300 - Chimneys on outside walls
• 1400 - Outlawed wooden chimneys
• 1666 - The Great Fire of London
• 1774 - The Fire Prevention (Metropolis) Act

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Piecemeal Legislation

• 1843 - Theatres Act
• 1887 - 186 dead at Theatre Royal Exeter
• 1902 - Queen Victoria Street 8 dead
• 1937 - Factories Act
• 1956 - Eastwood Mills Keighley 8 dead
• 1960 - Hendersons Liverpool 10 dead
• 1961 - Top Storey Club 19 dead

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Continued

• 1969 - Rose Crown 11 dead
• 1971 - Fire Precautions Act
• 1985 - Bradford City 56 dead
• 1987 - Kings Cross 31 dead
• 1997 - Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regs
• 2004 - The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order
  - Coming into force 2005/6

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Fire Safety Duties

• The Responsible Person must-
• Ensure safety of employees and non-employees
• by making an assessment of the risks
• 1. Dangerous Substances
• 2. Young Persons
• 3. Record the information

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• Apply Prevention and Protection Measures
• - Planning
• - Organisation
• - Control Managing
  Safety
• - Monitoring
• - Review

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• Fire-fighting and Fire Detection
• - Fire-fighting Equipment
• Training, access, simple to use, indicated by
  signs, maintenance
• - Fire Detectors
• Testing regimes, maintenance
• - Alarms
• Training and management and contact with
  emergency services

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• Emergency Routes and Exits
• - Must lead directly to a place of safety
• - Self evacuation in emergency situations
• - Number, distribution, dimensions must be
  adequate
• - Emergency doors open in direction of escape
• - No use of sliding or revolving doors
• - No locks or fastenings that cannot be easily
  and immediately opened
• - Routes and exits indicated by signs
• - Routes and exits requiring illumination must be
  provided with Emergency Lighting

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• Procedures for serious and imminent danger
• - Establish and give effect to appropriate
  procedures
• Fire and evacuation drills
• - Competent persons appointments
• Training, instruction and supervision
• - Control of dangerous areas in the workplace
• Restriction of access on grounds of safety

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• Maintenance
• - Responsible person must ensure that the
  premises and any facilities, equipment and
  devices provided in respect of the premises are
  subject to a suitable system of maintenance and
  are maintained in an efficient state, in an
  efficient working order and in good repair

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• Safety Assistance
• -The responsible person must appoint one or more
  competent persons to assist him in undertaking
  the preventative and protective measures

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• Provision of information for employees
• The responsible person must provide employees
  with
• - The risks to them identified by the risk
  assessment
• - The preventative and protective measures
• - Procedures for emergency and imminent danger
• - Identity of appointed competent persons
• - Information for parents/guardians where a child
  is employed
• - Details of dangerous substances with regard to
  fire

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• Provision of Information to employers and the
  self-employed from outside undertakings
• - Refers to contracted workers

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• Capabilities and training
• The responsible person must ensure that
  employees are provided with adequate safety
  training
• - At time of first employment
• - On being exposed to new or increased risks
• - Training to be repeated periodically
• - Adapted to take account of new/changed risks
• - Take place during working hours

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• Co-operation and co-ordination
• Where two or more responsible persons share
  premises each person must co-operate with each
  other and co-ordinate the compliance measures
  under this order

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Fire Risk Assessment Guides

• Offices Shops
• Residential Care Premises
• Large Places of Assembly
• Small Medium Places of Assembly
• Healthcare Premises
• Sleeping Accommodation

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• Factories Warehouses
• Educational Premises
• Theatres, Cinemas etc
• Transport Premises Facilities
• Open Air Events Venues
• Means of Escape for Disabled

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Building Regulations

• Approved Document B
• 2006 Edition replaces 2000 Edition
• Volume 1 Deals with dwelling houses
• Volume 2 - Deals with buildings other than
  dwelling houses

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Paul OConnor

• THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION