Risk Assessment for the Accommodation for the Students - Report Example

Title: risk assessment Dated: June 6, 2010 Introduction: Risk Assessment is the process of careful examination of hazards as are linked with the eruption of the fire at the workplaces, residences and other areas of human activities. These hazards have the potential to cause harm to the persons, properties and infrastructures and the risk assessment mechanism provides a guideline for reducing to the damages to the minimum levels with the efficient utilization of the available resources both human and physical at the fireplaces. The mechanism helps all the related parties to deliver their respective assignments as in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Fire and Services Act 2004 as to improve their professional efficiencies in the field of Fire Management. These key personals of the human resources deliver their professional responsibilities with the observance of the five basic principles of the risk assessment in the residential places like that for the students. These five principles include like identification of the hazards as are associated with the hostel for the student, a decision that who might be harmed as in case of a fire incident at the accommodation for the students and how the harm will operate. The Risk Assessment will identify the hazards as are associated with the eruption of the fire in the building and will establish control measures to minimize the risks as are linked with the fire incidents. The administrators of the building are the key personnel for making suitable decisions for the formulation and implementation of the plan for the achievement of the desired results (Kai, 2009) (1). The accommodation center for the students is a vulnerable building for the eruption of the fire due to its structure, layout plan, geographic location and the pattern of its utilization by the inhabitants. The building is occupied by four major categories of the inmates which include students as the major component of the living population in the building , the technical staff as are linked with the kitchen of the accommodation with their supporting staff, security staff and the administrators of the building. The employers of the hostel are facing with the moral, legal, and economic considerations in all aspects for taking necessary steps for reducing the levels of the risks as are associated with the fire incidents in the building. Implementation of the guiding principles as are given in the Regulatory Reform Order 2005 provides a framework for the achievement of the objectives of the risk assessment. These rules include arrangements for carrying out a fire risk assessment for the accommodation for the students, a list of the potential hazards at the residential place for the students like a hostel as in the current scenario, and a list of the possible dangers as in case of the fire in the building. The identification of the vulnerable group that is the students in the building gives a clue to the top executives and the administrators for designing an effective strategy for lowering the levels of the risks to the minimum levels(NFPA )(2). Types of Risk Assessment: There are three major types of risk assessment for the accommodation for the students and all these risk assessments require an effective strategy for the achievement of the results in the shape of minimum losses to the life and property as the targets of the strategies. These risk assessment include generic, specific and dynamic risk assessments. a) Generic Risk Assessment: Generic Risk Assessment is a type of assessment of the risks, which are common to the activity that has standard control measures as established to reduce the risks associated with the hazards. The hazards as are linked with the accommodation of the students include the identification of the hazards such as naked flames in the kitchen of the accommodation, heaters as are located in the main halls and in the rooms, or some commercial process as are implemented in the building as for cooking food for the inmates of the building. The other sources include fuel for example built up wastes, display materials as in the form of curtains in the rooms and all other building materials. b) Specific Risk Assessment: Specific risk assessment takes the position of the generic risk assessment with the addition of the new factor as for the start of the process. The risk assessment is also called as tier 2 strategy. The type of strategy applied to the cases for the risks as are generated by the hazards, which are specific to the activities. For example, an event where new hazards are being introduced in to the building, the area for the fire incidents in which the activity is undertaken by the human factors as are present in the building likes the kitchen workers. Proper sensitization and capacity building viz- a- viz fire incidents in the building to the kitchen staff will help in the reduction of the fire cases at their initial stages. These hazards are of higher nature; therefore, need a proper focusing by the relevant administrator in the building along with the kitchen staff. A continuous training program will help in the achievement of the mitigation strategy for lowering the risks especially relating to the losses as in their physical shapes. A close coordination among all the four human elements of the building is necessary for the achievement of all the objectives of the core strategy for dealing with the fire incidents and risk assessments. Other factors need to be understood like a specific process in an inclusive zone of the building, materials as are utilized in the building for their utilization in the routine works, environmental factors, piece of equipments that are applied in the operational mechanisms are a significant part of the specific risk assessment. c) Dynamic Risk Assessment: Dynamic risk assessment works with all other risk assessments like generic risk assessment and specific risk assessment as in synergetic pattern for the achievement of the comprehensive results as part of the comprehensive strategy to deal with fire incidents in the building as is used as accommodation for the students. The dynamic risk assessment ensure a suitable risk mechanism covering all the foreseeable risks and are prepared in advance as an activity to draw a line for minimizing the damages to building as well as to the inmates. The vulnerable groups are advised to take precautionary measures to reduce the losses. This type of risk assessment covers all the aspects including potential changes as part of immediate response with minimum times. The responsible person as to carry out the segments as in a coordinated mechanism applies the risk assessment. A responsible person in this category is the caretaker of the building with the assistance of the administration. These personnel take legal strength from the relevant provisions of the Fire and Rescue Service Act 2004 as are relating to engaging stakeholders. Risk Assessment sheet for the accommodation center for the students is as under: Risk Assessment – Record of significant findings Risk assessment for Building: The accommodation center for the students Location: Center of the city Assessment undertaken by Date: June 6, 2010 Completed by: Signature: Sheet number Floor/area: Use: Step 1 – Identify fire hazards Sources of ignition Lighter for the cigarettes , short circuiting and the kitchen area Sources of fuel: The materials as are present in the building like curtains, furniture, clothes and other allied materials. Sources of oxygen: Oxygen as present in the building as part of the air Step 2 – People at risk 1. Students 2. Staff of the kitchen 3. The administrators of the accommodation center The fire staff Step 3 – Evaluate, remove, reduce and protect from risk (3.1) Evaluate the risk of the fire occurring (3.2) Evaluate the risk to people from a fire starting in the premises (3.3) Remove and reduce the hazards that may cause a fire (3.4) Remove and reduce the risks to people from a fire 1. The administration of the center needs to instruct all the students not to smoke cigarettes at the center. 2. The staff of the center, students and the fir fighters is the prime target and need training as on modern lines for making necessary precautionary measures as to avoid any step, which may lead to the eruption of the fire in the building. 3. Use of insulating materials at the center will minimize electricity related fire incidents in the building. 4. The replacement of highly flammable materials with less flammable ones will decrease the chances of the fire incidents. Assessment/review date: June 6, 2010 Completed by Signature Review outcome : The chances of re-occurrence of fire in the building will be decreased The role of Local Fire Stations: The local fire stations work as a backbone of the risk assessments as are associated with the fire incidents of the buildings like that of the accommodation centers for the students. The students due to their irresponsible attitudes and actions are the agents for the start of the fire incidents in the building of their accommodation as these students have the elements like cigarettes, lighters for the cigarettes and other similar materials. The local fire stations are the first response centers as these are the receiving centers of the fire alarms as in the shape of calls from the site of the fire incidents. As a response, the mobility of the fire fighters and the ambulances help in the reduction of the losses at the site of the fire incident for example at the accommodation center for the students. The fire fighting equipment along with the trained human resources help in the reduction of the losses through the following key steps as in a coordinated arrangement as : a. Mobilization of the equipment and the trained manpower to deal with the emergencies as are developed in the accommodation center for the students to take them out from the site of the fire incident, b. An analysis of the scenario for deployment of the work force for the execution of the strategy for the evacuation of the stranded students from the building in a quick fashion and within the shortest possible time. The next immediate step includes shifting of the affected students to the emergencies of the nearby hospitals to treat the students, which have inhaled smoke during the fire incident in the accommodation center for the students. The injured students will be treated with oxygen as to replace the inhaled gases from the scene of the fire that is the accommodation for the students. c. Shifting of the injured fire fighters will also be part of the execution strategy as part of the risk assessment. Minor burns of the fire fighters will be treated as part of first aid at the emergency of the hospital. d. In addition, to communicate with all other stakeholders as part of the communication strategy for the establishment of calm and quiet environment at the site of the fire incidents. Fire Safety Risk Assessment steps: Fire Safety Risk Assessment revolves around the five major integrated steps, which move in a systematic and directional manner. These steps start from the identification of the hazards along with the source of ignition for the fire incidents and identification of the people at the risk sites (Franklin, 2001) (3). Similarly, evaluation, removal or reduction and protection from the risks, recording and review of the whole risk assessment process are the steps, which help in the understanding and handling of the fire incidents at the site of the fire incidents. These steps are as under: a) Identification of the fire hazards, b) Identification of the people at the risk as result of the fire incident in the buildings like accommodation center for the students , c) Evaluation, removal or reduction and protection from risk with the adoption of mitigation strategy at the site of the fire like that of accommodation center for the students, d) Recording ,planning ,information and training of the concerned personals for the execution of the plans for the achievement of the objectives of the mitigation plan ,and e) Review of the whole plan. All these steps are essential for the achievement of the desired results in the form of minimum losses during the fire incidents (Hubbard, 2009) (4). The administrators of the center could easily remove these hazards at the accommodation center for the students through the application of administrative and instructional arrangements. These mitigation steps include the following measures as in articulated manner as: 1. The evaluation of the risk of fire starting at the accommodation center for students provides hazards in the shape of cigarette smoking by some of the students. The administration of the center needs to instruct all the students not to smoke cigarettes at the center. The staff of the center as associated with the cooking and allied activities need to be trained as on modern lines for making necessary precautionary measures as to avoid any step, which may lead to the eruption of the fire in the building. 2. Use of insulating materials at the center will minimize electricity related fire incidents in the building. The use of the material will promote safety in the building and therefore the occurrence of the fire incidents will reduce. 3. The replacement of highly flammable materials with less flammable ones will decrease the chances of the fire incidents and thus risk assessment as in relation to the fire incidents in the accommodation center for the students. The introduction of safe smoking will help the administration to concentrate on the development of a strategy for the reduction of the fire incidents in the center and similarly minimum number of the fire eruption at the accommodation center. The risk assessment is a coordinated and well-planned activity with the participation of the human resources along with the physical resources. The human resources involve the participation of the students as through their modified behavior at the accommodation center, the staff of the center with necessary training as in connection with the fire incidents in the residential buildings with the utilization of portable fire extinguishers in the building(Cavanaugh, 1996)(5). Application of an effective fire- detection and warning system will provide assistance in the implementation of the strategy for the achievement of the desired results. The system will warn all the people at the accommodation center and the students will move towards the safer places in the building (Robert, 1993) (6). Conclusion: The students need to use safe routes during the incidents of the fire in the building. The safe routes provide easy escape routes within the minimum reaction time and therefore lowering in the rate of the fire incidents in the accommodation center for the students. The core objectives of the risk assessment as in the shape of minimum losses will be the outcome of the whole implementation strategy to deal with the fire incidents in the buildings like that of accommodation center for the students. The relevant provisions of the Fire and Rescue Service Act 2004 will guide the actions of all the relevant personals and the pattern as applied in current scenario will serve as a model program for the achievement of the similar results at other places of the fire incidents. References: 1. Huang, Kai. 2009. Population and Building Factors That Impact Residential Fire Rates in Large U.S. Cities. Applied Research Project. Texas State University. 2. NFPA Fire Protection Handbook, pg. 2-19 3. James Franklin, 2001: The Science of Conjecture: Evidence and Probability Before Pascal, Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 274 4. Douglas Hubbard, 2009. The Failure of Risk Management: Why It's Broken and How to Fix It, John Wiley & Sons, 5. Grant, Casey Cavanaugh, PE. (1996). The Birth of NFPA 6. Relyea; Robert G., Garnett; Edward V.: United States Patent Application, 1993. United States Patent and Trademark Office Read More