Introduction to Fire Safety Management

Identify fire hazards 
Identify:
Sources of ignition 
Sources of fuel 
Sources of oxygen
Identify people at risk 
Identify:
People in and around the premises 
People especially at risk
Evaluate, remove, reduce and protect from risk
Evaluate the risk of a fire occurring 
Evaluate the risk to people from fire 
Remove or reduce fire hazards 
Remove or reduce the risks to people
• Detection and warning 
• Fire-fighting 
• Escape routes 
• Lighting 
• Signs and notices 
• Maintenance
Record, plan, inform, instruct and train
Record significant finding and action taken 
Prepare an emergency plan 
Inform and instruct relevant people; co-operate and
co-ordinate with others
Provide training
Review
Keep assessment under review 
Revise where necessary

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Introduction to Fire Safety Management
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➤
Operations and maintenance (O&M) manual
➤
Records of storage – types/amounts of fl ammable 
materials
➤
Details of staff COSHH training (use, handling, stor-
age of fl ammable substances)
➤
Electrical and gas supply system records
➤
Portable electrical appliance test records
➤
Details of numbers of employees/others who may 
be on site
➤
Details of employees/others who may have any sens-
ory or physical impairment
➤
Details of staff fi re safety training
➤
Details of evacuation exercises (this may be included 
in the fi re log book)
➤
Fire log book:
➤
Extinguisher test records
➤
Emergency lighting test records
➤
Fire alarm and detection test records
➤
Sprinkler maintenance records (if fi tted to the 
building)
➤
Dry riser/other fi xed fi re fi ghting systems 
records
➤
Door holding device test records
➤
Smoke extract or pressurised system test 
records
➤
Generator test records
➤
Standard operating procedures for any hot work 
processes
➤
Hot works permits
➤
Maintenance records (gas units, plant tools and 
equipment)
➤
Other risk assessments that include fi re-related 
issues.
A large proportion of the above documentation may 
be available in the form of a fi re safety manual that may 
have been produced as part of compliance with the 
British Standard BS 5588-12:2004 Managing Fire Safety.
It is also likely that the fi re risk assessor/assess-
ment team may also need to have access to a variety of 
documents produced as part of the requirements of the 
Building Regulations (Approved Documents B and M), 
and a variety of British Standards such as BS 5839 Fire 
Alarm and Detection Systems and BS 5266 Emergency 
Lighting.
The risk assessor or assessment team is also likely to 
require access to key personnel who will have an in-depth 
knowledge of the facility and activities that are likely to go 
on within the premises. Such key players may be:
➤
Departmental/employer’s 
representative
➤
Property/building services manager or representative
➤
Facilities 
manager/supervisor
➤
Health and safety adviser
➤
Fire safety manager/adviser
➤
Landlord’s representative (landlord domain areas)
➤
Members of the fi re safety team (fi re safety coordin-
ator, fi re warden/marshal)
➤
Personnel/human resources (for training information)
➤
Members of the janitorial team
➤
Maintenance/electrical engineers (if in-house).
It is therefore prudent to ensure that arrangements 
are in place to interview or liaise with these key parties 
and in particular ensure that facilities or areas of facilities 
such as service risers, plant rooms, roof spaces, etc. are 
accessible.