Analysis of Fire Risk Assessment - Literature review Example

Running Header: Risk Management Student’s Name: Instructor’s Name: Course Code & Name: Date of Submission: Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Risk Assessment and management 4 Risk Reduction 7 The Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 9 Integrated Risk Management Action Plan 10 Conclusion 11 Introduction Good management of fire safety is crucial in ensuring fire occurrences are reduced. It also ensures fire risks are contained or controlled safely, effectively, and quickly in case they occur. It will as well ensure that in case fire occurs and grows, every person in the premises is able to escape to an area of total safety quickly and easily. Good management of fire will ensure that appropriate fire safety procedures are carried out together with fire preventative measures. It will also ensure fire precautions including systems, equipment and plans are taken into consideration while putting them in place and ensuring they are working properly as well as identifying areas which require attention. According to Arthur (2003, p. 56) Fire risk assessment is a methodical and organized way of looking at the premises, activities going on in the premises as well as the possibility that a fire might start and cause harm to people in and within the premises. Fire risk assessment aims at identifying the fire hazards, reducing the risks of fire hazards that cause harm to be as low as possible. It also decides on what physical fire precautions and management plans are necessary in ensuring people’s safety in the premises in case a fire starts. Hazard is anything which has potential of causing any kind of harm in terms of ill-health or injury, damage to environment, damage to property or combination of all. Risk is the chance or likelihood of harm occurrence at any place. Likelihood is the chance of harm occurrence due to hazard exposure. Risk depends on likelihood that a hazard could take place together with ruthlessness of the harm which resulted. Risk as well depends on the number of people who might be exposed to the danger or hazard. A fire risk assessment will assist in determining the chances of a fire starting. It will also assist in determining fire dangers that the premises present to those who use it and any other person in the immediate environs. Risk Assessment and management Steven (2007, p.56) maintains that in analyzing and identifying fire hazards, there is need to identify three things which makes a fire to start. There include ignition sources, fuel as well as oxygen. Failure of one of these will result to a reduced fire occurrence. Fire hazards identification will assist in knowing potential sources of ignition, materials which might fuel a fire as well as supplies of oxygen which might assist it in burning. Sources of ignition include smokers’ material like lighters, matches and cigarettes. Naked flames are also sources of ignition and they include gas, night lights or candles. Electrical and oil-fired heaters whether portable or fixed, gas, cooking activities and equipments, boilers, machinery with hot surfaces, and arson are other sources of ignition. In assessing risk management, it is important to identify fuel sources. This is because anything which burns is fuel for fire. It is crucial to analyze and look at the things that can burn and cause fire easily as well as making fire spread easily and quickly to other fuel sources. This will assist in a greater extent towards preventing spread of fire in the premises. Some of the common sources of fuel in premises include furniture whether permanent or temporary, textiles and soft furnishings like clothing displays and hanging curtains, and laundry including towels, linen and bedding. Other fuel sources include waste products like shredded papers and wood shavings as well as off cuts, refuse containers, waste storage and skips, flammable liquids based products and solvents like paints, varnishes, adhesives, thinners, white spirit and ethylated spirit among others. Flammable chemicals are also sources of fuel and they include hydrocarbon solvents and photocopier chemicals, flammable gases like aerosols and liquefied petroleum gas, plastics and rubber like polyurethane foam-filled furniture and video tapes, and wall and ceiling hangings. It is also important to take into consideration materials used in ceilings and line walls like carpet tiles or polystyrene as they as well might contribute to spread fire. Oxygen is also a factor that contributes to the fire occurrence and associated risks. Surrounding air is the main source of oxygen. Natural airflow through the windows, doors and other openings, and mechanical air conditioning systems and air handling systems are other sources of oxygen. Additional oxygen sources include materials stored in premises like chemicals or oxidizing materials that provide additional oxygen for fire to burn. Cylinder storages are other sources of oxygen for burning. Pyrotechnics or fire works contain oxidizing materials hence require great care. Hirschler (2008, p. 143) argues that, in fire risk assessment, there is need to identify those people who are at a risk when there are fire incidences. There is need to identify the people occupying the premises including guest residents, contractors, people working there among others. It is vital to consider those people at risk in the premises. They include those who may be asleep and may be slow to respond as well as disoriented due to sleepiness, employers who work alone and isolated places including security staff, night staff, cleaners and maintenance staff. Other kinds of people who require to be taken into consideration are those who are unfamiliar with the premises like customers, visitors, new staff, contractors, and seasonal staff. Young people, unaccompanied children, and people with disabilities are other kind of people who need to be taken into consideration. People with some reasons of not being able to get out of premises like parents with children and those who might be having sensory impairment due to alcohol and drugs require to be taken into consideration as well. All those are people who might be at risk in case there is fire hence the need for risk assessment by ensuring all people who are at risk are taken care and their special needs taken into consideration. Fire risk assessment will in a greater extent assist in evaluating, removing, reducing and protecting premises and people against risk. Premises management and the way people use it will have an effect of the risk evaluation. In evaluating the risk of fire occurring, it is vital to consider that they are few sources of ignition and combustible materials to reduce chances of fire starting. Generally, fire may start accidentally like when smoking materials are not extinguished properly or when lights are knocked over. It may also start by omission or act like when electrical equipment is not properly maintained or even when waste accumulates near a source of heat. Fire may as well start through a deliberate action like an arson attack or setting fire to rubbish bins near buildings. It is important to look at premises and identify accidents that waits to happen or any other omissions or act that might allow fire to start. It is also important to look at situation which might present an opportunity for any arsonist as illustrated by Nigel (2008, p. 67). In evaluating the risk to people, it is vital to consider the likelihood of a particular incident when determining all possible incidents. It is important to take into consideration that very unlikely incidents can as well put people at risk. It is crucial to evaluate and understand ways in which fire spread; fire spreads through three methods that include radiation, conduction and convention. Convection method is the most dangerous and causes the highest number of deaths and injuries. Smoke rises from fire to various enclosed spaces of the building and it gets trapped in various spaces hence raising temperatures. It is through convection that smoke passes through gaps or holes into other building parts. Conduction enables materials like metals absorb and transmit heat into other rooms whereby it can set fire if it gets into contact with combustible materials. Radiation heats the air and can as well heat items which may absorb heat until they start to smolder and even burn. In some occasions, smoke produced by fire may have toxic gases that may be harmful to people. A fire can generate or produce smoke if it occurs in a building with modern materials and fittings. The smoke may be thick and black to such an extent that it may lead to difficulties in breathing as well as blocking escaping routes. It is crucial that all means of escape and other fire precautions are enough in ensuring people are able to escape to areas of total safety before being trapped in the building by fire and its effects. In risk evaluation to people, there is need to consider several situations like fire on the lower floor can affect the escape route of people on the upper floors and fire developing in an open or unoccupied space where people pass through in order to escape out of the building. It is also important to consider smoke or fire spreading and how it can affect people when they pass through routes as it moves through vertical shafts, service ducts, partitions, ceilings and ventilation. Risk Reduction British Standards Institution (2005, p. 132) removing or reducing the hazards is extremely crucial as a step towards effective part of risk assessment. It is important to ensure that any actions used in removing or reducing hazards is not substituted by another form of risk. They are several ways of reducing potential sources of ignition. Such one way is through operating a safe smoking policy in various designated areas while prohibiting smoking in other areas. This is through ensuring enough ash trays are provided and cleaned approximately. It is also important to replace radiant heaters and naked flames with central heating system or fixed convector heaters. It is also vital to ensure correct rating of all electric fuses and circuit breakers as well as avoiding overloading of electric sockets. They should no one who uses any ignition sources in trying to search for a gas escape. It is also important to replace any heat sources that are unnecessary with safer alternatives. It is also vital to eliminate or reduce fuel sources. This is through reducing combustible materials like plastics or paper products as well as ensuring combustible items like decorations, laundry, and furniture are stored properly and separate from potential sources of ignition like boilers. There is also the need to treat or even remove large areas of ceilings and walls that are highly combustible in order to reduce rate of flame spreading on the surfaces. Flammable materials, gases and liquids should be kept to a minimum and as far apart as possible. In removing or reducing sources of oxygen, one can reduce windows, doors and any other opening. Shutting down all ventilation systems that are not essential for premises functioning will assist in oxygen reduction. Oxidizing materials should not be kept near any sources of heat or flammable materials. Controlling the storage and use of oxygen cylinders as well as ensuring they are not leaking. British Standards Institution (2008, p. 231) maintains that it is important to remove or reduce the risks to people as low as possible. This can be achieved through ensuring adequate fire precautions are put in place so as to warn people in case of fire occurrence as well as allowing them escape safely. In reducing fire risks to people, it is important to provide earlier fire warnings to people by the use of automatic fire detection as well as revising the layout in order to reduce travel distances. Controlling the number of people in the building, limiting some areas to only trained staff, and increasing training and awareness on the staff will assist in reducing risks to the people. Electrical fire detection and warning system with sounders and manually operated call points as well as automatic fire detection require to be installed in the buildings in order to reduce risks to people. Fire equipment and facilities reduces risks of small fires as well as reducing the spread of fire in other areas. There is need to train staff on how to use fire equipment and facilities, and other electric fire detection and warning system. Escape routes should be such that everybody is able to use them in escaping to areas of total safety with assistance only in special cases like for disabled people. It is important to design escape routes in such a way that any person can move away from fire to area of total safety without difficulties. In determining the number of routes in a premise, it is important to consider escape time, number and type of people using the premises, complexity of escape routes, and assembly points among others. Escape routes should be managed and maintained in order to ensure they remain available and usable at all times especially when the building is occupied. There should be no any sources of fuel in the corridors used as escape route. Persons with mobility impairment should as well be evacuated in case of emergency. This is through provisions for emergency evacuation by providing stairways, ramps, evacuation lifts, and horizontal evacuation. Signs and notices assist people in identifying escape routes and firefighting equipments. Such signs should be simple to understand either in form of pictogram or simple language. The Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 The Fire and Rescue Act 2004 puts prevention at the heart of what is done by Fire and Rescue Services. This is through creating a new duty for all authorities related to fire and rescue services towards promoting fire safety. The Act provides national as well as strategic guidance while supporting Fire and Rescue services. In assisting to save more lives, the Act introduces new duty to all fire and rescue authorities towards promoting fire safety. Through modern legislation, the Act creates powers and responsibilities for fire and rescue services. This ensures they fit modern Fire and Rescue purposes and needs. The Act requires a Fire and Rescue National Framework to be put in place by the Government. The Act renews previous powers towards ensuring public safety is put alongside effectiveness, economy, and economy in Fire and Rescue authorities. Roles of Fire and Rescue services are underpinned by the government through the Act to deal with a wider range of emergencies as well as contributing to national resilience. Government is provided with powers to purchase equipment as well as services towards promotion of effectiveness, efficiency, and economy of fire and rescue services. Fire fighters are given powers by the Act to cover situations where fire fighter believe that fire is about to happen. In getting enough information and investigation, the Act gives statutory powers to an authorized employee of fire and rescue authority to enter and investigate fire as well as obtaining required information to authorities for them to discharge full statutory duties. Fire and Rescue authorities are enabled by the Act through re-enacting its provisions to provide local training centers. The provision regarding supply of water is also re-enacted by the Act. The Act re-enacts a provision in the fire and services act whereby it is an offence to give a false fire alarm. Integrated Risk Management Action Plan Several Integrated Risk Management Action Plans has been put in place by several Fires and recue services. They ensure effective strategies are put in place towards saving life by identifying, assessing as well as reducing and controlling risks. Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRPM) gives details of the strategic direction for future provision of fire and rescue services. Integrated Risk Management Action Plan 2010-2011 of Oxfordshire Fire Authority has been launched. This IRMP will provide strategic direction details for next three to five years. The strategy aims at saving lives in the homes and roads through identification, assessment, reduction and control of community risk from fire and other risks. Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue Service’s Integrated Risk Management Plan aims at making the organization become more responsive to needs that are identified locally as well as utilizing use of productive fire and rescue services resources according to Oxfordshire Fire Authority (2009, p. 98). Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service is also another fire service which developed covering a period between 2004/09. It outlined the intentions of improving fire safety in areas of Lancashire. During the IRMP duration, there have reductions in staff injuries, accidental dwelling fires, deliberate property and vehicle fires, and deliberate secondary fires. Conclusion Fire and Rescue services are vital in preventing any type of risks that may occur in the society. However, there is need to manage well those organizations in order to ensure the risks are reduced to minimum. Good management of fire will ensure that appropriate fire safety procedures are carried out as well as taking fire preventative measures. Good fire management will also ensure fire equipments and resources are maximally utilized in reducing fire risks in the society. Fire risk assessment aims at identifying the fire hazards, reducing the risks of fire hazards that cause harm to be as low as possible. There are three main things that are taken into consideration during fire risk assessment. They include ignition sources, fuel and air. All these need to be well managed in order to ensure there is reduced fire accidents. This will also assist in reducing any risks due to fire. The Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 puts prevention to be the main pillar of Fire and Rescue Services. The Integrated Risk Management Action Plans ensure effective strategies are put in place towards saving life by identifying, assessing as well as reducing and controlling risks References Arthur, E 2003, Organizing for Fire and Rescue Services, Jones & Bartlett Learning, California. British Standards Institution 2005, Fire precautions act, The Stationary Office, London. British Standards Institution 2008, Fire detection and alarm systems for buildings, British Standards Institution, Oxford. Hirschler, M 2008, Fire hazard and fire risk assessment, ASTM International, Oxford. Nigel, S 2008, Fire risk management, The Association, London. Oxfordshire Fire Authority 2009, Oxfordshire Fire Authority integrated risk management plan & action plan, Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, London. Steven, W 2007, Risk Management in the Fire Service, PennWell Books, New York. Read More