Fluent Essays

Task: Selecting one of the following premise types, you are required to write a report detailing the features you would expect to find in the fire safety strategy for the building: Shopping mallHospitalLarge, open plan office building with atriumLarge public assembly building used for entertainment and conference eventsDistribution warehouse storing tyres Note that: Your report should outline the key features of the building design and management protocols that will ensure the safety of occupants in the event of a fire. You may select a particular building for your report, or base your report on an imaginary premise. You should include illustrations and diagrams where appropriate.Assessment Criteria (The actual assessment components for this assignment)This assignment you will need to:•Identify suitable premises type for report•Describe key features of premises with regard to fire safety and risk•Follow available guidance for relevant premise type•Explain the systems in place to provide protection•Describe the means of escape philosophy for the premise •Outline the management protocols to be put in placeVery Important notes:Identify suitable premises type for report.Describe key features of premises with regard to fire safety and risk.How is risk controlled? How are large open spaces managed to prevent fire spread and provide safe evacuation? Type of alarm system and how it worksFollow available guidance for relevant premise type. Fire safety risk assessment for places of large assembly, BS 9999Explain the systems in place to provide protection. As aboveDescribe the means of escape philosophy for the premises. As aboveOutline the management protocols to be put in place. Fire safety risk assessment for places of large assembly, BS 9999*** Words count = 1500 words.*** In-Text Citations and References using Harvard style.*** Add pictures and Diagrams to the report.*** All files have been uploaded Materials related to this report. _offices_and_shops_v2_1__1_.pdf fire_safety_management_of_shopping_centres_final.pdf fsra_healthcare_1_.pdf Unformatted Attachment Preview The guides in this series: Guide Main use Offices and shops ISBN-13: 978 1 85112 815 0 Factories and warehouses Offices and retail premises (including individual units within larger premises, e.g. shopping centres). Factories and warehouse storage premises. ISBN-13: 978 1 85112 816 7 Sleeping accommodation ISBN-13: 978 1 85112 817 4 Residential care premises ISBN-13: 978 1 85112 818 1 Educational premises ISBN-13: 978 1 85112 819 8 Small and medium places of assembly ISBN-13: 978 1 85112 820 4 Large places of assembly All premises where the main use is to provide sleeping accommodation, e.g. hotels, guest houses, B&Bs, hostels, residential training centres, holiday accommodation and the common areas of flats, maisonettes, HMOs and sheltered housing (other than those providing care – see Residential care premises), but excluding hosptials, residential care premises, places of custody and single private dwellings Fire Safety Risk Assessment – Offices and shops This guide is for employers, managers, occupiers and owners of offices and shops. It tells you what you have to do to comply with fire safety law, helps you to carry out a fire risk assessment and identify the general fire precautions you need to have in place. Residential care and nursing homes, common areas of sheltered housing (where care is provided) and similar premises, which are permanently staffed and where the primary use is the provision of care rather than healthcare (see Healthcare premises). Teaching establishments ranging from pre-school through to universities, except the residential parts (see Sleeping accommodation). Smaller public houses, clubs, restaurants and cafés, village halls, community centres, libraries, marquees, churches and other places of worship or study accommodating up to 300 people. ISBN-13: 978 1 85112 821 1 Larger premises where more than 300 people could gather, e.g. shopping centres (not the individual shops), large nightclubs and pubs, exhibition and conference centres, sports stadia, marquees, museums, libraries, churches, cathedrals and other places of worship or study. Theatres, cinemas and similar premises Theatres, cinemas, concert halls and similar premises used primarily for this purpose. Open air events and venues ISBN-13: 978 1 85112 823 5 Healthcare premises ISBN-13: 978 1 85112 824 2 Transport premises and facilities ISBN-13: 978 1 85112 825 9 9294 SaO Cover v1_1.indd 1-3 Open air events, e.g. theme parks, zoos, music concerts, sporting events (not stadia – see Large places of assembly), fairgrounds and county fairs. Premises where the primary use is the provision of healtcare (including private), e.g. hospitals, doctors’ surgeries, dentists and other similar healthcare premises. Transportation terminals and interchanges, e.g. airports, railway stations (including sub-surface), transport tunnels, ports, bus and coach stations and similar premises but excluding the the means of transport (e.g. trains, buses, planes and ships). offices and shops ISBN-13: 978 1 85112 822 8 20/02/2015 10:33 Published by TSO (The Stationery Office) and available from: Online www.tsoshop.co.uk Mail, Telephone, Fax & E-mail TSO PO Box 29, Norwich, NR3 1GN Telephone orders/General enquiries: 0870 600 5522 Fax orders: 0870 600 5533 E-mail: customer.services@tso.co.uk Textphone: 0870 240 3701 TSO@Blackwell and other Accredited Agents Published for HM Government under licence from the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. © Crown Copyright 2006 All rights reserved. ISBN 978 185112815 0 You may re-use this document/publication (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/ doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU; or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk. Originally published by the Department for Communities and Local Government, reprinted (from previous artwork supplied) by The Stationery Office, January 2015 This publication is available at www.gov.uk/government/publications rinted in the United Kingdom for The Stationery Office J3026738 C1 04/15 9294 SaO Cover v1_1.indd 4-6 20/02/2015 10:33 Contents How to use this guide 2 Preface 3 Introduction 4 Part 1 Fire risk assessment 9 Step 1 Identify fire hazards 12 Step 2 Identify people at risk 14 Step 3 Evaluate, remove, reduce and protect from risk 15 Step 4 Record, plan, inform, instruct and train 30 Step 5 Review 36 Part 2 Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions 39 Section 1 Further guidance on fire risks and preventative measures 40 Section 2 Further guidance on fire-detection and warning systems 53 Section 3 Further guidance on firefighting equipment and facilities 57 Section 4 Further guidance on escape routes 63 Section 5 Further guidance on emergency escape lighting 100 Section 6 Further guidance on signs and notices 102 Section 7 Further guidance on recording, planning, informing, instructing and training 105 Section 8 Quality assurance of fire protection equipment and installation 113 Appendix A Example fire safety maintenance checklist 114 Appendix B Technical information on fire-resisting separation, fire doors and door fastenings 118 Appendix C Historic buildings 126 Appendix D Glossary 128 References 133 Further reading 137 Index 139 1 How to use this guide This guide is divided into two parts: • Part 1 Explains what fire risk assessment is and how you might go about it. Fire risk assessment should be the foundation for all the fire precautions in your premises. • Part 2 Provides further guidance on fire precautions. The information is provided for you and others to dip into during your fire risk assessment or when you are reviewing your precautions. The appendices provide example checklists, some detailed technical information on fire-resisting elements and advice on historic buildings. This guide is one of a series of guides listed on the back cover. The rest of this introduction explains how the law applies. Technical terms are explained in the glossary and references to other publications listed at the end of the publication are identified by a superscript number in the text. In this guide reference is made to British Standards and standards provided by other bodies. The standards referred to are intended for guidance only and other standards could be used. Reference to any particular standard is not intended to confer a presumption of conformity with the requirements of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (the Order)1. The level of necessary safety (or service) must be dictated by the findings of your risk assessment so you may need to do more or less than that specified in any particular standard referred to. You must be prepared to show that what you have done complies with any requirements or prohibitions of the Order1 irrespective of whether you have relied on a particular standard. A full list of references, e.g.1, can be found at the back of this book. 2 Preface This guidance gives advice on how to avoid fires and how to ensure people’s safety if a fire does start. Why should you read it? Because: • Fire kills. In 2004 (England and Wales) fire and rescue services attended over 33,400 fires in non-domestic buildings. These fires killed 38 people and injured over 1,300. • Fire costs money. The costs of a serious fire can be high and afterwards many businesses do not reopen. In 2004, the costs as a consequence of fire, including property damage, human casualties and lost business, were estimated at £2.5 billion. This guide applies to England and Wales only. It does not set prescriptive standards, but provides recommendations and guidance for use when assessing the adequacy of fire precautions in offices and shops. Other fire risk assessment methods may be equally valid to comply with fire safety law. The guide also provides recommendations for the fire safety management of the premises. Your existing fire safety arrangements may not be the same as the recommendations used in this guide but, as long as you can demonstrate that they meet an equivalent standard of fire safety, they are likely to be acceptable. If you decide that your existing arrangements are not satisfactory there may be other ways to comply with fire safety law. This means there is no obligation to adopt any particular solution in this guide if you prefer to meet the relevant requirement in some other way. Where the building has been recently constructed or significantly altered, the fire detection and warning arrangements, escape routes and facilities for the fire and rescue service should have been designed, constructed and installed in accordance with current building regulations. In such cases, it is likely that these measures will be satisfactory as long as they are being properly maintained and no significant increase in risk has been introduced. In addition, earlier legislation, including local authorities acts may have imposed additional requirements for fire precautions in large offices and shops. This guide should not be used to design fire safety in new buildings. Where alterations are proposed to existing offices and shops, they may be subject to building regulations. However, it can be used to develop the fire safety strategy for the building. 3 Introduction WHO SHOULD USE THIS GUIDE? This guide is for all employers, managers, occupiers and owners of offices and shops. Details of other guides in the series are listed on the back cover. It tells you about how you might comply with fire safety law, helps you to carry out a fire risk assessment and identify the general fire precautions you need to have in place. This guide is intended for premises where the main use of the building or part of the building is an office or shop. It may also be suitable for the individual units within other complexes, although consultation with the other managers will be necessary as part of an integrated risk assessment for the complex. Also, where you handle and store flammable materials and substances, it will help you take account of these in your risk assessment and help you determine the necessary precautions to take to minimise the likelihood of them being involved in a fire. It has been written to provide guidance for a responsible person, to help them to carry out a fire risk assessment in less complex offices and shops. If you read the guide and decide that you are unable to apply the guidance, then you should seek expert advice from a competent person. More complex premises will probably need to be assessed by a person who has comprehensive training or experience in fire risk assessment. However this guide can be used for multi-occupied buildings to address fire safety issues within their individual occupancies. It may also be useful for: • employees; • employee-elected representatives; • trade union-appointed health and safety representatives; • enforcing authorities; and • all other people who have a role in ensuring fire safety in offices and shops. If your premises are listed as of historic interest, also see Appendix C. Fire safety is only one of many safety issues with which management must concern themselves to minimise the risk of injury or death to staff or the public. Unlike most of the other safety concerns, fire has the potential to injure or kill large numbers of people very quickly. This guidance is concerned only with fire safety but many of the measures discussed here will impact upon other safety issues, and vice versa. It is recognised that these various differing safety demands can sometimes affect one another and managerment should consult other interested agencies (e.g. Health & Safety Executive (HSE)) where necessary to confirm that they are not contravening other legislation/guidance. 4 You can get advice about minimising fire losses from your insurer. THE FIRE SAFETY ORDER Previous general fire safety legislation The Order1 replaces previous fire safety legislation. Any fire certificate issued under the Fire Precautions Act 19712 will cease to have any effect. If a fire certificate has been issued in respect of your premises or the premises were built to recent building regulations, as long as you have made no material alterations and all the physical fire precautions have been properly maintained, then it is unlikely you will need to make any significant improvements to your existing physical fire protection arrangements to comply with the Order.1 However, you must still carry out a fire risk assessment and keep it up to date to ensure that all the fire precautions in your premises remain current and adequate. If you have previously carried out a fire risk assessment under the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997,3 as amended 1999,4 and this assessment has been regularly reviewed then all you will need to do now is revise that assessment taking account of the wider scope of the Order1 as described in this guide. Your premises may also be subject to the provisions of a licence or registration (e.g. under the Licensing Act 200378) of the case, and the fire authority may wish to review your risk assessment as part of the licensing approval process. Fire safety conditions within your licence should not be set by a licensing authority where the Order1 applies. Background The Order1 applies in England and Wales. It covers general fire precautions and other fire safety duties which are needed to protect ‘relevant persons’ in case of fire in and around most ‘premises’. The Order requires fire precautions to be put in place ‘where necessary’ and to the extent that it is reasonable and practicable in the circumstances of the case. Responsibility for complying with the Order1 rests with the ‘responsible person’. In a workplace, this is the employer and any other person who may have control of any part of the premises, e.g. the occupier or owner. In all other premises the person or people in control of the premises will be responsible. If there is more than one responsible person in any type of premises (e.g. a multi-occupied complex), all must take all reasonable steps to co-operate and co-ordinate with each other. If you are the responsible person you must carry out a fire risk assessment which must focus on the safety in case of fire of all ‘relevant persons’. It should pay particular attention to those at special risk, such as disabled people, those who you know have special needs and young persons and must include consideration of any dangerous substance liable to be on the premises. Your fire risk assessment will help you identify risks that can be removed or reduced and to decide the nature and extent of the general fire precautions you need to take. 5 If your organisation employs five or more people, your premises are licensed or an alterations notice is in force, you must record the significant findings of the assessment. It is good practice to record your significant findings in any case. There are some other fire safety duties you need to comply with: • You must appoint one or more competent persons, depending on the size and use of your premises, to carry out any of the preventive and protective measures required by the Order1 (you can nominate yourself for this purpose). A competent person is someone with enough training and experience or knowledge and other qualities to be able to implement these measures properly. • You must provide your employees with clear and relevant information on the risks to them identified by the fire risk assessment, about the measures you have taken to prevent fires, and how these measures will protect them if a fire breaks out. • You must consult your employees (or their elected representatives) about nominating people to carry out particular roles in connection with fire safety and about proposals for improving the fire precautions. • You must, before you employ a child, provide a parent with clear and relevant information on the risks to that child identified by the risk assessment, the measures you have put in place to prevent/protect them from fire and inform any other responsible person of any risks to that child arising from their undertaking. • You must inform non-employees, such as temporary or contract workers, of the relevant risks to them, and provide them with information about who are the nominated competent persons, and about the fire safety procedures for the premises. • You must co-operate and co-ordinate with other responsible persons who also have premises in the building, inform them of any significant risks you find and how you will seek to reduce/control those risks which might affect the safety of their employees. • You must provide the employer of any person from an outside organisation who is working in your premises (e.g. an agency providing temporary staff) with clear and relevant information on the risks to those employees and the preventive and protective measures taken. You must also provide those employees with appropriate instructions and relevant information about the risks to them. • If you are not the employer but have any control of premises which contain more than one workplace, you are also responsible for ensuring that the requirements of the Order1 are complied with in those parts over which you have control. • You must consider the presence of any dangerous substances and the risk this presents to relevant persons from fire. • You must establish a suitable means of contacting the emergency services and provide them with any relevant information about dangerous substances. 6 • You must provide appropriate information, instruction and training to your employees, during their normal working hours, about the fire precautions in your workplace, when they start working for you, and from time to time throughout the period they work for you. • You must ensure that the premises and any equipment provided in connection with firefighting, fire detection and warning, or emergency routes and exits are covered by a suitable system of maintenance and are maintained by a competent person in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair. • Your employees must co-operate with you to ensure the workplace is safe from fire and its effects, and must not do anything that will place themselves or other people at risk. The above examples outline some of the main requirements of the Order.1 The rest of this guide will explain how you might meet these requirements. Who enforces the Fire Safety Order? The local fire and rescue authority (the fire and rescue service) will enforce the Order1 in most premises. The exceptions are: • Crown-occupied/owned premises where Crown fire inspectors will enforce; • premises within armed forces establishments where the defence fire and rescue service will enforce; • certain specialist premises including construction sites, ships (under repair or construction) and nuclear installations, where the HSE will enforce; and • sports grounds and stands designated as needing a safety certificate by the local authority, where the local authority will enforce. The enforcing authority will have the power to inspect your premises to check that you are complying with your duties under the Order.1 They will look for evidence that you have carried out a suitable fire risk assessment and acted upon the significant findings of that assessment. If you are required to record the outcome of the assessment they will expect to see a copy. If the enforcing authority is dissatisfied with the outcome of your fire risk assessment or the action you have taken, they may issue an enforcement notice that requires you to make certain improvements or, in extreme cas ... Purchase answer to see full attachment