Introduction to Fire Safety Management

see also
Risk assessment
Fire risk assessment process, 
329–39
the emergency plan, 338–9
in multi-occupied and more 
complex premises, 338
must be recorded, 338
purpose of, 338
practical steps, 329–30
access to key personnel, 330
documentation, 329–30
documents, from Building 
Regulations and British 
Standards required, 330
recording the assessment, 331–3
additional control measures, 333
closing the assessment out, 333
evaluating existing control 
measures, 332–3
groups/persons at risk, 332
hazards, primary and secondary, 
331–2
introduction, 331
management arrangements, 331
reviewing and revising the fi re risk 
assessment, 337–8

---

Index
410
Fire risk assessment process 
(
continued
)
reviewing and revising the fi re risk 
assessment (
continued
)
internal/external layout of the 
premises, 337
people or groups who may be 
affected, 337
plant affecting the primary hazards, 
338
procedures in place, 338
the work processes, 338
worked examples, 333–8
persons cannot safely evacuate in 
the event of fi re, 336–7
persons in premises unaware of 
fi re, 335–6
rapid fi re spread in the workplace, 
335, 336
sources of fuel that may assist fi re 
growth, 334–5
sources of ignition allowing the fi re 
to start, 333–4
Fire risk assessor/assessment team, 
documentation for, 329–30
Fire risk controls/control systems, 328–9
and principles of prevention, 101–2
Fire safety:
business case for management of, 
4, 5
moving machine parts subject to 
planned preventive maintenance, 
51
needs clear and effective 
management system, 30
responsible person main duty holder 
(RRFSO), 13–14
risks associated with contractor 
within buildings, 159
Fire Safety – An Employers Guide
, joint 
government-HSE guidance, 250
Fire safety arrangements, 159
contractor management and review, 
279–80
provision of safety signage, 65
Fire safety coordinator, role, 41
Fire safety equipment, adequately and 
routinely maintained and tested, 
231
Fire safety foundations:
basis of system for managing safety, 
26–8
defi nition, 1–2
nature and sources of safety 
information, 25–6
scope and nature, 2
Fire safety inspection report reviews, 
279
Fire safety management, health and 
medical surveillance in relation 
to, 271–2
Fire safety management systems, audit 
of, 275–8
aim of, 276
auditors and composition of audit 
team, 277–8
differences between monitoring 
performance and auditing, 276
fi re safety audit described, 275–6
key stages, 276–7
agreeing a protocol, 276
close-out presentation, 277
gathering evidence, 277
preparation, 277
report fi ndings, 277
scoping the audit, 277
purpose of an audit, 276
report, outlines system’s strengths 
and weaknesses, 277
Fire safety manager, 40–1, 262
additional responsibilities in large and 
complex organisations, 41
conduct of inspections, 273–4
responsibilities outlined, 40–1
Fire safety manual (log book), 274, 330
monitoring and reviewing, 41
should refl ect required schedules and 
performance standards, 272
Fire safety policy, 33–4
elements of fi re safety arrangements 
section, 34
Fire safety reviews, 41
Fire Safety Risk Assessment(Guidance 
Note), 7
Fire safety signs, 213–15, 396
Fire safety systems:
facilities inspection team involved in 
inspection programme, 274
maintenance and testing, 231
monitoring, auditing and reviewing, 
268–83
active safety monitoring 
procedures, 269–72
auditing fi re safety management 
systems, 275–8
benefi ts of monitoring and 
measuring, 269, 270
conducting workplace inspections, 
272–5
reviewing performance, 278–80
reviews as part of ongoing 
programme, 279
Fire safety training, 70–1
general topics to cover, 71
for those with roles relating to fi re 
safety management, 71
Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 (FSA), 17–18
covers same ethos as RRFSO, 17
powers of the Fire and Rescue 
Service, 298
safety measures (Schedule 2), 17–18
Fire service access and facilities, 
231–6
adequate means for isolating 
services, 235
fi re fi ghters’ switches for luminous 
tube signs etc., 235, 236
gas and other service isolations, 
235
adequate means of venting heat and 
smoke from basements, 234–5, 
236
mechanical ventilation provision, 
235
suffi cient fi re mains, 233–4
dry rising mains, 233, 234
falling mains, 233
foam mains, 233
hose reels, 234
water ring mains and hydrants, 
234
wet rising mains, 233
suffi cient internal access, 232–3
provision of internal fi re fi ghting 
shafts for fi re fi ghters, 232–3
requirement for a fi re fi ghting lift, 
233
suffi cient vehicle access, 231–2
access for high reach appliance 
and pumping appliances, 232
larger buildings require clear 
access to more than one side, 
231
parking, needs clear instructions in 
place, 232
take into account fi re exits and 
assembly points, 232
Fire services, data from available via 
DCLG, 92
Fire shutters, 173, 184
fi re resistant roller shutters (FRRSs), 
184
materials used for, 184
roller shutters to be fi tted with 
automatic self-closing devices, 
184
Fire spread, external, prevention of, 
187–8
combustibility of roof coverings, 188
construction of external walls, 197
fi re resistance, 188
space separation, 187
unprotected areas, 188
Fire spread, principles of, 122–6
conduction, 123
by means of metal pipes and 
frames, 123
convection, 122–3
and the effects of smoke, 123
direct burning, 124
fi re growth, 124–6
affected by building construction 
and layout, 124–5
and building use, 125–6
fi re growth rates, 124
fi re loading within the building, 126
use of sandwich panel walling, 125
ventilation, 125
radiation, 122, 123–4
factors in, 187–8
fi re radiation paths, 123–4
restriction of in high-rise buildings, 
195
Fire warning signals, 251–3
audible alarm signals, 251–2
correct alarm choice, 251
effectiveness of speech warnings, 
251

---

Index
411
emergency voice communications 
(EVC) systems, 251–2
needs simple system for confi rmation 
and activation of emergency 
procedure, 251
for people with impaired hearing, 
252
may be provided as portable 
equipment (radio pagers), 252
visual alarm systems may be 
necessary, 252
portable alarm devices, 
supplementing primary warning 
system, 252–3
visual alarm systems, 252
beacons, 252
Fire in the workplace, following 
response procedures, 32
Fire-related events:
investigations, 293–5
types of events, 293–5
reporting of, 292–3
dangerous occurrences, 293
personal injuries, 292
types of accidental fi res, 293–4
deliberately set fi res, 294
false alarms, 294–5
types of, 293–5
Fire-related investigation procedures, 
basic, 295–302
arson prevention, 302
equipment faults, 296
fi re investigation process, 300–1
health and safety when investigating, 
298–9
human errors, 296
identifying causes and risk control 
measures, 301–2
investigating cause of false alarms, 
295
investigating causes of fi res, 296, 
297, 307–10
liaison with other parties, 299–300
malicious acts, 296
powers of the Fire and Rescue 
Service, 298
supplementary powers, 298
preserving the scene, 299
the process, 295–6
Fire-related investigation procedures, 
basic .activities near detectors, 
296
Fires:
dealing with the aftermath, 302–3
business continuity, 303
employees, 303
neighbours, 03
the site, 302–3
deliberately set, 294
economic cost of in UK, 285
identifying causes and risk control 
measures, 301–2
fi re risk control strategies, 301–2
root causes, 301
investigating causes of, 296, 297, 
307–10
preservation of scene undisturbed, 
299
reporting:
all should be reported to local Fire 
Service, 299
joint investigations, 300
some fi res must be reported to 
HSE under RIDDOR, 299
self-extinguishing, 298
Fires, accidental, 136–41
analysis of supposed causes, 293–4
chemical and LPG (hazardous 
materials), 139
CHIP 2000 classifi cations of 
dangerous substances, 139
LPG gas cylinders a serious risk, 
139
cookers, associated cooking 
equipment and installations, 
137–8
failure of heat controlling devices, 
138
gas cookers, fi res caused by faulty 
systems, 138
electrical appliances and 
installations, 136–7
electric ‘arcing’ (or sparking), 137
loose wiring connections, 137
overloaded wiring, 136–7
heaters and heating systems, 138
naked lights and fl ames, 138
halogen lighting, 138
inappropriate use of lighting units, 
138
naked fl ames and human error, 138
other signifi cant hazards, 140–1
electrostatic discharges, 140
lightning strikes, 140
poorly maintained mechanical 
equipment, 140
poor design and installation, 138
smokers and smokers’ materials, 140
types of, 293–4
vehicle fi res, 141
combustible materials in, 141
waste and waste management 
systems, 140
poor disposal arrangements, 140
Fires and other adverse events, 284–91
basic investigation procedures, 
287–90
agreeing and implementing an 
action plan, 290
analysing information, 289
establishing the cause, 288
gathering information, 288–9
identifying risk control measures, 
289–90
involving others, 288
level of investigation, 287–8
sources of information, 289
categories of injury causation, 286–7
classifi cation of adverse events, 286
near misses, 286
internal systems for managing 
adverse event data, 291
reasons for investigation, 285
role and function of investigation, 
285–6
policy requirements, 285–6
Fires and road traffi c accidents, 353
Firewater run-off, 320–1
generation and containment, 321
Flame propagation, most common 
mode defl agration, 127
Flammable liquids, 139, 165
external storage, 151, 152
management of works involving, 
156
Flammable materials/substances, 
126
effective management of prior to 
starting operations, 156
fi re risk in construction and 
maintenance, 143
inadequate arrangements for safe 
waste disposal, 143
lack of competency in use, 143
provision of Materials Safety Data 
Sheets (MSDS), 120–1
Flashover, defi ned, 172
FPA (Fire Protection Association), 26
data from the insurance industry, 92
FRSA (Fire and Rescue Services Act 
(2004)), 17, 298, 352–5
Fuel, defi nition, 116
Fuel hazard, aerosol containers:
immediate action, 334
limited control measures, 334–5
need to reduce number of aerosols 
stores, 335
Fuel/air cloud:
confi ned:
accelerating fl ame front, 128
weak ignition source, slow burning 
defl agration, 128
unconfi ned and unobstructed, fl ame 
velocity, 128
Gas Appliances (Safety) Regulations 
(1992), 378–9
Gas explosions, 127, 130, 131
Gas Safety (Installation and Use) 
Regulations (1998), 379
Gas systems/appliances, likely to 
become ‘fail safe’, 149
Glass, use of in buildings, 180–1
glazing system requirements for 
gasses vary, 180–1
insulating glass, 180
non-insulating glass, 180
Halogen lighting, 138, 150, 162
Halon gases in fl ooding systems:
replacement, HFC-227ea fi re 
suppression agent, 221
use discontinued, 221
Harm, defi ned, 84
Hazard:
defi ned, 2, 84
presents risk, causing accident/injury, 
ill health, damage or loss, 90

---

Index
412
Hazardous Installation Directorate, 
report on chemical warehouse 
hazards, 126
Hazardous substances, 52–4
CHIP labelling and classifi cation of 
substances supplied, 52–3, 58
dangerous substances controlled by 
DSEAR, 53
management of in the workplace, 52