Workplace Fire Risk Assessment Flashcards

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1
Q

Simple basis of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

A

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

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2
Q

Fire Class A

A

Carbonaceous Solids

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3
Q

Fire Class B

A

Flammable Liquids

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4
Q

Fire Class C

A

Gas

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5
Q

Fire Class D

A

Metal

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6
Q

Fire Class F

A

Fats and Cooking Oils

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7
Q

Article 3 - Meaning of Responsible Person

A

The Employer if the workplace is under his control.

The Occupier or Owner, in so far as the workplace is under his control

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8
Q

Meaning of General Fire Precautions

A
  • 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
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9
Q

Legal - Purpose of an Alterations Notice

A

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

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10
Q

Name of legislation covering fire in the workplace

A

Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

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11
Q

3 aims of a fire risk assessment

A
  1. Identify the hazards
  2. Reduce the risk to as low as reasonably practicable
  3. Determine physical fire precautions and management arrangements to safeguard people and premises
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12
Q

What is a fire hazard?

A

Something that could cause a fire

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13
Q

What is a fire risk?

A

Likelihood of a fire occurring and the seriousness if it did

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14
Q

5 steps to Fire Risk Assessment

A
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
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15
Q

3 circumstances an emergency plan must be documented

A
  • More than 5 employees
  • Premises is licensed
  • An alterations notice requiring it is in force
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16
Q

4 possible enforcement actions of the fire enforcing authority

A
  1. Alteration Notice
  2. Enforcement Notice
  3. Prohibition Notice
  4. Prosecution
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17
Q

Part B of schedule 1 of the Building Regs 2010 requires

A

Building are designed and constructed so appropriate provisions for early warning of fire, and appropriate means of escape in case of fire

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18
Q

Manual Alarm System (M)

A

Break glass units and alarm sounders connected to a control panel, only activated by an individual on detection of a fire

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19
Q

Automatic Alarm System

A

Manual + Smoke and Heat detectors, which gives warning if people are present or not

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20
Q

Life Protection (L)

A

L system ensures people are quickly and safely evacuated. ‘People Out’ approach

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21
Q

Property Protection (P)

A

P system requires interface with extinguishing systems. ‘Fire Out’ approach

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22
Q

3 categories of alarm system (BS 5839-1)

A

M - Manual alarm system
L - Life protection
P - Property protection

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23
Q

PFE

A

Portable Fire-fighting Equipment

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24
Q

Suitable locations for PFE

A
Room exits
Corridors
Stairways
Lobbies
Landings
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25
Q

Height small extinguishers should be mounted

A

Handle should be approx 1.5m from the floor

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26
Q

Height large extinguishers should be mountd=ed

A

Handle should be approx 1m from the floor

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27
Q

Monthly fire extinguisher check list

A
  • 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
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28
Q

Frequency of basic extinguisher servicing

A

Annually

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29
Q

Frequency of extended extinguisher servicing

A

5 years

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30
Q

Training in use of PFE

A
  • 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
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31
Q

Frequency of training for people using PFE

A

Annually

32
Q

Methods of extinguishing fire - Starvation

A

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
33
Q

Methods of extinguishing fire - Smothering

A

Limiting Oxygen

* Prevent fresh air reaching the seat of the fire using fire blankets, foam or gas extinguishers

34
Q

Methods of extinguishing fire - Cooling

A

Limiting Heat

* Combustion will stop as soon as the rate of cooling exceeds the rate of heat generated. Water fire extinguishers

35
Q

Extinguishing media - Water

A

Most efficient and cheapest to extinguish general fires.

Ineffective against fires involving liquid fuels and electrical equipment

36
Q

Extinguishing media - Foam

A

Primarily to deal with liquid fuel fires. Either protein or synthetic bases

37
Q

Extinguishing media - Carbon Dioxide or Inert Gas

A

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

38
Q

Extinguishing media - Dry Chemical Powder

A

Very effective at extinguishing flames (rapid ‘knock down’), particularly effective if someone’s clothes have been soaked in an flammable liquid and ignited

39
Q

Extinguishing media - Vapourising Liquid

A

Halon 1211 - was effective but has been banned due to effects on ozone layer. CO2 used as an alternative

40
Q

Extinguishing media - Wet Chemical

A

Designed for Class F fires (cooking oils & fats). Rapidly knocks the flames out and cools the burning oil.

41
Q

Make up of a conventional automatic sprinkler system

A

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

42
Q

Percentage reduction in chance of dying if sprinklers are present

A

50-75%

43
Q

Water supply sources for sprinklers

A

Town mains
Storage tank
Inexhaustible source
Pressure tank

44
Q

Pipework for sprinklers

A

Risers
Distribution pipes
Range pipes

45
Q

Sprinkler pipework - Risers

A

Vertical pipes which either connect installation valves with distribution pipes or range pipes with distribution pipes

46
Q

Sprinkler pipework - Distribution pipes

A

Horizontal pipes which feed the range pipes

47
Q

Sprinkler pipework - Range pipes

A

Pipes on which sprinklers are attached either directly or via short arms

48
Q

Sprinkler - Pumps

A

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

49
Q

Sprinkler - Valves in a Wet Pipe Insulation

A

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

50
Q

Sprinkler - Valves in a Dry Pipe Insulation

A

Differential air valve - used so that a low air pressure can hold back a larger water pressure. It also acts as the alarm valve

51
Q

Sprinkler head actions

A

Fire (heat detection)
Fire alarm trigger
Fire Extinguisher

52
Q

Sprinkler - Wet pipe system

A

All pipes leading from the sprinkler heads are permanently filled with water under pressure

53
Q

Sprinkler - Dry pipe system

A

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

54
Q

Sprinkler - Alternate system

A

Wet and dry systems can operate as either type and can be changed from wet pipe in summer to dry pipe in winter

55
Q

What are sprinkler system hazard classifications based on?

A

Expected fuel load of the premises

Fire growth expected from the contents or processes

56
Q

3 main hazard classifications of sprinkler systems

A

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

57
Q

Normal fire -resistance rating for means of escape

A

30 mins

58
Q

How capacity if an escape route is measured

A

Number of persons per minute that can pass through the effective usable width of the escape route

59
Q

Factors determining the capacity of an escape route

A

Width of the route
Time available for escape
Ability of persons using them

60
Q

Minimum width of an escape route

A

750mm

61
Q

What can an escape route width of 750mm accommodate?

A

80 people in higher risk premises
100 people in normal risk premises
120 people in lower risk premises

62
Q

What can an escape route width of 1050mm accommodate?

A

160 people in higher risk premises
200 people in normal risk premises
240 people in lower risk premises

63
Q

How much additional width should be added to an escape route for each additional 15 people (or part of 15)?

A

75mm

64
Q

Minimum width of stairways for escape routes

A

1050mm wide and not less than the width of the escape routes that lead to them

65
Q

Doors on escape routes should

A

Open in the direction of escape

Ideally be fitted with a safety vision panel

66
Q

Suggested travel distance for escape if a single route is provided

A

12m - Higher risk areas
18m - Normal risk areas
25m - Lower risk areas

67
Q

Suggested travel distance for escape if more than one route is provided

A

25m - Higher risk areas
45m - Normal risk areas
60m - Lower risk areas

68
Q

Low fire-risk premises

A

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

69
Q

Higher fire-risk premises

A

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

70
Q

Normal fire-risk premises

A

Most workplaces such as offices, shops etc.

71
Q

Positioning of Emergency light fittings

A
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
72
Q

2 basic approaches to evacutation

A

Total evacuation, which may be simultaneous or phased

Progressive evacuation, horizontal or zoned

73
Q

Total evacuation strategies

A

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

74
Q

Progressive evacuation strategies

A

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

75
Q

What is a PEEP?

A

Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan

76
Q

Purpose of a PEEP

A

Individual plan tailored to meet the needs of a disabled employee, defines routes and support required