Employers are liable if Fire Safety Tasks to non Trained Employees

With all the hoo ha going on with the election, you may have missed that a new regulation being quietly introduced by the now previous government relating to fire safety.

Fire Safety Regulations 2010

The Fire Safety (Employees’ Capabilities) (England) Regulations 2010 was slipped into law on 6 April 2010 to plug a gap in the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (or FSO – the main fire legislation) after realising that when the FSO was written they missed out a piece that was required by Europe.

The new regulation has only one requirement: that employers delegating fire safety tasks take into account the fire safety capabilities of employees (this was already implied but is now made an explicit requirement.

In other words, if you give important fire safety jobs and responsibilities to staff who are not competent, you will probably be in breach of the law.

This means if you fail to train staff appropriately in their roles, enforcement action, in the form of notices and even prosecution and fines, is a real possibility.

Therefore, if you delegate staff to do fire risk assessments, weekly fire alarm tests, monthly emergency lighting tests, fire safety equipment checks, or Fire Warden duties, etc, you need to ensure they have the right skills, knowledge and experience to do it properly, what to do if there is a problem and be satisfied that they are capable and competent for the task depending on complexity.

This is a good time to ensure risk assessments, standards, training and supervision are appropriate, up-to-date and the provisions of your health and safety policy are being applied in practice.

For help and advice on staff training needs, please contact Firecrest on 0800 783 05 88 or send us an email and we will contact you.

Fire Safety Breaches Restaurant Fined

A former restaurant manager has been ordered to pay over £7,000 in fines and costs after pleading guilty to serious breaches of fire safety legislation following a prosecution brought by the London Fire Brigade.

Mr Wei Chen, who was managing Kan’s Chinese and Thai Cuisine at the time of the breaches, admitted guilt on 10 contraventions of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Sentencing occurred on Monday 26 October 2009 at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court.

In June 2007, visiting fire inspectors discovered a number of fire safety breaches and an enforcement notice was issued requiring Mr Wei Chen to remedy the faults by 11 April 2008. A further inspection took place on 29 April 2008 and all of the fire safety breaches were still evident. These included no fire warning system, no fire exit signs and inadequate fire safety training to staff. There was also no fire risk assessment done for the premises. It was noted in court that there had been a history of non compliance with fire regulations dating back to December 2005.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order places a duty on a defined ‘responsible person’ for the premises (the person who controls the premises e.g. a landlord/manager/owner) to carry out a fire risk assessment, take appropriate measures to minimise the risk of fire and implement general fire precautions to protect people in the premises if a fire occurs. The assessment and the fire precautions must be kept under review by the ‘responsible person’.

In this case Mr Wei Chen was the responsible person. Assistant Commissioner for fire safety regulation Steve Turek said:

“Knowing about fire safety is not an option, if you are the responsible person it is a necessity and if people do not adhere to the legislation then as shown in this case we can prosecute.

The general public should feel safe from fire when going out to places like restaurants and the responsible person must make sure their premises comply with the regulations.

All premises owners and operators must undertake a fire safety risk assessment, which is now mandatory, act upon its findings and put in place an emergency plan.”

To avoid being in this position, you could ask Firecrest UK Ltd. to complete a fire risk assessment and advise you on what you need to do to ensure this sort of thing doesn’t happen to YOU!

For details in how we can help you ensure you are fully compliant with current legislation, please contact us on 0800 783 0588 or send us your details and we will contact you.

Dry Riser Testing

The person responsible for a building or site is legally required to maintain all fire fighting equipment, including dry risers. The British Standard Code of Practice BS9990:2006 requires a full annual pressure test and six monthly visual check for dry risers for buildings above 18 metres and below 60 metres (buildings over 60 metres/18 storeys require wet risers).

Clause 7 of the Code states that inlets, landing valves, drain valves and landing valve boxes should be inspected every 6 months and recommends that wet tests be carried out annually when the main can be checked for leaks.

BS9990:2006 also states that maintenance and repairs should be carried out by a competent person. With FIRECREST UK LTD you can be confident that all work will be carried out in accordance with the Code of Practice. We are ISO 9001 Registered and members of the UK Fire Association.

Dry Riser Maintenance & Servicing

Dry Risers are a vital piece of fire protection equipment for buildings above 18 metres. They play a critical role in delivering considerable quantities of water in a high rise building. They can however be prone to serious neglect and vandalism so it is important to have them regularly maintained and serviced. FIRECREST UK LTD engineers will carry out a full annual pressure test and six monthly visual check to the current British Standard Code of Practice BS9990:2006 using our own dry riser testing appliance.

Annual Dry Riser Wet Test

Dry and wet risers are checked and pressure tested to 150 PSL or 10 bar for a minimum of 15 minutes. All insets and outlets are checked for leaks and any missing or faulty items replaced. Flow testing is also carried out. If any valves have to be replaced a further pressure test will be carried out before certification is issued.

Six Monthly Visual Test of Your Dry Risers

This test involves a visual inspection only as required by BS9990:2006 and any missing or damaged items are replaced.

For details in how we can help you ensure you are fully compliant with current legislation, please contact us on 0800 783 0588 or send us your details and we will contact you.

Fire Safety at Christmas

Christmas Fire Safety Check list

Dodgy decorations – most offices like to get into the festive spirit by stringing a few lines of tinsel or some sparkly fairy lights across the office, especially at the Christmas party. If these are the same decorations you’ve been taking out of the store cupboard for the past 20 years then it’s time you checked out if they could be endangering your staff.

You need to double check that your fairy light wiring isn’t split and check that they conform to a British Standard in safety. You should also check fuses and make sure that one or two members of staff take responsibility for switching the lights off at the end of each day and after the office party.

Make sure your staff use common sense when it comes to office decorations. If anyone is draping tinsel across the top of computer monitors or hanging bunting from lights then check they’re not purposely planning an arson attack on your office building!

• Overloaded sockets – office fire safety (and patience) can be tested to the limit at Christmas time with staff bringing in CD players, lights, singing Santas and pretty much any Christmas related electrical device you can think of. All these gadgets need electrical sockets and if your sockets are powering the usual PCs, printers and monitors, then adding all these electrical devices could overload sockets. Make sure you invest in some extra extension sockets to cover the demand and make sure all switches are turned off at the end of the Christmas party.

• Cigarettes and alcohol – for some people these two go hand in hand at any celebration but after a hard year at the office, your team will be more inclined to let their hair down, especially if the company’s paying! All office buildings should be a smoke free zone so make sure that even after a few drinks, your staff are aware that smoking inside won’t be tolerated. Alcohol can make even seasoned drinkers absent minded to say the least so if you spot anyone well on their way to becoming inebriated, ask one of their friends to look out for them. Better still, have your office party in the early evening and then people should start filtering out before anyone drinks too much.

• Office fire alarm – your office should be kitted out with a comprehensive office fire alarm system to keep your staff safe. If your system needs updating or if you want to install a completely new one then contact FIRECREST UK LTD and ask about our conventional office fire alarm systems. Conventional fire systems are the entry level for most fire system requirements and are ideal for small offices. By having an office fire alarm you will know that if anything was to go wrong, your staff will be alerted quickly and have time to exit the building safely.

• Office fire safety – regardless of the time of year, your staff need to be aware of the office fire safety drill and what to do in case of an emergency. If you’re unsure of how effective your office fire safety plan is then contact FIRECREST. We offer Fire Risk Assessment packages suitable for your building to make sure your office fire safety plan complies with regulations.

While you’re planning your Christmas party this year, take the time to follow the check list above so you and your staff can enjoy the festivities safely.

If you’d like any more information about Christmas fire safety or office fire safety then please visit Fire Risk Assessment UK.

Fire Safety in the Workplace

Fire is one of the greatest threats to a business. It can start almost anywhere and can destroy everything in its path. You can never be too careful when it comes to preventing a fire in the workplace. Read more

Planning your Fire Escape Route

Having an effective fire escape route can save your life in an emergency situation. Your escape from a fire shouldn’t be left down to chance, especially when planning your fire escape route is such a simple process. Being prepared if a fire breaks out will enable you to stay calm and guide others to safety so see below for the top life saving tips on fire evacuation safety.

Plan

There should be one or two designated fire officers who are responsible for the fire safety at your establishment and it’s their responsibility to plan a fire escape route. If there isn’t a dedicated fire officer where you work or if they need extra training then many specialist fire prevention companies offer fire risk assessment training.

If you are a fire officer, this doesn’t mean that you should solely take on the process though as gathering information from the other people who use the building will leave you better equipped to plan the best route for everyone. Consider where people are distributed throughout the building and ask them where they spend most of their time.

For example, a member of the team may have a designated desk but actually spend most of their time in a filing room which would need to be taken into account in your plan. If there are people with disabilities, small children or elderly people who use the premises then you should make sure that they also have a safe escape route from the building.

The Fire Escape Route

When you plan your route it’s important to make sure it’s realistic. You may think that the people who use the building can lower themselves to safety out of a first floor window but in an emergency situation would flames or panic prevent people from doing this? Once you have the most practical route for everyone you need to tell the whole team so everyone who works in the building knows what to do if a fire breaks out.

You should also implement a backup plan in case the escape route becomes blocked. Either plan a secondary fire escape route or have a designated low fire risk room with a phone in which people will be safe in while they wait for help.

Get Help

Whenever possible the fire brigade should be called before a fire gets out of hand. This isn’t always possible though, especially in larger premises where a fire could have been burning for a while before someone notices. Inform your team that whoever spots the fire should sound the alarm and call the fire brigade.

If people are trapped in a room with the fire outside the door then they should open the window and shout for help so they draw attention to themselves.

Fire evacuation safety is the key to reducing the risk of injury or worse if a fire breaks out. Don’t forget to make sure that your fire safety officer has adequate fire risk assessment training.

FIRECREST UK LTD are willing to help with all aspects of fire safety within your company – please feel free to contact us for advice and assistance.

Fire Safety at Home

Accidental house fires remain a serious safety threat to homeowners, renters and their families. Each year, roughly 3,400 people are killed in home fires or by burn injuries, making them the third-most-common cause of accidental deaths at home. Eight out of 10 fire-related deaths occur at home — the place that is the very embodiment of comfort and security.

Attention: In addition to the steps listed below, all households should have at least one smoke alarm on each floor and preferably in every bedroom. New smoke alarms should be installed every 10 years — and if you don’t know how old your smoke alarm is, you should get a new one. Families should also plan and practice a home fire drill at least twice a year so that everyone in the house knows how to get outside fast in the case of a fire.

Fire threat No. 1: Cooking

Fire safety starts in the kitchen. Cooking — particularly stove-top cooking — represents the leading cause of home fires. Many such fires occur after residents put something on the stove but become distracted and forget about it.

Solution: Stand by your pan

Because cooking causes so many home fires, it’s essential to give anything that’s on top of your stove your undivided attention.

Fire threat No. 2: Heating

The second-most-common cause of home fires is heating — although in the winter months, it becomes the leading concern. Portable, electric space heaters start a great deal of trouble, as sheets or window curtains can accidentally come in contact with the unit and ignite.

Fire threat No. 3: Smoking

In addition to its health dangers, smoking is the third-most-common cause of home fires — and the top cause of home fire deaths. Such fires can occur as smokers lose track of their still-smoldering butts, which then come in contact with flammable surfaces such as couch cushions.

Solution: Take it outside

If you have a smoker in the house, the best way to prevent cigarette-related home fires is to institute a policy of no smoking indoors. Do it outside, because that typically will remove folks from dangerous spots like upholstered furniture. Most people do not have as many combustible items around outside, Cigarettes should be extinguished correctly before they are thrown away.

Fire threat No. 4: Electrical

Faulty or deteriorating electrical cords are another top cause of home fires. Cords that become frayed or cracked can send sparks to flammable surfaces and start a fire.

Solution: Cord checkup

Check all of your electrical cords to ensure that they are in good shape, and replace any that are worn out. In addition, make sure you are not overloading circuits you should only have one plug per receptacle no double adaptors etc.

Fire threat No. 5: Candles

Since they have open flames and are fixtures in many households, candles are also among the most common sources of home fires.

Solution: Think about batteries

Instead of using traditional, open-flame candles, consider switching to battery-operated candles that look and perform like real ones. If you do use traditional candles, make sure there is always an adult paying attention in the room when one is burning. The flame should be extinguished when the adult leaves the room.