Fire and Safety Management Plan Media Factory Building - Case Study Example

Table of contents Introduction................................................................................................... 2 Fire safety policy statement.......................................................................... 2 Fire safety management structure................................................................. 3 Evacuation strategies.................................................................................... 3 Emergency response..................................................................................... 4 Fire alarm and detection............................................................................... 4 Sprinkler system (if any).............................................................................. 5 Fire prevention and arson awareness........................................................... 5 Routine procedures for staff......................................................................... 6 Selection and control of materials................................................................. 6 Maintenance and testing of fire safety systems............................................ 6 Decoration, alterations and extensions......................................................... 7 Staff training and fire drills.......................................................................... 7 Fire risk assessments.................................................................................... 7 Record keeping............................................................................................. 8 Audit and updating of this manual............................................................... 8 References and bibliography........................................................................ 9 University of Central Lancashire Fire Safety Management Plan Introduction The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 – RR (FS) O became effective from October 1, 2006. It is based on risk assessment and is applicable to all premises. RR (FS) O emphasizes that owners of buildings, those managing them and residents as well should do risk assessments, provide and keep appropriate fire precautions to safeguard the lives of people in those premises and to show the fire safety management plans they are using. In accordance with this law, the University of Central Lancashire will have this report as its fire and safety Management Plan for its Media Factory building. The building is used by students and local business owners. This plan will be stored in the building an agreed upon location. Proper use of this fire safety plan will help to create effective use of the life safety features located in the building to provide people with fire protection. This document will be kept within reach of the students, staff, fire officials and other building users to be use whenever there is an emergency. Fire safety policy statement The University of Central Lancashire has the sole aim of ensuring that all the students, staff, visitors, business people and other users of the Media Factory building get protection from the risks of fire. The university has put in place proper systems and procedures to help protect the working and academic environment to make sure that all fire systems and other related requirements get proper maintenance based on the appropriate legislation (Christian, 2003). The systems and procedures mentioned above are found in the fire safety management plan and the emergency evacuation procedures. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order, 2005 is applicable to the University of Central Lancashire. Fire safety management structure Fire safety management structure (Furness & Muckett, 2007). Evacuation strategies There are laid down provisions for the evacuation of people who are disabled as shown in the Fire and Emergency evacuation procedures. A senior staff member will oversee plans for fire marshalling and report about successful building evacuation or otherwise. The staff member will provide the below information to the leader of the fire appliance that arrives first (Grice, 2009). He/she will confirm if the building has been evacuated, and if there are some unchecked areas, the presence of dangerous substances within the building and the location of the seat of fire, how to get there or reach trapped persons. Academic staff and those facilitating events will ensure the evacuation of all students and reporting the progress to the senior member of staff available. Those who are disabled should receive help from others to evacuate if it is safe enough to do so. The nominated building manager will make arrangements for the evacuation of disabled individuals whenever there is an emergency. Such disabled people will be assessed and given a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan which describes the help they need and the escape routes (Ferguson & Janicak, 2005). Emergency response The evacuation of the building will follow laid down procedure in the fire and emergency procedures. If a fire alarm sounds before or after normal hours of business, those within the building at the time must move out. Fire systems within the university will be monitored and responded to by the Fire and Rescue service for Lancashire and the security department of the university. In case there is a fire alarm, the fire wardens responsible will follow the prescribed manner to ensure that the building is evacuated (Great Britain: Department for Communities and Local Government, 2006). The University Security Department personnel will follow the guidelines of the Security Emergency Procedure and they will be expected to carry out coordination of activities up to the time the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Services arrives. Fire alarm and detection Upon noticing a fire people should move away immediately, ring the alarm and call emergency services (Patterson, 2009). All those who hear the alarm must use the nearest escape route to evacuate the premises and gather at the designated assembly point. The premises have an electrical alarm system that has manual call points. It also has smoke and heat detectors. The main entrance has the fire alarm panel and alarm signals are relayed there. The alarm signal which is a siren is loud enough to be heard in the entire building. Every Monday morning will be the day of testing the system. The alarm siren is on for approximately 20 seconds. There will an announcement about weekly tests if they are to be held on other days (Patterson, 1993). Sprinkler system Fire fighting equipment for purposes of first aid is distributed in the whole of the building. All fire extinguishers are in agreement with the standards acceptable in the United Kingdom and are hung on walls. The bottom of the extinguisher is not too high and the people in the premises can easily reach it (Patterson, 1993). They may also be seen in permanent fire points. The size and weight of the fire extinguishers are very appropriate for use by those in the building. Managers of various departments have the responsibility of appointing and training the appropriate number of people to use the fire fighting system. Testing and maintenance of the sprinkler system is done in accordance with relevant standards and legislation (Grice, 2009). Fire prevention and arson awareness In case of an arson attack, the alarms may not be appropriate to evacuate building occupants because the alarm can agitate the attacker or can cause those people with no information to evacuate towards to field of fire of the attacker. Irresponsible behaviour that can trigger fires such as smoking will not be allowed in the building. Strangers will be frisked at the main entrance to ensure that arsonists do not find their way into the building (Furness & Muckett, 2007). Flammable materials should be labelled and kept in secure locations where people cannot tamper with them. Inspection will be done every week to ensure that people do not bring in unacceptable materials sand items which may cause fires. Occupants of the building will be required to avoid the use of electrical equipment ands wiring that is not safe. Flammable liquids should not serve the purpose of cleaning. Cloth soaked in flammable materials should be disposed off properly (Ferguson, & Janicak, 2005). Selection and control of materials Selected fire and safety specialists must be contacted when selecting the materials to be used on the building. This will help to ensure that the materials brought inside or used on the building are not flammable or explosive and that they pose no risk of fire. In accordance with appropriate legislation (the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order, 2005) the building fire and safety manager will ensure that only the proper and safe materials are selected for the building. Maintenance and testing of fire safety systems According to the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005, the fire safety systems will be tested and maintained regularly. Records of inspections, tests and checks will be stored and made available to relevant people whenever they request for them. The university must make arrangements to ensure the compliance of people with these requirements. The building fire and safety manager will contract a suitable fire and safety services company to be doing the testing and maintenance (The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order, 2005). Decoration, alterations and extensions Decorations, alterations and extensions will not be done on the building without approval and authority of the head of HS&E. Materials used for decoration on the building shall pass the flammability test before being used (Grice, 2009). Alterations and extensions on the building must be done with non combustible materials. Any such changes on the structure of the building must be done with consideration of emergency escape routes and ladders for use by fire fighters. Fire fighting equipment must also be installed in accordance with the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005 (Grice, 2009). Staff training and fire drills Training and fire drills are based on the procedures laid out in this fire safety plan and they include: Actions taken whenever a fire is discovered, action to be taken at the sound of the fire alarm, knowledge about emergency escape routes from the building and other features related to the emergency plan including fire marshalling, people needing help, proper shutting down of important equipment and other things. Training and fire drills will be done at least once in every one of the below time periods. New staff must be trained shortly after induction. Within 3 years, refresher training should be done. Equivalent fire drills will be done within a year or more frequently (Furness & Muckett, 2007). Fire detection and warning systems The building has a sufficient supply of fire and smoke signals and alarm systems. All the occupants of the building will be required to know from the drills and training how to know and react to fire and smoke signals and how to use and respond to fire alarms (Patterson, 1993). Any occupant of the building at the time the breaks out should be free to set on the fire alarm. There are automatic fire alarms as well in different parts of the building which can automatically go on whenever the sensors detect a fire or smoke. Fire risk assessments The head of HS&E must ensure that in accordance with the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005 requirements that the building concerned gets a formal fire and risk assessment (Furness & Muckett, 2007). The fire risk assessments will be revised if there are any good reasons to show that the assessment done at the first time in not valid at all. This could happen when the building has been refurbished, the occupations in the building have changed, there have been changes in activity, process or building contents or finally when there has been a fire or issues related to fire (Great Britain: Department for Communities and Local Government, 2006). Record keeping Records of fire safety precautions will be kept in different areas as explained below and will be produced for officers from the Fire Authority to inspect them. Details are dates of training, testing, maintenance and inspection of the below items will be recorded: means of fire detection and warning signs if there is fire, methods if fighting fire such as portable equipment and maintenance, lighting systems for emergency exits, training and instruction and fire drills (Grice 2009). Records will be kept about inspection dates, the date of maintenance and testing and the one responsible, the dates of reporting of defects and the steps taken to correct the defects and the date of correction and the one responsible. Audit and updating of this manual This manual will be audited and updated on monthly basis based on the requirements of the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005. A suitable auditor will be appointed by the university to carry out the audit on regular basis upon which he will propose recommendations for update. University staff acquainted with issues of fire and safety will therefore be tasked with the duty of updating the manual depending on the needs of that particular time. References Christian, S.D. (2003). A guide to Fire Safety Engineering. BSI, London. Ferguson, L., & Janicak, C. (2005). Fundamentals of Fire Protection for the Safety Professional. Government Institute, London. Furness, A., & Muckett, M., (2007). Introduction to Fire Safety Management. Routledge, Abingdon. Great Britain: Department for Communities and Local Government, 2006. Fire Safety Risk Assessment. TSO Shop, Norwich. Grice, A. (2009). Fire Risk: Fire Safety Law and its Practical Application. Thorogood Publishing, London. Patterson, J. (1993). Simplified Design for Building Fire Safety. Wiley, Chichester. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Retrieved from http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/1541/contents/made. on February 8/ 2013. Bibliography Fire Safety Risk Assessment - Means of Escape for Disabled People (Supplementary Guide). Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/14898/fsra- escape-disabled.pdf. on February 8/ 2013. Fire Safety Risk Assessment - Large Places of Assembly, Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fire-safety-risk-assessment-large-places-of- assembly. Fire Safety Risk Assessment - Open Air Events and Venues, Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/14891/fsra-open-air.pdf. on February 8/ 2013. Fire Safety Risk Assessment - Educational Premises. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/14887/fsra-educational-premises.pdf. on February 8/ 2013. Read More