Fire Regulation

Research
Building Analysis
Laura Fernndez
2016/2017

For making the research I used;

Fire safety risk assesment: means of scape for dissabled people
Fire safety - Approved document B - Volumen 2: Buildings other than dwelling houses
Fire safety risk assesment - educational premisses.

There are 5 key steps in a fire safety risk assessment:

1. Identify fire hazards for example, how could a fire start? What could burn?
2. Consider the people who may be at risk for example, staff, children, visitors to the premises, and anyone who may be particularly vulnerable such the elderly and disabled people.
3. Evaluate and act - think about what you have found in steps 1 and 2 and remove and reduce any risks
to protect people and premises.
4. Record, plan and train - keep a record of what risks you identified and what actions you have taken to
reduce or remove them. Make a clear plan of how to prevent fires and, should a fire start, how you will
keep people safe. Make sure your staff know what to do in the event of a fire and if necessary that
they are trained for their roles.
5. Review - regularly review your risk assessment to ensure it remains up to date and reflects any changes
that may have occurred.

How is RRO enforced?

The responsibility for supervision and control of compliance with the RRO lieswith the local fire authorities who have the legal power to enforce the RRO where necessary. In practice fire brigades will tend to
concentrate on premises with a high fire risk.

What security issues affect fire safety and arson prevention in schools?
Since arson is the main cause of school fires, there is a considerable overlap between fire prevention and
site security.
The following checklist is based on the risk assessment method for school security given in the booklet
Managing School Facilities, Guide 4, Improving Security in Schools, produced by the Department for
Education and Employment - Capital and Buildings Division.
1. Trespass: Are trespassers commonly present in school grounds?
2. Vandalism: Does the school suffer from frequent and costly vandalism?
3. Intruders: Are there poor locks and no intruder alarm system fitted?
4. Arson: Has the school itself or schools in locality suffered from break-ins or arson attacks?
5. Site security: Are the school buildings easy to reach, e.g. Perimeter has weak points or no fencing at all?
6. Out of hours use of school facilities: Are there many security problems due to out of hours use, special
risks (e.g. bars, social clubs)?
7. Community ethos and support for the school: Does the school suffer from insignificant parent or community involvement or negative attitudes?
8. Condition and appearance of buildings: Are buildings badly kept andin state of disrepair, with graffiti
and vandalism a problem? Undersides of temporary buildings open to rubbish accumulation and arsoBuilding Analysis - Laura Fernndez

nists?
9. Recesses and internal courtyards: Are there numerous places for intruders to hide and start fires unobserved?
10. Roof: Is access to roofs and upper windows easy, e.g. building features providing natural ladders, low
eaves, landscape features?
11. Security lighting: Is there no lighting or lighting in the wrong place?
12. Surveillance: Are there any remote buildings with no effective surveillance?
13. Fire detection and sprinkler systems: Is automatic fire detection or a sprinkler system in place?
Further information can be found in, How to combat arson in schools, published by the Arson Prevention Bureau. This provides a vulnerability assessment, a checklist for the headteacher and a monthly
checklist for the site manager.

If my Fire Risk Assessment recommends a fire detection system upgrade for my school,
what is the best technology available today?
One of the most significant advancements over the past few years has been the introduction of fire detection systems that use digital technology. For school premises that are often subjected to refurbishments,
extensions and classrooms used for a variety of means - digital technology allows greater flexibility when
there is a need to upgrade or adapt an existing system as the robust nature of digital data transfer allows
older cabling to be re-used in many instances and digital technology can work effectively alongside existing analogue systems. The move to digital systems has also helped improve the sophistication of fire
detection systems. When it comes to schools that might require a complex evacuation procedure, digital
systems offer intelligent programming, which allowsfor a staged evacuation. The system will read the situation and help manage a pre-programmed approach, based on the development of a fire. Fire detection
technology has advanced to such a degree that areas of a school considered particularly vulnerable to the
risk of a fire, in most cases can be fully protected - while at the same time help to reduce the risk of false
alarms. This is a critical element for schools as false alarms can be disruptive and cause students and staff
to become complacent when an alarm sounds and it is a real fire.

Checklist
The following checklist is based on the guide, Fire Safety, Risk Assessment for Educational Premises,
produced by the Department for Communities and Local Government. It aims to help you understand
and comply with the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005.
Step 1: Identify fire hazards
Have you identified all potential ignition sources?
Have you identified all potential fuel sources?
Have you identified all potential sources of oxygen e.g. air vents, gas cylinders?
Have you made a note of your findings?
Step 2: Identifying people at risk
Have you identified who is at risk (including anyoneat increased risk due to mobility impairment
or other disability, lone workers or anyone with out-of-hours activities)?
Have you identified why they are at risk?
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Have you made a note of your findings?

Step 3: Evaluate, remove, reduce and protect from
Detection
Can the existing means of detection ensure a fire is discovered quickly enough for the alarm to be
raised in time for all the occupants to escape to a place of total safety?
Are detectors of the right type and in the appropriate locations?
Can the means of warning be clearly heard and understood by everyone throughout the whole
building?
Can the warning be initiated from a single fire call point?
Are there provisions for people or locations where the alarm cannot be heard?
If the fire-detection and warning system is electrically powered, does it have a back-up power supply?
Fire fighting equipment and facilities
Are the extinguishers suitable for the purpose?
Are there enough extinguishers sited throughout the premises at appropriate locations?
Are the right types of extinguishers located close to the fire hazards and can users get to them without exposing themselves to risk?
Are the extinguishers visible and appropriately signposted with a fire point?
Have you taken steps to prevent the misuse of extinguishers?
Do you regularly check any other equipment provided to help maintain the escape routes?
Do you carry out daily checks to ensure that there is clear access for fire engines?
Are those who test and maintain the equipmentcompetent to do so?
Escape routes
Does your building have sufficient and suitable protected fire doors?
Are any holes or gaps in walls, ceilings and floors properly sealed, e.g. where services such as ventilation products and electrical cables pass through them?
Can all the occupants escape to a place of total safety in a reasonable time?
Are the existing escape routes adequate for the numbers and type of people that may need to use
them, e.g. staff, members of the public, young children, and disabled people?
Are the exits in the right place and do the escape routes lead as directly as possible to a place of
total safety?
If there is a fire, could all available exits be affected or will at least one route from any part of the
premises remain available?
Are all escape routes and final exits kept clear at all times?
Do all doors on escape routes open in the direction of escape?
Can all fire doors be quickly released e.g. automatic release, push-bar?
Can all final exit doors be opened easily and immediately if there is an emergency?
Will everybody be able to safely use the escape routes
from your premises?
Are escape routes kept free of combustible materials and fire doors properly closed e.g. not wedBuilding Analysis - Laura Fernndez

ged?
Are there any particular or unusual issues to consider e.g. non-standard escape routes?
Emergency escape lighting
Are your premises used during periods of darkness?
Are all escape routes properly lit (including outdoors to assembly points)?
Do you have back-up power supplies for your emergency lighting?
Signs and notices
Are escape routes and exits, the locations of fire fighting equipment and emergency fire telephones indicated by appropriate signs?
Have you provided fire warning notices for: information to staff, operating security devices on
doors, fire door signage, and fire action notices?
Are all signs attached and information and keys (where necessary) readily available to the fire and
rescue service for; location of water suppression stop valves, fire hydrants, gas lock-off, electricity
lock-off and the storage of hazardous substances, including zoned areas?
Do you have Fire, Emergency & Evacuation Procedures in place which are: Readily available and
displayed?
Approved by the Fire & Rescue Service? Reviewed at least annually or when they may become
invalid?
Maintenance
Do you have arrangements for; daily, weekly, monthly, six monthly and annual checks and tests?
Do you regularly check all fire doors and escape routes and associated lighting and signs?
Do you regularly check all your fire fighting equipment?
Do you regularly check your fire-detection and alarm equipment?
Are those who test and maintain the equipment competent to do so?
Do you keep a log book to record tests and maintenance?
Do you have the necessary procedures in place to maintain any facilities that have been provided
for the safety of people in the building (or for the use of fire fighters, such as access for fire engines
and fire fighting lifts)?
Evaluate, remove, reduce and protect risks by:
Evaluating the risk to people in your building if a fire starts:
Have you removed or reduced sources of ignition?
Have you removed or reduced sources of fuel?
Have you reduced or controlled sources of air or oxygenin the event of fire?
Have you removed or reduced arson risks (e.g. by securing building/site access and controlling
waste disposal arrangements)?
Removing or reducing the hazards that might cause a fire
Have you removed or reduced the risks to people in the event of a fire by:
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Providing fire detection and fire warning?

Providing fire fighting equipment?
Determined whether your general lighting and emergency lighting are adequate?
Checking that you have adequate signs and notices?
Regularly testing and maintaining fire safety equipment?
Considering whether you need any other equipment or facilities?
Step 4: Record, plan, inform, instruct and train
Record
Have you recorded the significant findings of your risk assessment with an action plan?
Have you recorded what you have done to remove or reduce the risk?
Has your risk assessment been signed off and accepted by your line manager/senior person responsible for the building/site?
Are your records readily available for inspection?
Emergency Plans
Do you have an emergency plan and are the details recorded?
Does your plan take account of other emergency plans applicable to the building/site, including
contingency plans?
Is the plan readily available for anyone to read?
Co-operation and co-ordination
Are staff told about the emergency plan?
Are guests and visitors informed about what to do in an emergency?
Are people identified to perform particular task e.g. fire wardens, incident officers, risk assessors,
first-aiders, (and where necessary, persons nominated to call the fire brigade)?
Are staff given information about any dangerous substances?
Do you have arrangements for informing temporary/ agency staff?
Do you have arrangements for informing other employers whose staff are guest workers in the
premises, such as maintenance contractors and cleaners?
Are your fire safety arrangements co-ordinated with other responsible people in the building?
Are details recorded of any information or instructions you have given and the details of any arrangements for co-operation and co-ordination with others e.g. permit to work, out-of-hours working
procedures, building or alterations works schedules?
Training
Do staff receive relevant information, instruction and training on fire safety as part of local induction?
Have your staff received fire safety awareness training?
Have all staff identified to carry out specific tasks (e.g. risk assessors, incident officers, fire wardens, first-aiders and nominated persons to call the Fire Brigade) received suitable and sufficient
training?
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Are training sessions recorded?

Have you carried out a fire drill recently?
Are employees aware of specific tasks if there is a fire e.g. Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans
(PEEPs) for mobility and temporarily impaired staff use of buddy systems/evacuation chairs etc,
fire wardens, incident officers?
Are joint training sessions and fire drills carried out for multi-occupied buildings?
If you use, store or produce hazardous or explosive substances, are your staff informed, instructed
and trained appropriately?

Where do we have to put fire extinguishers?

To avoid putting workers in danger, fire extinguishers should be located throughout the workplace and
readily accessible in the event of a fire. [29 CFR 1910.157(c)] You can usually find them in hallways, laundry rooms, meeting rooms, kitchens, mechanical/electrical rooms, and near exit doors.
Selection and Placement:
If employees use portable fire extinguishers, they must be selected and positioned based on the potential
type and size of fire that can occur. [29 CFR 1910.157(d)(1)] The following guidelines will help you identify the number and types of portable fire extinguishers you should have.
Type of Fire
Size and Spacing
Class A
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends that locations such as offices, classrooms, and assembly halls that contain mainly Class A combustible materials have one 2-A extinguisher
for every 3,000 square feet. [Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers (NFPA 10 (2010), Table 6.2.1.1,
Fire Extinguisher Size and Placement for Class A Hazards)].
Class C
Class C extinguishers are required where energized electrical equipment is used. The extinguisher size
and spacing is based on its Class A or B hazard. [29 CFR 1910.157(d)(5)]
Class D
Locations where combustible metal powders, flakes, shavings, or similarly sized materials are generated
at least once every two weeks must install Class D portable fire extinguishers not more then 75 feet from
the hazard. [29 CFR 1910.157(d)(6)]
Class K
Locations where potential fire hazards from combustible cooking media (vegetable or animal oils and
fats) exist must install Class K extinguishers at a maximum travel distance of 30 feet. [NFPA 10, Standard
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for Portable Fire Extinguishers. See Section 6.6, Installations for Class K Hazards]
Class B
Locations that contain Class B flammables, such as workshops, storage areas, research operations, garages, warehouses, or service and manufacturing areas requires that all employees have access to an extinguisher within 50 feet travel-distance. [29 CFR 1910.157(d)(4)]

Building Analysis - Laura Fernndez