Introduction to Fire Safety Management

Reviewing and revising the fi re risk assessment
Having completed the fi re risk assessment it must be 
kept under review to ensure that it remains valid. The fi re 
Worked example 5 – Persons cannot 
safely evacuate in the event of fi re
An employer (responsible person) whose 
main operations involve the use of a four 
storey offi ce facility has recently employed 
two physically disabled persons. The hazard 
that this presents is that the disabled per-
sons may take excessive time to escape to a 
place of safety.
Specifi c persons at risk are clearly the dis-
abled persons themselves but also those who 
may assist them to escape and potentially 
anyone else whom they may obstruct during 
the evacuation.
or health and safety policy must refl ect this and establish 
a programme to ensure that assessments are reviewed 
as part of an organisation’s management system and 
also to comply with the legal duties.
There are a number of circumstances that may 
affect the validity of the fi re risk assessment which 
include changes to the following.
The internal or external layout of the premises, 
which may affect:
➤
Means of escape (numbers, time taken to reach, 
accessibility, etc.)
➤
Compartmentation (changes to the lines of fi re 
resistance)
➤
Emergency lighting layout (numbers of units, pos-
itioning, illumination)
➤
Fire warning/detection systems (positioning, zoning, 
staged system).
The people or groups of people who may be affected:
➤
Larger numbers may affect the ability of the escape 
routes to cope in an emergency
➤
Ages of the persons who may resort to the premises 
such as children or elderly persons who may require 
additional assistance for evacuation
➤
Those with disabilities who may not be able to evacu -
ate on their own, hear the fi re alarm or otherwise 
respond.
Figure 14.6
HMG Guide to Means of Escape for 
Disabled People

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