Safety Management

Question 1

Risk concepts Define a Hazard

Answer 1

Hazard

An event or situation with the potential to cause death or physical/psychological harm, damage/loss to property, and/or disruption to the environment and/or to economic, social and political structures.

Question 2

Risk concepts Define a Risk

Answer 2

Risk

The measure of the significance of a potential harm in terms of its assessed likelihood and impact.

Question 3

Risk Concepts

Define Control measure

Answer 3

Control measure

These are measures to reduce the likelihood of exposure to a hazard from a given risk, and/or mitigate the impacts of that exposure.

Question 4

Risk Concepts

Define Dynamic risk assessment

Answer 4

Dynamic risk assessment

The term dynamic risk assessment (DRA) describes the assessment of risk in a rapidly changing environment at an incident where decisions are sometimes made in fast-moving situations with incomplete or inaccurate information. It is a process not a controlled measure. The outcome of the dynamic risk assessment will contribute to the incident commander’s incident plan. It helps to inform whether crews should be operating in the risk area. This in turn determines the tactical mode.

Question 5

Risk Concepts

Define Analytical risk assessment

Answer 5

Analytical risk assessment

As the incident progresses, or becomes more complex, it requires a more detailed and formal record of the significant findings of the risk assessment. The fire and rescue service call this analytical risk assessment (ARA).

Question 6

Risk Concepts

Define Personal (or individual) risk assessment

Answer 6

Personal (or individual) risk assessment

Personal (or individual) risk assessment helps fire-fighters remain safe when working unsupervised, which is derived from the Health, Safety and Welfare Framework for the Operational Environment.

Question 7

Offensive mode

Answer 7

This is where fire service personnel are working within the hazard area and exposed to greater risk, because the incident commander has decided it is appropriate following their risk assessment. This mode may apply to an individual sector or to the whole incident when every sector is offensive. Offensive mode is likely to be the common mode of operation. Examples include house fires, road traffic collisions and industrial premises where we might fight the fire, effect rescues or close down the plant.

Question 8

Examples of offensive mode:

Answer 8

• A property fire where crews enter the building for fire-fighting
• Crews dealing with an incident outside a building but still operating in the hazard area
• Crews dealing with a road traffic collision and working on the carriageway
• Withdrawing a crew from a hazardous area because the risk has increased In the last example, although crews are being withdrawn they are still in the hazard area and the tactical mode is still offensive. It would not change to defensive mode until all crews have left the hazard area and been accounted for. Use the message “tactical withdrawal in progress” or “emergency evacuation in progress” to time stamp the decision of the incident commander’s dynamic risk assessment, including the need to change to defensive mode.

Question 9

Defensive mode

Answer 9

This is where commanders deal with an incident from a defensive position. In defensive mode, the identified risks are unacceptable and outweigh the potential benefits. No matter how many extra control measures could be put in place at that particular time, the risks remain too great to commit crews into the hazard area. Defensive mode indicates that no crews are working in the hazard area. It does not indicate that no operational activity is taking place.

Question 10

Examples of defensive mode:

Answer 10

• Firefighting outside a hazard area
• Standing by awaiting expert advice, before commiting crews
• Standing by in a safe area while other services deal with an incident, for example, a terrorist related incident There will be circumstances, where having been in defensive mode, the risk has changed, tactical priorities have been revised or additional control measures are available. This may mean it is acceptable to enter or re-enter the hazard area. In this case as crews are committed the tactical mode will change to offensive.

Question 11

Decision logs

A decision log provides:

Answer 11

• An accurate, ‘at the time’, record of all significant decisions made
• An audit trail of decisions, along with the reasons for making them based on the information available at the time
• A record of new information or changes in the situation
• A record of risk critical information from other services
• A way of helping the handover between commanders

Question 12

Tactical withdrawal

Answer 12

The incident commander may need to redeploy resources or move people away from danger. This is a tactical withdrawal. When a tactical withdrawal has taken place there will not be an evacuation signal or full incident roll call. As crews will still be in the hazard area then the tactical mode will still be offensive. To timestamp the dynamic risk assessment that crews should be withdrawn, an informative message should be sent using the phrase “tactical withdrawal in progress”.

Question 13

Emergency evacuation

Answer 13

Emergency evacuation considerations:

• Short sharp blasts on whistle
• All personnel aware of evacuation signal + muster point (briefing prior to entering)
• Way of performing role call including non-FS personnel (log in + out of hazard zone)
• As crews will be still in hazard area during evacuation, tactical mode still offensive.
• Message to control Emergency evacuation in progress. Time stamp.