Introduction to Fire Safety Management

Introduction to Fire Safety Management
332
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Being exposed to fi re or explosion while undertaking 
fi re fi ghting action
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Coming into contact with live electrical equipment 
due to degradation of wiring during a fi re
➤
Coming into contact with moving machinery while 
trying to shut down in the event of an emergency
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Being struck by a moving vehicle while evacuating
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Being assaulted by a person panicking in the event 
of a fi re.
The above list identifi es risks that may also need to 
be taken into account during the risk assessment process. 
The health risks, as previously mentioned (Chapter 5), 
also include the short- and long-term effects of coming 
into contact with chemicals and biological agents and 
must also include the potential for harm from psycholog-
ical effects such as occupational stress, post-traumatic or 
critical incident stress disorders for those involved in a fi re 
situation.
Many of the above issues may well not fi nd 
themselves recorded in a building specifi c fi re risk 
assessment record, neither should they if in the opinion 
of the risk assessor they present an insignifi cant risk. 
However, an assessment of each should be made and 
where required additional control measures considered 
and implemented and records of such assessments kept.
It may also be appropriate once the hazards have 
been identifi ed that a review of the inventories and risk 
assessment strategy takes place, to ensure that the 
hazards that pose a signifi cant threat are reprioritised 
accordingly.
Groups/persons at risk
To ensure that the risk assessment record meets the 
required standards it must identify the persons or groups 
of persons who may be at risk, particularly as a number 
of control measures may be specifi c to these groups of 
people, e.g. hearing impaired persons will need to be 
provided with an alternative to an audible warning device.
A defi nitive list of those that should be considered 
can be found in Chapter 5. It is, however, generally the 
case that any persons who may be on a premises are 
likely to be at risk in the event of fi re but specifi c groups 
may be more at risk as indicated in the preceding 
paragraph. The mechanisms for recording those persons 
at risk are also wide and varied; however, it is often the 
case that those groups that are more at risk due to a 
specifi c circumstance are clearly identifi ed.
Such groups of people may include the following:
➤
Those directly involved with work within a facility, 
who may be working in a remote area such as a tank 
or vessel that could be diffi cult to evacuate from
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Contractors working on plant under noisy conditions 
such as air conditioning units in a roof plant room, 
who may not hear the alarm
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Visitors including those using meeting rooms who 
may be unfamiliar with the fi re safety management/
escape routes
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Members of the public particularly in large places of 
assembly such as shopping centres who may have 
no knowledge of where to go and what to do in the 
event of an emergency
➤
Young persons and children and their parents/
guardians who may attempt to fi nd them if they are 
separated (e.g. crèche facility in a sports centre)
➤
Those with physical impairments or sensory impair-
ment that may prevent awareness or response, due 
to their condition. It should also be noted that such 
conditions may be temporary as in the case of a 
broken leg
➤
Pregnant/nursing mothers who may be more sus-
ceptible to physical/mental stresses that could be 
affected by the need to undertake an emergency 
evacuation.