Fire Safety & Risk Assessment for the Anywhere Community Centre - Assignment Example

Fire Safety & Risk Assessment for the Anywhere Community Centre Table of Contents Introduction 2 Part One: Fire Safety Strategy 2 1.1 Stability of the Structure 2 1.2 Internal Fire Spread 2 1.3 External Fire Spread 3 1.4 Means of Detection and Warning System 3 1.5 Provision of Means of Escape 4 Table One: Escape Routes 4 1.6 Provision of Means of Fire-Fighting 5 1.7 Access and Facilities for the Fire & Rescue Service 5 1.8 Calculations 5 Part Two: Fire Safety Management 6 2.1 Identification of Fire Hazards 6 2.2 Identification of At-Risk Persons 6 2.3 Evaluation, Removal/Reduction, and Protection from Fire Risks 7 2.4 Record, Plan, and Instruct 8 Conclusion 8 References 9 Introduction This report comprises two parts, and provides an overall assessment of and general plan for fire safety at the Anywhere Community Centre. The first part describes the configuration of the building, assesses its resistance to fire spread, describes appropriate detection, alarm, and fire-fighting features, and details evacuation paths from the building. The second part discusses a plan for maintaining fire safety at the Community Centre, including staff training, attention to special conditions in the facility, and significant upgrades that must be made to the building. Part One: Fire Safety Strategy 1.1 Stability of the Structure The overall stability of the structure is dependent on the internal and external resistance to fire spread, which are detailed in the following two sections. The general interior configuration of the Anywhere Community Centre is a single-level, vaulted space arranged around a large central hall. In general, the largely masonry construction of the Anywhere Community Centre provides a robust structure that should not aggravate fire spread, and remain stable for a long period of time even in a severe fire. The one exceptional area of concern is the wood-plank style ceiling throughout the building, which does not meet applicable guidelines. A second concern is the need to insure that appropriate cavity barriers are installed in the external walls, since the building plan diagram does not indicate their presence. 1.2 Internal Fire Spread Flooring is of vinyl asbestos throughout the building, except for the lobby (fore or east portion of the entry hall) and chapel portion of the central hall, which are floored with quarry tile; the stage and assembly areas of the central hall, which are timber-floored; and the boiler and oil storage spaces, which have ceramolithic flooring. Interior walls and lintels consist of concrete hollow blocks. The ceiling is 19 mm tongue-and-groove softwood boarding. Paragraph B2.ii of Approved Document B, Volume 2 Buildings other than DwellInghouses, Building Regulations 2006 (p. 63) exempts the upper surface of floors from the regulations because they are not significantly involved in a fire until its later stages. Thus in general the contribution of the flooring throughout the building to internal fire spread can be disregarded. The possible exception to this is the balcony and stairs construction within the Youth Room; the materials for these are not described, but it is assumed they are of ordinary wooden construction. However, since they are contained within a single room, it is unlikely that they would significantly affect the building as a whole in terms of internal fire spread. The masonry interior walls are of National Class 0 material, and will not contribute to internal fire spread. The ceiling, however, is of National Class 3 material at best, and would significantly accelerate internal fire spread. Standards for fire-resistant ceilings are described by Paragraphs 6.7 and 6.8, ff. of Approved Document B. (p. 64) 1.3 External Fire Spread The building is completely free-standing, bounded on three sides by roads or open areas. A portion of the south-west corner of the building is separated by 3.185 metres from some existing shops. The external walls of the Community Centre are constructed of cavity walls with masonry materials on both their outer and inner faces. Notwithstanding the need to ensure that compliant cavity barriers are in place on these walls, the facing material on both sides is fire-resistant, and should not contribute to external fire spread. Additionally, the wall has no unprotected area and is more than 1000 mm from any relevant boundary, and so meets the requirements of Paragraph 12.6 and Diagram 40c. of Approved Document B. (pp. 93-95) Similarly, the interlocking concrete tile surfacing of the roof is sufficiently fire-resistant considering the distance from the nearby shops, the guidelines for such distances being described by Table 16 of Approved Document B. (p. 103) 1.4 Means of Detection and Warning System Provisions for fire detection and warning are given by Section 1 of Approved Document B. The special consideration for the Anywhere Community Centre is the large assembly hall/chapel area which constitutes nearly half of the building’s internal space. Because it is separated into smaller areas only by movable partitions of no fire resistant value, it can be treated as a single space, which totals 165.017 m2 in area. Paragraph 1.33 of Approved Document B (p. 20) suggests that it may be undesirable for an automatic alarm system to be used for such a high-occupancy space, for the obvious reason that the potential panic a fire alarm might cause may be more dangerous than the actual fire. Paragraph 1.14a of Approved Document B specifies a smoke alarm/detector be placed within 7.5 metres of the doorway to every habitable room. (p. 19) Again, the assembly hall space presents a special consideration because of its high ceiling; however, it may be appropriate to affix the detectors to the exposed roof trusses crossing the space, since these are at a height comparable to a regular ceiling. The most appropriate solution for the Anywhere Community Centre is a network of code-compliant detectors connected to an L1 alarm system, as described in Paragraph 1.30 of Approved Document B. (p. 20) The only modification to this guideline should be the omitting of alarm annunciators in the assembly hall areas. 1.5 Provision of Means of Escape In its present form, the building offers three outside exits, two on the east side of the building and one on the west. The west-side exit leads to the space designated as “future room”, and so consideration should be given to providing an outside exit for that area if and when it is enclosed. The following table summarises the escape routes and the approximate travel distances from each of the areas inside the building (refer to the building diagram for locations): Table One: Escape Routes Room/Area Primary Escape Route Approx. Travel Dist.1 Secondary Escape Route(s)2 Approx. Travel Dist.1 Infants’ Room Lobby/Main Entrance. 18.8 metres West exit adjacent to Kitchen. 10 metres Youth Room Lobby/Main Entrance. 28 metres West exit adjacent to Kitchen. 14 metres Women’s Lavatory Lobby/Main Entrance. 9 metres Across Stage Room to north-east entrance door. 19 metres Men’s Lavatory Lobby/Main Entrance. 7.4 metres Across Stage Room to north-east entrance door. 17.4 metres Store Room West exit adjacent to Kitchen. 8.6 metres Lobby/Main Entrance. 14 metres Kitchen West exit adjacent to Kitchen. 4 metres Lobby/Main Entrance. 18.6 metres Main Hall3 Lobby/Main Entrance. 21.5 metres north-east entrance. 16 metres Stage Room3 Lobby/Main Entrance. 11 metres north-east entrance. 11 metres Chapel3 north-east entrance. 14.8 metres Lobby/Main Entrance. 27.3 metres Office north-east entrance. 8.5 metres Lobby/Main Entrance. 18.8 metres Staff Lavatory north-east entrance. 5 metres Lobby/Main Entrance. 18.8 metres Notes: 1 – Approximate travel distances are from the farthest point in the respective spaces from the exit(s). 2 – There may be other alternative escape routes for each of the rooms; however, these secondary routes were chosen to minimise the travel through the building, maintain the straightest path, or both. 3 – For the sake of clarity, these are treated as separate spaces, even though they are one contiguous space with minimal division according to the building plan. Also, use of the building would also dictate that they are frequently separated from each other. All areas of the building have at least one escape route that well exceeds the minimum width standards set out by Table 4 of Approved Document B. (p. 37) There is a potential concern, however, regarding the width of the north-east entrance, which is shown to be 1.15 metres. The standard per Table 4 of Approved Document B (p. 37) for escape routes serving over 220 persons is 5 mm/person, which given the total capacity of these three areas suggests a minimum width for this entrance of 1.75 metres. 1.6 Provision of Means of Fire-Fighting The only obvious high fire-risk areas in the building are the Kitchen, Boiler Room, and Oil Storage Room. These latter two are physically separated from the interior of the building. Code-compliant fire extinguishers must be provided in these three areas. Areas that may potentially have an increased fire risk due to the nature of the activities in the Community Centre – these would include, most likely, the Stage Room, the Youth Room, and the Infants’ Room – should also be furnished with at least one appropriate fire extinguisher. In addition, a fire extinguisher should be furnished to the Store Room, due to the likelihood of its containing a concentration of combustible materials. 1.7 Access and Facilities for the Fire & Rescue Service The Anywhere Community Centre is a single-storey building with no basement, with clear access on its north, south, and east sides. Limited access on the west side is compensated by the provision of a hydrant near the south-west corner of the building. Additional hydrants are located at the south-east corner of the building adjacent to the fore-court, and across the shared access road south-east of the building, approximately 25 metres away. There are provisions for future connections near the north-west corner of the building, outside the Oil Storage Room, and near the north-east corner of the building, adjacent to the staff entrance. The maximum roof height is 6.25 metres, with a gradient of approximately 1:5.5. The mild slope of the roof and the large (approximately 1.8 metre) vertical roof lights ease access from the roof for fire personnel. 1.8 Calculations Building Occupancy Limits (Refer to Table C1 “Floor space factors”, page 135, Approved Document B): A) Types of space and acceptable floor space factor in m2/person: 1. Assembly hall or similar: 0.5 m2/person 2. Concourse of queuing area: 0.7 m2/person 3. Common room or similar: 1.0 m2/person 4. Office: 6.0 m2/person 5. Kitchen: 7.0 m2/person B) Floor area and occupancy limits of spaces within Community Centre: 1. Hall, Stage Room, and Chapel (as contiguous space): 165.017 m2 / 0.5 m2/person = 330.03 persons  330 persons 2. Lobby and Entrance Lounge (combined): 64.922 m2 / 0.7 m2/person = 92.75 persons  92 persons 3. Youth Room (excluding balcony space): 40.533 m2 / 1.0 m2/person = 40.53 persons  40 persons 4. Infants’ Room: 22.236 m2 / 1.0 m2/person = 22.24 persons  22 persons 5. Kitchen: 15.642 m2 / 7.0 m2/person = 2.23 persons  2 persons 6. Office: 14.227 m2 / 6.0 m2/person = 2.37 persons  2 persons Part Two: Fire Safety Management 2.1 Identification of Fire Hazards The identification of fire hazards entails identifying the sources of fuel, oxygen, and ignition within a building. (Fire Safety Risk Assessment Guide, p.12) The Anywhere Community Centre does not present any unusual conditions in this respect. The areas that require the closest attention are the Kitchen, which contains gas and electric cooking appliances; the Stage Area, which contains lighting and sound equipment; and the Oil Storage and Boiler Rooms. Recommendations for reducing the fire risk of the building overall are given in Part One above, with special notice given to the need to replace the wooden ceiling and ensure the installation of appropriate cavity barriers in the outer walls. It should also be noted that due to the varying uses the Community Centre will be put to, materials that present additional fire hazards may be brought into the building, for example, supplies for art projects or set-building materials for stage presentations. 2.2 Identification of At-Risk Persons The Anywhere Community Centre will be occupied by people of different ages and physical abilities at all times, and will host many activities for elderly persons and children. At maximum occupancy, the building can accommodate up to 488 people (Refer to building plan for locations and Section 1.8 above for calculation): Assembly Hall/Chapel/Stage Room (combined) 330 people Lobby/Entrance Lounge 92 people Youth Room (excluding balcony space) 40 people Infants’ Room 22 people Kitchen 2 people Office 2 people It could be assumed for the sake of planning that all these people might be children, elderly, or otherwise handicapped, and require special attention and assistance in the case of a fire and evacuation. 2.3 Evaluation, Removal/Reduction, and Protection from Fire Risks An initial inspection for fire hazards and risks should be followed up by a regular schedule of periodic inspections to maintain safety. Special attention should be paid to the following: All fire safety equipment (detectors, extinguishers, alarms, exit signs, and information panels) should be in working order and easily accessible in their designated locations. Lighting fixtures, ventilation fans, and other electrical appliances throughout the building in good condition. Kitchen appliances such as gas oven/range of an approved type, installed according to the relevant code, and in good working order. Kitchen ventilation fans and ductwork in good repair and reasonably clean of grease build-up; refer to Paragraph 10.10 of Approved Document B (p. 86) for reference to the relevant standards for fire-resisting ducts. Boiler in good repair and working order. Oil storage for the boiler in good repair; no evidence of leaks or spillage, and area kept clean of residual oil. Store Room and multi-function rooms kept clean, with a reasonable effort made to keep supplies of combustible materials (such as paper, cloth, paint and other chemicals for art projects, office supplies, and cleaning and maintenance supplies) to a useful minimum. Flammable materials must be stored well away from any possible ignition source, including radiators and lighting fixtures. (Fire Safety Risk Assessment Guide, pp.17-19) Any deficiencies in any of these conditions as well as any other potential hazards that become apparent in the future must be immediately corrected. 2.4 Record, Plan, and Instruct In accordance with the guidance of the Fire Safety Risk Assessment Guide (p. 32), an initial report of the findings and actions taken from Sections 2.1 to 2.3 above must be made and kept on file for inspection by the responsible authorities. It is also good practise to record the results of the periodic inspections. A Fire Response Plan must be developed, and must include practises for reporting and eliminating or reducing fire hazards, an evacuation plan covering the routes from different parts of the building (Refer to Section 1.5 above), assembly areas, and a protocol of responsibility among the staff for notifying/co-ordinating with the fire and rescue services in case of emergency and supervising the evacuation. All staff must be trained in evacuation procedures, with special emphasis on assisting high-risk persons. Periodic fire drills will not only benefit the staff in becoming familiar with evacuation procedures, but will do the same for the Community Centre’s regular visitors. Conclusion In summary, the overall circumstances of the Anywhere Community Centre are reasonably good with regard to fire safety. A few measures, however, must be taken to bring the building into compliance with fire safety standards, specifically, replacement of the ceiling with a fire-resistant material, the installation of cavity barriers in the outer walls, and possibly enlarging the north-east entry from its current 1.15 metre width to 1.75 metres. In addition, the planned connections for hydrants on the north side of the building should be completed as soon as reasonably possible. These measures, along with the implementation of a regular program of hazard awareness and evacuation procedure training and practise, should guarantee a reasonable defence against fire, and encourage public confidence in the safety of the Anywhere Community Centre. References Fire safety risk assessment: small and medium places of assembly. (PDF document) London: Department for Communities and Local Government, 2006. Available from: . Approved Document B, Volume 2 – Buildings other than dwellinghouses. (PDF document) London: Department for Communities and Local Government, April 2007. Available from: . Read More