4.5 Fire precautions

4.5 Fire precautions

Fire is potentially the greatest of all risks to personnel, business continuity and property. It can spread extremely quickly producing toxic, asphyxiating smoke. It is therefore essential to minimise the likelihood of a fire starting, to ensure the safe evacuation of people, and have appropriate measures for tackling fires. These are achieved through careful design of premises and stringent management procedures. However, the risk will always remain, and everyone must be vigilant at all times.

Standards

• Regulatory Reform Order (Fire Safety) 2005
  

The design and fabric of university premises must comply with building and fire safety regulations and standards. Fire safety signs must comply with relevant regulations and standards.

University buildings are currently subject to Fire Certificates issued by the Fire Authority under the Fire Precautions Act. Copies of the latest Fire Certificate are held in each premise. (Under review at Feb 2006)

All university buildings are currently subject to fire risk assessments as required by the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations. These risk assessments address the fire hazards, the necessary controls, and the implementation and effectiveness of the controls. The fire hazards arise from structural features, the use to which the building is put, and the people occupying and using the building. The necessary controls include provision of fire alarm systems and fire escape routes, provision of portable fire fighting equipment, good housekeeping supported by fire safety inspections, emergency response procedures linked to turn out of the Fire Brigade, and training of staff. The implementation and effectiveness of the controls are audited and reviewed to ensure that they fulfil their objectives of minimising the risk to people. Documentation of fire assessments, precautions, and the results of services and inspections are held at specific locations in each building.

Responsibilities

The Health and Safety department and the Facilities and Facilities and Estates department ensures that fire risk assessments are carried out; precautions including fire emergency response plans are specified; relevant fire certificates are obtained; appropriate fire safety training is provided; and audits of fire precautions are carried out.

The Director of Facilities and Estates, the Facilities Manager, and the Information Services Director ensure that modifications to buildings do not compromise fire precautions or fire certificates.

The Director of Facilities and Estates ensures that modifications to buildings receive the necessary statutory approvals from appropriate authorities (eg Building Control) and that associated changes to fire detection and warning systems, emergency lighting, fire fighting facilities, fire signage, and devices for limiting the spread of fire and smoke are installed to the correct specifications. The Director of Facilities and Estates ensures that the Health and Safety department is advised of all such alterations at the design stage.

The Facilities Manager ensures that fire detection and warning systems, emergency lighting, fire fighting facilities, fire signage, and devices for limiting the spread of fire and smoke are maintained to the correct specifications.

The Facilities Manager ensures that for academic buildings, stewards complete the weekly tests of the fire detection, warning and fighting systems, and ensure that fire escape doors are unlocked while people are in the buildings.

The Head of Accommodation ensures that Hall Managers complete the weekly tests of the fire detection, warning and fighting systems for halls of residence.

Heads of Departments ensure that fire risks are addressed as part of the risk assessments and inspections within their departments; their staff are instructed in how to respond in the event of a fire or fire alarm; proposals for any structural alterations are submitted to the Director of Facilities and Estates; and a permit to work (see Permits to Work) is obtained prior to any operation that may restrict or obstruct fire resisting doors or a fire escape route.

Workplace inspections

Heads of department ensure that fire safety inspections are carried out for all their areas at least quarterly using the ‘Fire inspection checklist’. Faults in fire detection, warning and fighting systems are reported on an M1 form to Maintenance for repair.

Inspections and test procedures

Stewards carry out the tests in all academic buildings except for The Spires. The Hall Managers carry out the tests in the halls of residence. Faults on the system are reported by the person conducting the test by submitting an M1 form to Maintenance.

Fire detection and warning systems

The break glasses in each fire detection system are tested weekly and recorded in the Fire Log. A different break glass is tested each week. The test involves checking that the break glass activates the fire panel and the sounders.

Annual service and test of the full system by a competent engineer is organised by the Facilities Manager.

Emergency lighting

Emergency lighting is fitted in every building and comes into action when the mains power to the unit is interrupted.

Stewards and Hall Managers carry out monthly and 6-monthly checks of the emergency lighting by switching off power for a given period (monthly=10 minutes, 6-monthly=1 hour) and confirming that the lighting is still operating at the end of the period. Faults are reported to Maintenance to resolve.

Servicing and testing of the emergency lighting is carried out annually by a competent engineer organised by the Facilities Manager.

Fire fighting equipment

The seals on extinguishers are checked by staff during inspections of workplaces.

Extinguishers that have been discharged or had their seals broken are reported to Maintenance who will replace them.

Servicing and testing of fire fighting equipment is carried out annually by competent personnel organised by the Maintenance Manager.

Fire signage and escape routes

All ‘fire resisting’ doors must fulfil their function of restricting the spread of fire and smoke in the event of fire. Stewards check that ‘fire resisting’ doors operate correctly as part of their weekly checks of the fire systems. Stewards open fire exit doors fitted with panic bolts weekly and check them for ease of operation.

Fire escape routes must be kept clear at all times and are checked during inspections of workplaces. Stewards ensure that common areas including corridors and stairwells are kept clear and that all fire escape doors are unlocked while people are in the buildings.

Anything that may restrict or obstruct a fire escape route requires a permit to work.

Fire training

Staff are provided with general guidance on how to respond in the event of a fire as part of their health and safety induction to the university. Further information on the nature of fire is provided in the course on ‘Essentials of H&S’, and ‘Successful H&S Management’ Fire Warden training is organised by the ODTU with a requirement that at least two suitable staff from each floor for each building are trained.

Additional training in the detail of the fire emergency response plan is covered under ‘Fire emergency response plan’.

Fire drills

The effectiveness of fire emergency response arrangements is tested with fire drills. Fire drills are carried out once a term. Fire drills are organised by the Health & Safety department.

Fire emergency response

In the event of a fire, the aim is to clear the building and have the Fire Brigade deal with the fire.

The University's fire emergency response plan for all premises except halls of residence is based on the following principles:

1. Anyone discovering a fire immediately raises the alarm, breaks the glass of the nearest fire call point, and reports to the Incident Controller.

2. On hearing a fire alarm:

• staff evacuate, sweeping the area to ensure that it is clear of people: a member of staff from each area reports to the Incident Control Team,
• lecturers instruct their students to evacuate the premises immediately in an orderly manner using the fire escape routes, and sweep students from the area,
• an Incident Controller takes charge of the situation, ensures that the Fire Brigade is on its way, co-ordinates activity, and advises the Fire Brigade of the situation on their arrival.

3. No one is allowed back into a building unless the Incident Controller has authorised it.

Corporate managers, heads of department and other appropriate people in each building currently form the Incident Control Team for the building and are trained in its operation by the Health and Safety department

Heads of department ensure that there are local arrangements in line with this policy for areas occupied by their staff and that their staff are aware of these arrangements. Local arrangements address how the area is swept and who reports to the Incident Control Team. In particular the arrangements must cover the whole period that the area is likely to be occupied and they must result in a member of staff reporting on each area to the Incident Control Team.

There are assembly points for staff for each building. It is important that staff congregate at assembly points in case their knowledge or skills are needed. If an assembly point becomes at risk then staff should move back but remain contactable by the Incident Control Team.

Dos and Don'ts

Do make sure that you know the escape routes from buildings that you enter.

If you are a lecturer you also need to inform your classes of the fire escape routes and evacuation arrangements from their specific lecture or class room.

You can improve fire safety by closing fire doors that you find open. Fire doors are there to prevent the spread of fire and smoke.

Don't lock yourself into a room: areas that are locked will not be swept during an evacuation.

Don't use lifts or otherwise put yourself or others at risk when evacuating premises.