THE FIRE PRECAUTIONS
(WORKPLACE) REGULATIONS 1997
The Workplace Fire Precautions Legislation brings together existing Health
& Safety and Fire Legislation to form a set of dedicated Fire Regulations
with the objective, to achieve a risk assessment standard of fire
safety for persons in the workplace.
The Regulations apply to workplaces where persons are employed to work but do
not apply in workplaces which are:
- Private dwellings or used only by the self
employed;
- Covered by a sports ground safety certificate
when being used as a sports ground;
- Covered by a 1971 Fire Precautions Act Fire
Certificate ;
- Construction sites and Means of Transport;
- Special Premises, Mineshafts or Sub-surface
railways;
- Offshore installations or open farm/forestry
land;
- Vessels unless permanently moored.
FROM DECEMBER 1st 1997 THE
LEGISLATION REQUIRES EMPLOYERS TO:
- CARRY OUT A FIRE RISK
ASSESSMENT where there are 5 or more employees, a record must be kept
- MONITOR AND REVIEW THE RISK
ASSESSMENT - REVISE AS APPROPRIATE
- INFORM STAFF OR THEIR
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE RISKS
- PLAN FOR AN EMERGENCY
- PROVIDE STAFF INFORMATION AND
TRAINING
- NOMINATE A PERSON TO
ASSIST
- PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN to the
extent that it is appropriate, determined by the fire risk assessment:
- Means of detecting and giving
warning in case of fire;
- Means of escape and emergency
lighting;
- Fire safety signs;
- Fire-fighting equipment.
WHERE THE EMPLOYER DOES NOT HAVE CONTROL OF ALL
PARTS OF THE BUILDING - If the work place is shared with other persons, they
should be informed of significant risks identified. The person who does have
control (landlord, owner or other employer etc) has a responsibility to make
sure the regulations are complied with, in the parts they control. This may
require communication and co-operation between parties to ensure co-ordination
of fire safety provisions, fire-fighting measures, evacuation procedures etc.
OBJECTIVE OF THE FIRE RISK ASSESSMENT
The principle of the regulations and the risk assessment approach, is goal
based and flexible to employers needs. The employer generates the risk in
workplaces, therefore, to safeguard the safety of the employees, the employer
must:
- IDENTIFY HAZARDS AND PEOPLE AT
RISK
- REMOVE OR REDUCE THE
HAZARDS
- MANAGE THE REMAINING RISKS TO
ACCEPTABLE LEVELS BY:
- Ensuring that all occupants are
alerted and can leave the premises safely in the event of a fire;
- Reducing the probability of a
fire starting; and
- Limiting the effects should a
fire occur.
Providing the premises have been built and
maintained in accordance with Building Regulations and is of normal risk or
lower, this will be a simple matter without significant expenditure. If,
however, the premises are not in accordance with the above categories, further
guidance and action will be necessary, depending on the complexity, size,
occupancy and consequential risks.
The employer can enlist the help of other persons who have the necessary
experience or skills (i.e. competence) to carry out part or all of the risk
assessment. The 'competent person' does not have to be an expert to assist the
employer, but they need to have sufficient experience or training with regard
to the problems they are advising on. However, risk assessment of the
newsagents illustrated for example, may be undertaken by the employer following
the simple guidance in this document.
Note - the employer always remains responsible
for the outcome. This is worth remembering, should you require
help with your risk assessment.
KEY STAGES OF FIRE RISK ASSESSMENT
A systematic approach, considered in simple stages, is generally the best
practical method.
STAGE 1 IDENTIFY FIRE HAZARDS
For a fire to occur it needs sources of heat and fuel. If these hazards can be
kept apart, removed or reduced, then the risks to people and your business is
minimised. In order to do this you must first IDENTIFY FIRE HAZARDS in your
workplace.
| |
|
| 1A |
IDENTIFY ANY COMBUSTIBLES - These can be divided into
two main groups; combustible fuels such as paper,
wood, cardboard etc and highly combustible fuels
such as thinners, solvents, polyurethane foam, etc. |
| 1B |
IDENTIFY ANY SOURCES OF HEAT - All workplaces will
contain heat/ignition sources, some will be obvious such as cooking equipment
or open flames (heating or process). Others maybe less obvious such as heat
from chemical processes or electrical equipment. |
| 1C |
IDENTIFY ANY UNSAFE ACTS - Persons undertaking unsafe
acts such as smoking next to combustible materials. |
| 1D |
IDENTIFY ANY UNSAFE CONDITIONS - These are hazards that
may assist a fire to spread in your workplace, e.g. if there are large areas of
hardboard or polystyrene tiles etc. or open stairs that can cause a fire to
spread quickly, trapping people and involving the whole building. |
| |
|
An ideal method of identifying and recording these
hazards, is by means of a simple single line plan, an example of which is
illustrated on page 4. Checklists may also be used.
STAGE 2 REMOVE OR REDUCE
HAZARDS
Having identified the hazards, you need to reduce the chance of fire, both
occurring and spreading, thereby minimising or removing the chance of harm to
persons in the workplace.
The risk should be reduced to an acceptable level by:
- Removing the
hazard altogether;
- Reducing the
hazard to the point where there is little or no risk;
- Replacing the
existing hazard with a safer alternative;
- Segregating the
hazard from the workplace;
- Developing a Prevention
Policy and Culture to ensure hazards do not occur in the workplace.
Attempt to classify each area as either high,
normal, or low risk. If high, you may need to repeat stages 1 and 2, otherwise
additional measures will be required in stage 4.
Normal risk areas will account
for nearly all parts of most workplaces.
Low risk areas are those where
there is little in the way of heat or fuel sources e.g. a stonemasons workshop
where typically there is not much to burn and should a fire occur then people
would be able to react in plenty of time.
High risk areas are where the
available time needed to evacuate the area is reduced by the speed of the
development of a fire e.g. paint spraying with highly flammable paints, also
where reaction time to the fire alarm is slower because of the type of person
present, or the activity in the workplace e.g. the infirm and elderly or
persons sleeping on the premises.
STAGE 3 IDENTIFY ANY STAFF OR PERSONS WHO ARE
ESPECIALLY AT RISK
Consider the risk to any people who may be present. In many instances and
particularly for most small workplaces there will be nobody particularly at
risk, and specific measures for persons in this category will not be
required.
There will, however, be some occasions when certain people may be especially at
risk from the fire, because of their specific role, location or the workplace
activity. You need to consider matters carefully if:
- Sleeping accommodation is
provided;
- Persons are challenged e.g.
physically, visually, mentally etc.;
- People are unable to react
quickly.
Arrangements for warning all occupants in the event
of a fire must be adequate and failsafe. Fire alarm systems, smoke detectors,
hand bells, or a single shout may be suitable depending on the size and
complexity of the work place.
Escape without the use of a key, should be possible from all parts of a
workplace to a place of safety in fresh air within two and a half minutes.
Escape routes should be walked regularly and a full evacuation drill practised
annually.
A fire starting in any location should not go undetected and reach a size that
could cause persons to become trapped. This is more likely to happen where
there is only one way out of an area. Ideally, persons should be able to turn
their back on a fire and walk in the opposite direction towards a fire exit.
Many workplaces, however, will have areas from which there is no alternative
way out, for part or all of the escape route, (e.g. most rooms have only one
way out). If your workplace is small and the fire risk has been assessed as
normal or low then there will be no need to have alternative ways out where you
escape is in one direction only, the dead end areas should be kept as short, as
few and as low risk as possible.
The maximum advisable travel distances from any area in a workplace to a fire
exit door leading out to a place of safety should be in accordance with the
table below.
| Maximum Travel Distances
|
Offices |
Shops |
Factories
|
Sleeping
Risks |
| Escape in two directions
|
45m |
30m |
45m |
35m |
| Escape in one direction
|
18m |
18m |
25m |
18m |
The above guidelines are to be used with caution. You must look at each part of
the workplace and decide how quickly persons would react to an alert of fire in
each area. Adequate safety measures will be required in stage 4 if persons are
identified as being at risk. Where these travel distances cannot be achieved,
you will be required to provide extra fire safety precautions and you should
contact your local Fire Safety Officer or a suitable qualified safety
consultant.
STAGE 4 HAVING REGARD TO PREVIOUS STAGES DECIDE
WHETHER THE EXISTING ARRANGEMENTS ARE ADEQUATE, OR NEED
IMPROVEMENT
If the building has been built and maintained in accordance with Building
Regulations, it is likely that the means of escape provisions will either be
adequate, or you will be able to decide easily what is required in relation to
the risk.
Matters you will have to consider are:
Means for detecting and giving warning in case of
fire - can they be heard by all occupants ?
Means of escape - are they adequate in size,
number location, well lit, unobstructed, safe to use, etc.
Signs - for exits, fire routines and fire-fighting
equipment.
Fire-fighting equipment - wall mounted by exits,
suitable types for hazards present and sufficient in number.
Training of employees - what to do in the event of
a fire.
Where persons are at risk or an unacceptable hazards still exists, additional
compensatory measures will be required from the above list, or repeat all
previous stages. It is important that all fire safety provisions are maintained
in good order.
STAGE 5 RECORD THE FINDINGS
Findings of the assessment and the actions (including maintenance) arising from
it should be recorded. If there are 5 or more employees you must retain a
record which may be in writing, or by electronic or other means. It should
indicate:
- The date the assessment was
made.
- The hazard identified.
- Any staff and other people
especially at risk.
- What actions need to be taken,
and by when (action plan).
- The conclusions arising from
the assessment.
STAGE 6 PREPARE THE EMERGENCY PLAN
The aim of the plan is to ensure that in the event of fire everyone, including
contractors and casual employees are sufficiently familiar with the action they
should take, and that the workplace can be safely evacuated to a location where
persons will not be in danger. The employer is responsible for preparing the
plan, and in most small workplaces this should not be difficult. In smaller
workplaces it may simply take the form of a fire action notice that everyone
has received training on.
STAGE 7 MONITOR AND REVIEW ON A REGULAR
BASIS
The fire risk assessment is not a one-off procedure. It should be continually
monitored to ensure that the existing fire safety arrangements and risk
assessment remain realistic. The assessment should be reviewed if there is a
significant change in the work activity, in the materials used or stored, or
when the building works are proposed.
A SIMPLE PRACTICAL EXAMPLE OF THE LOCAL NEWSAGENT'S SHOP
Initially, a simple single line drawing of the premises roughly to
scale/proportion should be drawn showing any relevant structural features and
the use of particular areas e.g. production, storage and plant, office
accommodation etc.
A copy of the plan will be useful should you have a fire at your premises, to
give to the fire services when they arrive to assist them in fire-fighting
operations.
The plan can then be used to indicate hazards and persons especially at risk
(stages 1 and 3). It will assist to identify where combustibles and ignition
sources come together, or are in close proximity, and the action to be taken
(stage 2).
A simple noughts and crosses system can be used; circles for combustibles and
crosses for heat/ignition sources. |
