Fire Safety Planning in Buildings - Case Study Example

Fire safety planning Name Introduction Subject Instructor Institution Date Abstact Fire in buildings is hazardous phenomena in homes, institutions, industry or anywhere because, it presents with itself catastrophic effects which remain etched to the minds of majority after its occurrence. As the old adage goes, ‘fire is a good servant but a bad master’. This paper stipulate the fire strategy palling that is found in the university building that houses lecture halls, analytical chemical suites, research offices to be used by the members of staff as well as, the laboratories for research and learning. It further elucidates the planning strategies that have to be employed to ensure that the building conforms to the standard ways of dealing with fire scenarios. Table of Contents Table of Contents 3 1 Introduction 5 1.1General principles 6 2Fire safety policy statement 6 3 Fire safety management structure 7 3.1The general responsibilities of fire safety management 8 3.2Structure and individual responsibilities 8 4 Evacuation strategies 9 5Emergency response 10 6 Fire alarm and detection 11 7Sprinkler system 13 8Fire prevention and arson awareness 13 9Routine procedures for staff 14 10Selection and control of materials 15 11Maintenance and testing of fire safety system 16 12Decorations, alterations and extensions 18 13 Staff training and fire drills 18 14 Fire risk assessment 19 15 Record keeping 20 16 Auditing and review of the manual 20 17 Conclusions 20 List Table Table 1 Maintenance and testing................................................................................15 List Figure Figure 01 Management structure................................................................................7 Figure 1 (Fire exit sign).............................................................................................10 Figure 2 Wheelchair used for evacuation..................................................................10 Figure 3 Fire alarm Signal.........................................................................................11 Figure 4 Fire curtain control panel............................................................................12 Figure 5 Emergency door exit release.......................................................................12 Figure 6 CCTV camera.............................................................................................13 Figure 7 smoke detector............................................................................................14 Figure 8 Fire action maximum..................................................................................18 1 Introduction Fire usually poses great threat to lives of people since it may result to lose of lives, maiming of individuals and the problems spiral down to the other members of family of the affected. It also results to destruction of investments mainly property, plant and other equipments and the usual and unexpected disruption of the normal running of businesses since, businesses have to be closed for sometime before resumption of normalcy. This has called for bodies such as the Regulatory reform Fire safety order (2005) that has strived to consolidate the various forms of fire fighting strategies. Therefore, fire safety can be said to involve and bring on board the ways of preventing and reducing the frequency of fire outbreaks. It also gives the, means of mitigating and dealing with the direct aftermath and consequences resulting from such outbreaks by offering: Means of early detection and notification of fire outbreaks. It also gives the means of reduction of the spread of fire by structure containment. It provides the means of escape from buildings on fire. It categorically gives the means of evacuation of persons from such buildings. It gives the means of fire fighting in case of fire outbreaks. The above named means of prevention and protection are made mandatory by the relevant bodies as it ensures that they protect individuals, to ensure maintenance of the health and safety of personnel in the university building. This has to be adhered as the university has attained accreditation to the ISO14001. To help protect the assets of the university, both tangible and intangible help to protect and bring on board more business opportunities. 1.1General principles It remains clear that, the main design of building to encompass fire safety usually needs one to fully understand the sources of fire which are likely to be in the building such as electricity and gas. This calls for through understanding of how fire usually spreads in buildings. It is given that, under ideal and normal circumstances, fires are unlikely phenomenon to be witnessed but when there is malicious arson, then the guidelines may become un applicable (BSI, 2008). Therefore, this call for the use of more sophisticated systems for detection as will be discussed later in the paper. 2Fire safety policy statement The fire safety policy statement will apply to both students in the university and the members of staff using the JB Firth building. The building in hand is a four level building which houses the school of forensics and investigative sciences located which are all accessible using voids. JB Firth is located adjacent to the Maudland Building and for one to access it. One should do so by using the Maudland bank. In conformity of ensuring that the university safety health and Environment (SHE) policy is adhered, fire safety has to be adhered to ensure the safety of the occupants. This will strive towards the university medium term strategies 2007-2012. It is the responsibility of everybody such as, the university management, students, the members of staff, the users and non users of JB Firth Building to ensure that, the building is safeguarded from fire. 3 Fire safety management structure The management of fire strategy is not a one time thing but, it is a whole life thing which can not be overlooked as it occurs throughout the life of buildings. This even occurs at the initial design of the building whose sole intend is to ensure that, there is much reduced incidence of fire thus, making sure that, the fire does not totally occur or the chances of occurrence of fire are minimal. In case of the unexpected event that fire does occur, one should ensure that we have active fire safety systems in place and functioning as it is required. This would be represented as Figure 01 Management structure Thus the management of fire safety is made to avert the predicament which occurs in the event of fire. In this stage, we deal with the behavior of people in the event of fire. 3.1The general responsibilities of fire safety management Firstly, the management is charged with legal responsibility to ensure that, there is strict compliance to fire safety. This responsibility is bestowed to the university management which acts the employing authority and it follows that it is fully in control of the workplace. There are specific responsibilities which will lie strictly to the university management board. Secondly, the fire safety management is charged with the responsibility of organizing. It is its duty to ensure that things are in an organized manner with a clear safety manual. 3.2Structure and individual responsibilities The university vice chancellor. – The vice chancellor should be the person in charge and responsible in accordance to fire safety of all the buildings, structures and premises which either belong to or are occupied by the university. He/ she should ensure that the university has a fire safety strategy, Director of facilities management. This one should ensure that there is funding for the capital and maintenance works as it pertains fire safety management according to the budget provisions. He or she also ensure that fire risk assessment committee is allocated the required funds and also allocate funds to facilitate staff training, maintenance of the alarms and other fire detection devises, fire fighting equipments and maintenance of evacuation and escape means. Development and maintenance manager: should ensure that the safety specifications are observed and incorporated in new buildings, he is also supposed to ensure that the fire risk assessment procedure is undertaken. Accommodation and buildings manager. Ensure that there is no flammable rubbish near the building; he should also ensure that there is periodic check of the means of escape from the buildings to free off any obstructions. University SHEE (safety health and environment) manager. Dean of school. Oversee the observation of fire safety in the school. 4 Evacuation strategies The evacuation procedures come in handy on the discovery of a fire outbreak it’s made to ensure that incase of fire, the people in the building can be able to reach a safe place. These strategies are mainly the actins to be taken during the fire outbreak, the warning and evacuating signals which are mainly the sirens, alarms, fire fighting means and procedures, the procedures to be undertaken etc. it also en compasses the evacuation of the old, small children, people with disabilities and assembly areas. It is compulsory that fire action warning signs be put up in visible notices in the building. Also we should ensure that we have enough and sufficient fire marshals with the correct fire fighting skills and equipment and they should oversee the evacuation of persons and should be identified with either arm bands or uniforms. The strategies mainly to be involved are: Total evacuation from the building Progressive evacuation by moving the occupants to a place within the building which is safer and d later completely evacuating them. 5Emergency response In case of a fire outbreak, there should b a rapid response system to the area of need without waste of time. Once fire breaks out, alarms will sound and hence people leave the building. It is also the responsibility of the caretaker of the building or any one else to call the fire fighting brigade, the municipal council and other security groups who can help fight the fire. Figure 1 (Fire exit sign) The first floor is also equipped with the wheel chair that would help the disabled to be evacuated from the building as indicated in the figure below. Figure 2 Wheelchair used for evacuation 6 Fire alarm and detection The main essence of fire alarms is to warn people in the event of fire. These can either be visual or audible and should be used concurrently to ensure that all people are warned and hence allow them start evacuating from the building. The fire alarms are mandatory in case of large buildings and apartments where one may not be aware of what is happening outside his place. Therefore, once the fire alarm warns, it is prudent for people to start evacuating immediately. Figure 3 Fire alarm Signal Notably, we might have false alarms. Once the false alarm cries and people leave the building, they should be reminded that this was a mistake and incase there is another alarm, they should not hesitate to leave the building. The fire alarm usually has a system control unit, control circuits and alarm initiating devices for the sound ones and alarm indicating device for the visual ones. The alarms should clearly indicate or sound FIRE! The first floor has the fire control panel that integrates the alarm system as shown in the figure below. Figure 4 Fire curtain control panel The emergency door exist has also to be pressed so as enable the emergency doors to be open for the occupants to move out of the building or be evacuated. Figure 5 Emergency door exit release 7Sprinkler system These are forms of fire fighting equipments and fall in the same class with the fire extinguishers. The sprinkler system consists of water pipes and valves which are connected to an automatic sprinkler head. This aims at ensuring that, there is plenty water to fight the fire in case of emergency but if the fire cannot be stopped using water, then this should be avoided. 8Fire prevention and arson awareness Fire can cause adverse damages; therefore fire should always be prevented. This can be done by ensuring that combustible materials are always kept away from ignition sources. All the flammable liquids especially in the laboratories are kept in safe places and only authorized persons can access them, the fire escape doors should also be kept clear. Waste should also be disposed as well as unused furniture and other materials arranged in a separate safe place. A CCTV camera should be installed at strategic positioned like the entrance of building, the entrance of laboratory and at the points where flammable compounds are kept to ensure that incase of arson, the people behind the act are brought to book as wee as see them when they come through the control computer. Figure 6 CCTV camera 9Routine procedures for staff These give the procedures to be carried by the staff. The members of staff are entitled with the obligation of ensuring that there is routine and non- routine maintenance of all the electrical e.g. motors, circuit boards and the mechanical components of fire fighting (UCLAN., 2007). They should also ensure that the emergency exits are free of obstruction, clean and never locked. Furthermore, they should also ensure that the corridors and other escape paths are clear as well as ensuring that that the fire fighting equipments are maintained, working and kept in accessible points. 10Selection and control of materials To prevent fire outbreak, the flammable materials should always be kept in confined places where access to them is only by authorized persons only and should fill some forms before entry. This may enhanced by use of smoke detectors which may also suffice well in raising alarm in case there is smoke in the building. Figure 7 smoke detector The inflammable components should be kept away from ignitable components as well as away from electrical equipments which incase of faults and short circuit will release sparks which can trigger fire. Smoking should be proscribed in places containing inflammable material as well as clear signage reading ‘NO SMOKING’ The storage of inflammable should be monitored and only trained and experienced persons should be allowed in such points. Elsewhere the lighting system in building should be well maintained to avoid short circuits and sparks. In selection of materials, only those with high flash points should be elected over those with lower flash points. Elsewhere, the distribution and spread of components through diffusion should be considered since through which spread so fast will cause menace and will not be easy to fight incase of fire outbreak. 11Maintenance and testing of fire safety system This is the safety’s manger responsibility to ensure that the fire fighting and safety equipments are regularly maintained by staff members in conjunction with the contracting company which installed the system. This is done to ensure that there are no disappointments in case of outbreak. Table 1 Maintenance and testing Installation/ component code Date to start course of action frequency Person responsible The fire doors, automatic doors and the evacuation/ escape doors The usual code used is BS 8214 for the fire doors and BS 7273-4 for automatic systems. 24th may, 2012 Here , check if the doors fixed are easily accessed and easy to open Also ensure that the door is swinging freely. Mainly daily or monthly or yearly. Mainly carried out by the officer on duty, a technical expert or contracting company. Fire and smoke alarms Mainly BS 5839-1 and BS 7346-3 respectively. 24th may, 2012 Here carry out routine check of the alarm system to ensure that it sounds, it lights and the ventilation system to ensure that they function properly. Done daily. DO it annually. Mainly carried out by the officer on duty, a technical expert or contracting company. The signage for emergency. Both normal and electronic This uses the code BS 5266-1 24th may, 2012 The signs should be clearly showing, Either daily, monthly or once a year. Mainly carried out by the officer on duty, a technical expert or contracting company. The fire extinguishers. It has various codes that is BS 5306-1 ,BS EN 671 and BS 5306-3 24th may, 2012 The fire extinguishers should be accessible. They should also be working as needed. Mainly dail6y or monthly. Mainly carried out by the officer on duty, a technical expert or contracting company. 12Decorations, alterations and extensions The aesthetic value of any building is very important. This improves its appearance and appeal to the eye. In JB Firth building, we can have some pictorial portraits pinned on the wall. These pictures can be artistic impressions of phenomenon, or pictures of different parts of the world. These decorations should be placed on strategic points mainly walls leading to stairway, outside the offices and inside the offices. Flowers too can be used to improve beauty, fragrance and fell of nature. These can be placed in jars in offices, planted outside the office as well as in the buildings. These flowers can be either tulip, rose’s etc.We can also use a beautifully colored glass for the finishing. Extensions of the building should also be provided. 13 Staff training and fire drills In this, all the employees who have just joined the university must attend training on fire and other safety requirements. The staff members should also attend a training session held at various periods during the year. The staff training program should include the safety, health and environment training and should be carried out with optimum care to ensure that the employees get to understand the procedures and health issues. It should also be open and staff members should be allowed to ask questions. Later a test can be administered to ensure that the workers have understood and got the essence of the training. In fire drills, these can be done twice and should be carried out by safety staff while the duty officers and the Marshalls educate the other members on evacuation. 14 Fire risk assessment This would be performed annually by the safety team. This is quite important and should be carried out with due diligence and care. To embrace this, there is the fire action plan in the fire laboratory that is located in the third floor that gives guidance in dealing with fire. Figure 8 Fire action maximum This has to ensure that, all the university management is aware of the possible fire risks that may engulf the university. This would be in tandem with the dangerous Substance and Explosive Atmosphere Regulations (DSEAR) 2005. The main aim of this is to ensure that we identify the potential hazards and the potential ways to either eliminate them fully or reduce them. The fire risk assessment usually includes the hazard identification, the identification of the people at risks who are mainly the occupants of JB Firth building, Reporting and documentation and lastly Review and revision. 15 Record keeping It is to be ensured that every duty officer has a safety diary whereby he/ she records any contrary occurrences and reporting such occurrences to he safety manager. The records should not be taken for granted but should be reviewed regularly as they will point on the potential hazards hence help in future development of the plan. 16 Auditing and review of the manual This needs to be updated annually and any new devices put into considerations. The potential hazards occurring due to addition of new facilities should be identified hence update the safety manual. 17 Conclusions Fire safety strategy is a crucial aspect which should never be overlooked since the effects of fire are clearly catastrophic. Even though we can insure buildings and be indemnified incase of fire, the health and life of people is unquantifiable. This involves the participation of everybody in the society from the most senor to the most junior. We all have a responsibility. References BSI., 2008. Code of practice for fire safetyin the design, managementand use of buildings. BSI British Standards. BSI. UCLAN., 2007. UCLAN fire safety strategy. Preston: University of Central Lancashire. Appendices The arrangement of the building Ground floor First floor Second floor Third floor Read More