Workplace Fire Risk Assessment Flashcards
Simple basis of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
Requires any person who has some level of control of premises to take reasonable steps to reduce risk from Fire and to ensure people can escape
Fire Class A
Carbonaceous Solids
Fire Class B
Flammable Liquids
Fire Class C
Gas
Fire Class D
Metal
Fire Class F
Fats and Cooking Oils
Article 3 - Meaning of Responsible Person
The Employer if the workplace is under his control.
The Occupier or Owner, in so far as the workplace is under his control
Meaning of General Fire Precautions
- Measures to reduce the risk and spread of fire
- Means of escape
- Measures to fight fire
- Measures to detect and warn
- Instruction & Training of employees
- Mitigate effects
Legal - Purpose of an Alterations Notice
Assist enforcing authorities to maintain risk based inspection programme to highlight potentially high life-risk premises.
Notifies the responsible person that the enforcing authorities consider the premises to be high risk
Name of legislation covering fire in the workplace
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
3 aims of a fire risk assessment
- Identify the hazards
- Reduce the risk to as low as reasonably practicable
- Determine physical fire precautions and management arrangements to safeguard people and premises
What is a fire hazard?
Something that could cause a fire
What is a fire risk?
Likelihood of a fire occurring and the seriousness if it did
5 steps to Fire Risk Assessment
1. Identify the hazards 2 . Identify the people at risk 3. Evaluate, remove, reduce and protect 4. Record, plan, inform, instruct and train 5. Review
3 circumstances an emergency plan must be documented
- More than 5 employees
- Premises is licensed
- An alterations notice requiring it is in force
4 possible enforcement actions of the fire enforcing authority
- Alteration Notice
- Enforcement Notice
- Prohibition Notice
- Prosecution
Part B of schedule 1 of the Building Regs 2010 requires
Building are designed and constructed so appropriate provisions for early warning of fire, and appropriate means of escape in case of fire
Manual Alarm System (M)
Break glass units and alarm sounders connected to a control panel, only activated by an individual on detection of a fire
Automatic Alarm System
Manual + Smoke and Heat detectors, which gives warning if people are present or not
Life Protection (L)
L system ensures people are quickly and safely evacuated. ‘People Out’ approach
Property Protection (P)
P system requires interface with extinguishing systems. ‘Fire Out’ approach
3 categories of alarm system (BS 5839-1)
M - Manual alarm system
L - Life protection
P - Property protection
PFE
Portable Fire-fighting Equipment
Suitable locations for PFE
Room exits Corridors Stairways Lobbies Landings
Height small extinguishers should be mounted
Handle should be approx 1.5m from the floor
Height large extinguishers should be mountd=ed
Handle should be approx 1m from the floor
Monthly fire extinguisher check list
- Correctly located in designated place
- It is unobstructed and visible
- Operating instructions are clean, legible and outward facing
- It has not been operated, is not damaged and has no missing parts
- Pressure gauge is within limits
- Seals and tamper indicators are not broken or missing
Frequency of basic extinguisher servicing
Annually
Frequency of extended extinguisher servicing
5 years
Training in use of PFE
- How to operate different types of extinguisher
- Assessment of physical capability
- Maximum distance reasonable to carry an extinguisher
- Necessity of maintaining a route to safety
- Indication of maximum size of fire to be tackled
Frequency of training for people using PFE
Annually
Methods of extinguishing fire - Starvation
Limiting fuel
- Remove potential fuel from the vicinity if the fire
- Removing fire from the mass of combustible materials
- Dividing the burning material into smaller fires
Methods of extinguishing fire - Smothering
Limiting Oxygen
* Prevent fresh air reaching the seat of the fire using fire blankets, foam or gas extinguishers
Methods of extinguishing fire - Cooling
Limiting Heat
* Combustion will stop as soon as the rate of cooling exceeds the rate of heat generated. Water fire extinguishers
Extinguishing media - Water
Most efficient and cheapest to extinguish general fires.
Ineffective against fires involving liquid fuels and electrical equipment
Extinguishing media - Foam
Primarily to deal with liquid fuel fires. Either protein or synthetic bases
Extinguishing media - Carbon Dioxide or Inert Gas
Extinguishes by smothering. Reduces the oxygen content in the air by about 20-30% depending on the nature of the burning material.
Quick clean and electrically non-conducting, non-toxic and non-corrosive
Extinguishing media - Dry Chemical Powder
Very effective at extinguishing flames (rapid ‘knock down’), particularly effective if someone’s clothes have been soaked in an flammable liquid and ignited
Extinguishing media - Vapourising Liquid
Halon 1211 - was effective but has been banned due to effects on ozone layer. CO2 used as an alternative
Extinguishing media - Wet Chemical
Designed for Class F fires (cooking oils & fats). Rapidly knocks the flames out and cools the burning oil.
Make up of a conventional automatic sprinkler system
Pipes at the ceiling with heat sensitive sprinkler heads attached at predetermined intervals. The pipework is connected via control valves and pumps to a reliable water supply
Percentage reduction in chance of dying if sprinklers are present
50-75%
Water supply sources for sprinklers
Town mains
Storage tank
Inexhaustible source
Pressure tank
Pipework for sprinklers
Risers
Distribution pipes
Range pipes
Sprinkler pipework - Risers
Vertical pipes which either connect installation valves with distribution pipes or range pipes with distribution pipes
Sprinkler pipework - Distribution pipes
Horizontal pipes which feed the range pipes
Sprinkler pipework - Range pipes
Pipes on which sprinklers are attached either directly or via short arms
Sprinkler - Pumps
Should start automatically once a sprinkler head opens
Be either electrically or diesel powered
Have the facility of manual starting in case it does not start automatically
Sprinkler - Valves in a Wet Pipe Insulation
Main stop valve - acts to shut off water to the motor alarm
Drain valve - allows water in a system to be drained off
Test valve - allows a small amount of water to drain from above the alarm valve to simulate the opening of a sprinkler head, testing the action of the water motor alarm
Sprinkler - Valves in a Dry Pipe Insulation
Differential air valve - used so that a low air pressure can hold back a larger water pressure. It also acts as the alarm valve
Sprinkler head actions
Fire (heat detection)
Fire alarm trigger
Fire Extinguisher
Sprinkler - Wet pipe system
All pipes leading from the sprinkler heads are permanently filled with water under pressure
Sprinkler - Dry pipe system
Appropriate for installations where there is a danger of damage to pipework from the water in pipes freezing or is temperatures could exceed 70 degrees C
Sprinkler - Alternate system
Wet and dry systems can operate as either type and can be changed from wet pipe in summer to dry pipe in winter
What are sprinkler system hazard classifications based on?
Expected fuel load of the premises
Fire growth expected from the contents or processes
3 main hazard classifications of sprinkler systems
Light - low combustible loading with a slow rate of growth
Ordinary Hazard - Low to moderate combustible loading with a moderate to fast rate of fire growth
High Hazard - High combustible content with fast to ultra fast rate of fire growth
Normal fire -resistance rating for means of escape
30 mins
How capacity if an escape route is measured
Number of persons per minute that can pass through the effective usable width of the escape route
Factors determining the capacity of an escape route
Width of the route
Time available for escape
Ability of persons using them
Minimum width of an escape route
750mm
What can an escape route width of 750mm accommodate?
80 people in higher risk premises
100 people in normal risk premises
120 people in lower risk premises
What can an escape route width of 1050mm accommodate?
160 people in higher risk premises
200 people in normal risk premises
240 people in lower risk premises
How much additional width should be added to an escape route for each additional 15 people (or part of 15)?
75mm
Minimum width of stairways for escape routes
1050mm wide and not less than the width of the escape routes that lead to them
Doors on escape routes should
Open in the direction of escape
Ideally be fitted with a safety vision panel
Suggested travel distance for escape if a single route is provided
12m - Higher risk areas
18m - Normal risk areas
25m - Lower risk areas
Suggested travel distance for escape if more than one route is provided
25m - Higher risk areas
45m - Normal risk areas
60m - Lower risk areas
Low fire-risk premises
Low occupancy levels of able bodied occupants
Very little chance of fire
Few or no highly combustible or flammable materials
Fire cannot spread quickly and is easily detected
Higher fire-risk premises
Likelihood of fire starting and spreading quickly. Also where a fire could start and grow quickly without being detected.
Large amounts of flammable material stored
Ready sources of ignition present
Significant number of people likely to move slowly
Construction provides hidden voids or flues
Normal fire-risk premises
Most workplaces such as offices, shops etc.
Positioning of Emergency light fittings
At or near (within 2m horizontally) of: Corridor intersections Each exit door Each change of direction Each stairway Changes of floor level Outside final exits Each alarm call point PFE Exit and fire safety signs
2 basic approaches to evacutation
Total evacuation, which may be simultaneous or phased
Progressive evacuation, horizontal or zoned
Total evacuation strategies
Simultaneous - On alarm all occupants make immediate evacuation to place of ultimate safety
Phased - Key staff are alerted before alarm to investigate and prepare response. Commonly used in multi-story premises
Progressive evacuation strategies
Horizontal - typically in hospitals or care homes. Vulnerable people are evacuated to an adjoining fire compartment on the same storey to allow time for fire service response and organising full evac.
Zoned - typically large retail developments. Occupants moved away from an effected zone to a safe zone whilst the fire is brought under control
What is a PEEP?
Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan
Purpose of a PEEP
Individual plan tailored to meet the needs of a disabled employee, defines routes and support required
