Building Regulation and Fire Safety Management - Report Example

Part One: Fire Safety Strategy 1.0 Introduction Fire occurrences in any place causes loss of life, disabilities, and/or loss of property. Before devising and implementing a fire safety strategy it is important to understand the nature and causes of fires. Fire is the chemical union of oxygen with fuel accompanied by evolution of thermal energy in form of a flame. For fire to start there must be the three elements namely oxygen or air, combustible material, and a source of ignition or heat. Since an adequate amount of oxygen is required to sustain fire, the more oxygen is available, the more the rate of burning. The flammability of combustible materials is also crucial in fire start up and spread; petroleum products are more likely to be ignited faster and cause rapid spread of fire than steel metals. a. Spread of Fire Fire spreads in three ways: convection, conduction, and radiation. Spread through convection is regarded as “the most dangerous” and results in many deaths (Department for Communities and Local Government Publications 2006). Conduction method involves metals and other conductors transmitting heat to other areas and further causing ignition. On the other hand, radiation causes heating of the air whereby materials close to the fire absorb it and start to burn. b. Fire safety strategy A fire safety strategy should ensure safety of all people in and close to a building. Identification of risks and hazards is, therefore, vital to guide in putting measures for eliminating or reducing these risks. Measures would include fire prevention and proper evacuation plans to avoid or minimize death and injuries. The strategy should be adhered to and harmonized with the overall safety policy as well as the relevant legislations. c. Executive summary Fire safety is the precautions necessary to prevent the occurrence of a fire, or to avoid or reduce the effect of death, injury and destruction of properties that may result from a fire. A fire safety strategy is a “complex strategic document designed to demonstrate compliance” with requirements in relevant legislation in regards to fire (Building Regulations Approved Document B). The document is significant in preventing cases of fire, as well as ensuring a comprehensive plan is in place to allow evacuation of people and prevent or reduce possible deaths and injuries, and destruction of properties in the events of fire. d. Statement of the problem The management of Anywhere Community Center has proposed the promotion of a larger building that would host more users and activities. The functional areas include rooms for infants, youths, men and women, as well as the storeroom, stage room, a hall, a chapel, a boiler room, and an oil storage room. This development is a concern in regard to fire safety due to the kind of people who will use it, and the present hazards. The Building Regulations Approved Document B requires that new buildings fulfil certain requirements of fire safety. Therefore, this document is a fire safety strategy that is in accordance with these requirements. 2.0 Means of Detection and Warning System Fire detection and warning system is vital in a building. Individuals can alert other people by shouting ‘fire’ when they spot it. Nonetheless, an “electrical fire warning system” is necessary for Anywhere Community Centre (Department for Communities and Local Government Publications 2006). The system would involve fire alarms placed at strategic locations for every one in and close to the building to hear. Appropriate locations could be at the entrance lounge and at the hall and chapel. These locations are strategic considering the design of the Centre, and any normal person would hear them sound. Elsewhere, strong vibrators would be provided in the women, men, youth, infant rooms, office, and kitchen to cater for the deaf people. The deaf must be accompanied by normal persons while in the hall, chapel, oil store, or at the boiler. The management is tasked to identify any other area where such people would be at risk. Break-glass boxes would be used as call points and placed close to the building exits especially the ones at the chapel and the lounge. An additional one would be located outside a short distance from the boiler and oil storage rooms. Automatic fire, smoke and heat detectors would be placed in all rooms due to the available hazards, and the needs of various kinds of users. The oil storage, the boiler, store, kitchen, and infant rooms are at a higher risk of fire occurrence without people in other rooms knowing. Rooms without alternative exits like men, women, women, and infant rooms are risky too. The system would include personnel to monitor the alarm signals and respond promptly in case of a call. This is to avoid public response to false alarms. Random testing would ensure functionality of the system at all time. Fire resisting materials would reinforce high risk areas like the wall of the kitchen, the oil storage, and the boiler room separating them from other rooms. The reinforcement would help contain fire so that people are evacuated in other rooms. Elsewhere, pipes linking the oil tank and kitchen gas would be reinforced with fire-resisting material. Note that, use of highly combustible materials in furnishings, stage presentation, curtains, cushions, cellular foam mats, as well as curtains and drapes across escape routes would be avoided. a. Provision of Means of Escape In every strategy, there should be the provision of easy and accessible means that the people within the building may go through into safety. For Anywhere Community centre, the building has many routes that can be used for escape. For the people in the infants’ room, kitchen, store, youth room and halls can escape through the entrance to the lobby. However, when the lobby entrance is not accessible, they may either go through the stage room, the hall or out through the entrance that is near the office or through the infants’ room. The people within the oil storage areas and boiler room have easy escape routes. Moreover, the emergency exists that is in the infants room can be utilized, however it is reserved for people with disability and the infants who require assistance (Leeds Fire and Rescue Department 2009). What is more, the windows in every room could be utilized as egress points in case that all the above-specified routes are blocked. The Anywhere Community Center does not require special exit routes. All exit doors would be of the self-closing type so that they open in the direction of travel in leaving the room. Moreover, no exit door leading into or out of the building would be locked, bolted or fastened against egress whilst any person is inside. All means of escape and exit doors shall be kept clear and free from obstruction at all times. b. Provision of Means of Fire fighting It is vital to have the appropriate and adequate fire fighting tools and equipments at Anywhere Community Center. Management would ensure their proper functioning and placement at appropriate locations. The portable extinguishers would be installed depending on the risk of a specific category of fire as listed in table below: Category of fire Causes Class A simple materials such as wood, paper, etcetera Class B by flammable liquids like petroleum products Class C gasses and electrical sparks Class D combustible metals like sodium, and etcetera Therefore, two carbon dioxide extinguishers at the extreme end of the entrance lounge would serve the infant room, the youth room, the men and women rooms, the store, the lobby, and the lounge itself. Moreover, the hall and the chapel would each have two carbon dioxide extinguishers placed at the opposite end of their length. A powder extinguisher could be located in the kitchen, while a foam extinguisher is available close to the oil storage but outside the building. A water extinguisher that has additives for combating class B fires could be used in place of the foam extinguisher for the oil storage room. The fixed fire fighting equipments would include the hose reels and a sprinkler system. Sprinklers are very effective and they would be suitable for Anywhere Community Center premise. However, the sprinklers would be located in all the rooms except the kitchen where class C and F types of fire are likely to occur, and the oil storage room where Class B fire would start. In addition, a hose reel would be installed outside the premise, probably, at the entrance side of the lobby. c. Stability of the Structure As mentioned above, fire-resting materials would be used where a 30-minute resistance material would be used in rooms with lower risk such as the office, hall, chapel, men, women and infant rooms. The previously mentioned high-risk areas would use a 60-minutes resistant material. d. Access by fire fighting engines and fire-fighters It should be easy for fire fighting engines and men to access building premises that are in blaze, as well as have facilities like water supply connections in close proximity. The centre has ample parking space for fire-fighting vehicles to stand on or manoeuvre without difficulties. The ground would be strengthened to ensure the stability of these vehicles. Part Two: Fire Safety Management Strategy The purpose of fire safety management is to prevent fire outbreaks, and, in case fire occurs, then it is quickly detected, effectively controlled, and rapidly put off. What is more, it ensures that appropriate means of escape are in place for evacuation purposes. The process starts with identification of fire hazards. 3.0 Identification of Fire Hazards, a. Fire risk assessment It is a requirement of the law to counduct a risk assessment to ensure proper functionality of the fire safety process, fire prevention methods, and fire protection, as well as to identify other matters that may require attention. An examination of Anywhere Community Center reveals activities and areas that are fire hazards. Hazard refers to “anything that has the potential to cause harm” (Department for Communities and Local Government Publications 2006), while a risk is a probability of an occurrence of that harm. i. The Fire Triangle Since fire requires ignition, fuel, and oxygen simultaneously, it is crucial to prevent the three aspects interacting together. The sources of ignition at Anywhere Community Centre could include the cooking equipment, hot boiler ducts, oil flues, electrical and gas heaters, faulty electrical equipment, matches, lighters, and cigarettes. The stored oil as well as paints and cooking oils are fuel for fire. b. Regulatory reform order 2005 fire safety management strategy The Fire Safety Order replaced other previous fire safety regulations and legislations. For Anywhere Community Center, the terms and guidelines under the Order would apply in full. Therefore, it would be the responsibility of the management to ensure appropriate precaution measures are in place, and “to the extent that is reasonable and practicable in the circumstances to do so” (Department for Communities and Local Government Publications 2006). The requirements under the document such as appointing a competent person to oversee fire safety, disseminating information to staff, and ensuring safety of every person must be met. c. Identification of People at Risk Risk assessment also involves identification of people at risk in the event of a fire. At Anywhere Community Center, the chapel, infant’s room, and hall house people with the highest risks. These are infants, elderly and disabled persons. These people would need assistants in the event of a fire. Nonetheless, everyone using the building is at risk, more so users and worker who may who may not be familiar with centre, staff working in isolation, unaccompanied children, and anyone close to the centre premises. d. Protection of people at risks and regulations Appropriate measures would be devised to cater for everyone at risk and emphasising on those at greater risks. As required by the Order, vibrators and visual signs would be used to alert people with hearing disability. e. Evaluation, removal, reduction, and protection from risk The management and people using the centre influence the evaluation of risks. Therefore, coordination among the individuals in control would be ensured while considering the risks that may arise due to other people in the premise. Evaluations of the risk to people and of fire occurring would be conducted at the Centre noting chances of fire outbreak would be high if there is many sources of ignition, and flammable materials are present. What is more, fires start either accidentally, by an act of omission like allowing unmaintained electrical gadgets, or deliberately as with arson attack. The oil store, kitchen and the boiler would be monitored and maintained to avoid any ignition. Things that are likely to cause accidents would be removed as a way of minimizing risks to people. An understanding of how fire spread, as explained above, is important in minimizing risks to people. Measures to avoid risks would also include controlled access and operations of the oil store, the boiler and the kitchen. Only trained people would be authorized to operate any equipments or device at the Center. Electrical, gas and mechanical equipments would be maintained and used as guided by the manufacturer. A smoking policy would ensure safety to all, and caution would be taken with fireworks or they would be avoided. Overall, the management would ensure all hazards are identified and removed or reduced. f. Recording, planning, informing, and training A written policy and a formal structure would be devised for management of fire safety at the Centre. The outcomes of risk assessment would be recorded detailing the actions taken. These could include the hazards, people at risks and the procedures or actions to be taken including training. In addition, emergency plans would be recorded. Emergency plans would be devised to deal with fire outbreaks. The aim is to have the Centre’s users being aware of the cause of action to take and to ensure safe evacuation. Appropriate information and proper instructions would be provided to people working at the Center including those who hire the premise. Coordination would be maintained at all levels of control. Proper training would be provided to all the staffs at the Centre taking into account the outcomes of the risk assessment, an updates provided as soon as possible. A good links with the fire regulation authorities would help in getting these updates. 4. Conclusion This document has presented a fire safety strategy for Anywhere Community Center while paying attention to the requirements under the Building Regulations Approved Document B. Several fire safety measures have been discussed in relation to the new building. However, ensuring fire safety would be a continuous process where risks assessments are conducted with each development. In fact, it would be advisable to carry out an assessment after the completion of the facility with the actual data such as the kind and actual number of people using the facility. The installed devices would be tested on regular basis to ensure their proper functionality. What is more, the management whould always be vigilant on adherence of the fire safety policy at all time. References Bedfordshire county council and Luton Fire and Rescue Service 2007, Premises Fire Strategy Document, Fire safety strategy document, Bedford. Communities and Local Government 2006, The Building Regulations 2000 Fire Safety Approved Document B, Building and other than dwelling house, Vol. 2, 2006 edn, NBS and Riba Enterprise Limited, London. Department for Communities and Local Government Publications 2006, Fire safety risk assessment: small and medium places of assembly, Department for Communities and Local Government Publications, London. Federal Construction Council and National Research Council 1975, Program for Developing and Implementing a New Approach to Designing for Fire Safety in Buildings, National Academy of Sciences, New York. Furness, A and Muckett, M 2007, Introduction to fire safety management, Butterworth Heinmann, New York Stollard, P and Abrahams. J 1999, Fire from First Principles: A Design Guide to Building Fire Safety, Taylor & Francis, London. Appendix Read More