Fire Risk Assessment

Fire Solutions offer a complete FRA service-

Many companies will find it difficult to conduct a full onsite fire risk assessment, apart from trying to negotiate a maze of fire related questions, there is also a great deal of responsibility placed on the individual conducting the assessment, something most people find hard to cope with. Below are some guidance notes......if you still need help, then why not contact us.

To give you an indication of how long it will take, most small businesses will take approximately two days, this includes a full site survey and follow up report with action plan and any findings.

Once the FRA has been carried out it is important to record all findings in a manner that can be understood and open for inspection by the relevant fire authorities - all significant findings should be recorded and dealt with asap by introducing an 'action plan'

• The Workplace Fire Precautions Legislation brings together existing Health & Safety and Fire Legislation to form a set of dedicated Fire Regulations with the objective, to achieve a risk appropriate standard of fire safety for persons in the workplace

Employers are required to do the following:

• Carry out a fire risk assessment provide and maintain to the extent that it is appropriate,

• Determined by the fire risk assessment:
• Monitor & Review the risk assessment & revise as appropriate
• Inform staff of their representatives of the risks
• Plan for an emergency
• Provide staff information and training
• Nominate persons to assist

The risk assessment will take into account the above along with the following points listed below; upon completion of the survey a transcript will be prepared for each building highlighting all findings plus any action plans as a result of ‘significant risks’

Means For Detecting & Giving Warning in case of fire

Means of Escape & Emergency Lighting

Fire Safety Signs

Firefighting Equipment

Where the employer does not have control of all parts of the building - If the Workplace is shared with other persons, they should be informed of any significant risks identified. The person who has to any extent control (landlord, owner or other employer etc) has a responsibility to make sure the regulations are complied with, in the parts they control. This may require communication and co-operation between all parties to ensure co-ordination of fire safety provisions, firefighting measures, evacuation procedures etc.

Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations

Risk Assessment

A fire risk assessment helps you to identify all of the fire hazards and risks in your workplace. You can then decide whether they are acceptable or whether you need to do something to reduce or control them.
Who should do the risk assessment? Someone who has had sufficient training or has good experience or knowledge of fire safety.

We can take you through the process of making your fire risk assessment. Go through the steps below.

Step 1 - Identify the Fire Hazards

For fire to occur there must be a source of ignition, fuel and oxygen. If all three are present, and in close proximity in the workplace, then the risk of fire could increase. In the average workplace, fire hazards will fall into the first two categories, whilst the oxygen will be present in the air in the surrounding space. Occasionally oxygen can be found in chemical form (oxidising agents) or, as a gas in cylinders or piped systems.

Potential sources of ignition could include:

Naked flames, smokers materials, matches, pilot flames, gas/oil heaters, gas welding, cookers, arson, etc.;
Hot surfaces, heaters, engines, boilers, machinery, lighting (e.g. halogen lamps), electrical equipment, etc.;
Hot work, welding, grinding, flame cutting.;
Friction drive belts, worn bearings, etc.; and
Sparks, static electricity, metal impact, grinding, electrical contacts/switches, etc.
Potential sources of fuel: anything that burns is a potential fuel, examples include:

Solids, textiles, wood, paper, card, plastics, rubber, PU foam, furniture, fixtures/fittings, packaging, waste materials, etc.;
Liquids, solvents (petrol, white spirit, meths, paraffin, thinners, etc), paints, varnish, adhesives, etc.; and
Gases, LPG, acetylene.
Your risk assessment should list the potential sources of ignition and fuels that are present in your workplace.

Step 2 - Identify People at Risk

If there is a fire, the greatest danger is the spread of the fire, heat and smoke through the workplace. If this happens, the main risk to people is from the smoke and products of combustion, which can very quickly incapacitate those escaping. If a workplace does not have adequate means of escape or, if a fire can grow to an appreciable size before it is noticed, then people may become trapped or overcome by heat and smoke before they can evacuate.

Your assessment of risk to persons should include:

The likely speed of growth and spread of any fire, and associated heat and smoke (remember some fuels burn much faster and produce more toxic products than others do);
The numbers of persons working in the area including contractors, visitors, members of the public;
How will they become aware of any fire that occurs. Will any outbreak be conspicuous or will some form of fire detection and alarm system be required; and
How they will make their escape (can they make their way out quickly, easily and safely?).

Step 3 - Evaluating the Risks

Once the hazards, and the persons at risk have been recorded, you must assess the effect of any particular hazard on the occupants of the workplace, taking account of any existing control measures that are already in place. Once this has been done, you must decide if any further control measures are needed in order to reduce the risk to an acceptable level.

Further control measures may act to reduce the possibility of ignition, minimise the potential fuel load in the workplace, or assist persons to escape from the effects of a fire, should it occur.

They may fall into a number of different categories:

Fire safety management systems;
Means of escape;
Staff training;
Fire warning systems; and
Means of fighting fire.
Different control measures can be applied to reduce the risk to an acceptable level. For example, if the risk is the possibility of a fast growing fire, potential control measures could include one or any combination of the following:

Changing the process to use a slower burning fuel;
Removing all possible ignition sources;
Moving the hazard to an area that affects the minimum of persons, e.g. outside the premises;
Providing an additional exit/protected route to speed the escape of the occupants;
Providing a fire detection and alarm system to warn persons of the fire in its early stages;
Training the staff to reduce the possibility of a fire occurring, e.g. housekeeping/safe working practices; or
Providing appropriate firefighting equipment / fixed installation e.g. sprinkler system.
While this list is not exhaustive, and applies to one area of risk only, it is evident that there may be a number of different solutions depending on the nature of the situation.

If any areas of inadequacy are identified, an action plan must be included to show how the problem is being addressed. This should include time scales for achieving the required level of control and, specify who is responsible for the action.

If your workplace is situated in a relatively modern building it should already incorporate important control measures that were installed to meet the requirements of the Building Regulations. For example, fire escape staircases, fire lobbies, fire doors, emergency lighting etc. Many of these measures will also be found in older buildings.

You should include details of these existing control measures in your fire risk assessment. Remember, a full understanding and evaluation of the existing control measures is essential - it is your starting point for deciding if any further action is necessary.

Step 4 - Record your Findings

If you employ five or more employees, not necessarily in one workplace, you must record the significant findings of your risk assessment, together with details of any people that are at particular risk. More importantly, the record must show whether the existing control measures are adequate and, if not, what further action is required to reduce the risk to an acceptable level.

Remember to make sure any control measures identified or introduced remain effective by testing and maintaining them regularly. For larger workplaces you are encouraged to include a simple floor plan in your fire risk assessment. You can use the plan to record fire hazards and control measures in a simple format that is easily understood.

If your workplace has a fire certificate issued under the Fire Precautions Act you may wish to cross reference your fire risk assessment with your fire certificate plan.

Step 5 - Review and Revise

It is important to remember that fire risk assessment is a continuous process and as such must be monitored and audited. New and existing control measures should be maintained to make sure they are still working effectively.

However, if you introduce changes into your workplace your original risk assessment may not address new hazards or the associated risks. For this reason it is also important to review and revise your assessment regularly.

This doesn't mean that it is necessary to amend your assessment for every trivial change that occurs, but the impact of any significant change should be considered. For example:

A new work process may introduce additional fuels or ignition sources;
Changes to furniture layout or internal partitions could affect the ability for employees to see a fire and escape in time;
Increasing the number of employees may mean that a fire exit is now too small to cope with their escape within a safe period.; and
Occupying another floor of the building may mean that an electrical fire warning system is now necessary, etc.

The above list is not exhaustive and any change that could lead to new hazards or risks should be considered