Fire Warden

 

Does every workplace need a Fire Warden?

Yes. Under the Health & Safety at Work Act (H&SAWA 1974) and specifically the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (RRFSO 2005) an employer must carry out a comprehensive Fire Risk Assessment and then put suitable and sufficient controls in place to minimise the risk of fire, but also to be able to react appropriately should a fire occur.

An appropriate number of Fire Marshals must be available to ensure that in the event of a fire, while it remains safe to do so, the Fire Marshal will, amongst other things; ensure the alarm is raised, that emergency services are called, that the department, area or building is evacuated and carry out a roll call.

 

How many Fire Wardens are needed?

This will depend upon the nature of the business, size and complexity of the building, number of staff and any significant hazards present within the workplace.  A comprehensive Fire Risk Assessment will provide information to enable this calculation to be made. An employer must ensure that there are enough Fire Wardens to provide suitable cover for the building at all times when occupied.

 

Who can/should be a Fire Warden?

Anyone.  It is recommended that Fire Wardens are senior employees who have the appropriate knowledge and experience to enable them to fulfil the role should such an emergency arise. A formal Fire Warden Qualifications have proved extremely popular with good employers, it gives confidence to their staff and demonstrates a professional and robust approach to health and safety overall and to Fire specifically.

 

What training does a Fire Warden need?

A fire warden required a thorough knowledge of the premises and the hazards within. He or she also requires a thorough working knowledge of the company’s’ Emergency Action Plan and Emergency Evacuation Plan. 

A formal Fire Warden qualification is strongly recommended. It gives confidence and detailed understanding to those nominated as wardens and demonstrates an employers’ professional and robust approach to health and safety overall and to Fire specifically.

 

Need Fire Awareness or Fire Warden training?  Click here for our list of current courses or contact us now to discuss bespoke training for your staff.

 

How long does a Fire Warden Certificate last?

3years. After which the award expires and a new Fire Warden course must be attended.

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Where can I get more help with my Fire arrangements?

DutyMet would be delighted to give you help and advice regarding your fire arrangements, Fire Awareness and Fire Warden training. Contact us today.

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Fire Risk Assessment

 

Why does an employer need to carry out a Fire Risk Assessment?

This is a legal requirement under the Health and Safety at Work Act (H&SAWA 1974), the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (MHSAWA 1999) and specifically the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (RRFSO 2005)

An employer must carry out a comprehensive Fire Risk Assessment and then put suitable and sufficient controls in place to minimise the risk of fire, but also to be able to react appropriately should a fire occur. Where an employer has five or more employees, the risk assessments must also be documented.

 

What risks does this need to include?

A Fire Risk Assessment will cover a wide range of hazards, assess the risks that they pose and ultimately indicate what control measures and fire precautions are needed.

Key areas it will cover include:

• Identifying any combustibles (materials which burn) these should be kept to a minimum in any organisation.

• Identify and sources of heal/ignition some are obvious such as heaters, boilers, cookers... others less so… chemical processes, electrical circuits etc.

• Identify any unsafe work practices or acts. Staff smoking area near combustible items, welding without heat shields etc.

• Identify any unsafe conditions. Things that might enable a fire to spread easily, open stairwells/corridors, extensive use of fabric wall coverings etc. 

• Identify who is at risk. Staff, customers, students, persons who are unable to react quickly.

• Evaluate and reduce the risks. Classify the various risks in terms of importance or seriousness (think high, medium, low, acceptable risk) then look at what you can do in order to remove or reduce the risk.

• Record the findings. A formal record of the significant findings and any measures proposed to deal with them must be recorded.

• Monitor & Review regularly. The Fire Risk Assessment is not a ‘do-once-and-forget’ item, it is important to review it regularly to ensure that fire safety arrangements remain appropriate e.g. if there is significant change to work activity, materials used or following an incident.

 

Who can carry out a Fire Risk Assessment?

Anyone. It is recommended that those who do carry out risk assessments have the appropriate knowledge and experience of the workplace to enable them to identify the hazard, assess the risk posed by that hazard and recommend any measures needed in order to eliminate or reduce that risk to a manageable level.  

A formal Health and Safety Management Qualification is strongly recommended such at the IOSH Managing Safely Award or the comprehensive NEBOSH National General Certificate together with Fire Awareness and Fire Warden qualifications. Employers who train their staff to this level, or engage professional with these qualifications demonstrate a professional and robust approach to health and safety.

 

When should an employer review or update the Fire Risk Assessment?

Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (MHSAWA 1999) risk assessments (including specific Fire Risk Assessments) should be reviewed ‘periodically’ (annually is typical). In addition, your assessments need to be reviewed when: conditions change as a result of the introduction of new machinery, processed or hazards; where there are changes in legislation, updated manufacturers guidance, changes to the workforce (e.g. new trainees), and also when there has been an accident or near-miss.

 

What Fire Fighting equipment should be provided?

This will vary considerably, and your arrangements will need to be tailored to your premises and business operation.

All commercial premises must have fire detection and warning systems in place. For some this may be the staff themselves as in simple uncomplicated working environments the staff are likely to smell burning or see smoke if a fire develops.  Where the building is more complicated and/or there are areas less used, in which a fire could start and go undetected, then some form of automatic detection should be fitted. The need for this type of system increases dramatically where you have higher risk processes and materials, and/or vulnerable people e.g. in a school, hospital or care facility.

As for fire fighting equipment, your Fire Risk Assessment will lead you to conclude what/which of the various options available are needed… from simple fire extinguishers, fire blankets, specialist extinguishers, sprinkler systems, automatic door closure systems and more.

 

Where can I get more help with my First Fire Risk Assessment?

DutyMet can help with all aspects of your Fire Risk Assessment process and wider Health and Safety policy and arrangements. Contact us today