1. What Makes a Good Fire Risk Assessment?
East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service
/ CQC Seminar (29 March 2017)
Mark Hobbs

2. Risk Perspective!

5. Is it Required in Law Yes. There are few exceptions:
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order a fire risk assessment is necessary in virtually all buildings in England and Wales, other than domestic dwellings.

6. Competency
The person carrying out the fire risk assessment should be competent:
A competent person may be regarded as a person with sufficient training and experience, knowledge or other qualities, to enable him or her to carry out a defined task properly.

8. Hazard & Risk Hazard: anything that has the potential to cause harm.
Risk: the chance of that harm occurring.

9. Hazard or Risk?

10. Hierarchy of Risk Reduction
Eliminate
Reduce
Isolate
Control
Ppe
Discipline

11. How should a Fire RA be completed?
Should be systematic;
Can be qualitative or quantitative;
Should cover 5 steps…..(Article 4);
Recorded?

12. A fire risk assessment is an organised and methodical look at a premises.
Aims to:
To identify the fire hazards.
To reduce the risk of those hazards causing harm to as low as reasonably practicable.
To decide what physical fire precautions and management arrangements* are necessary to ensure the safety of people in your building if a fire does start.

15. Article 4
Measures to reduce the risk of fire on the premises and the risk of the spread of fire on the premises;
Means of escape from the premises;
Ensuring the means of escape can be safely and effectively used;
Means for fighting fires on the premises;
Detection of fire on the premises and giving warning in case of fire on the premises
Arrangements for action to be taken in the event of fire on the premises, including—
(i)Instruction and training of employees; and
(ii)measures to mitigate the effects of the fire.

16. Where Necessary & Reasonably Practical
To what extent?
Where Necessary & Reasonably Practical

17. What is Involved
A physical inspection to determine the adequacy of fire precautions and the need for any additional measures. Of equal importance to the physical inspection is a review of fire safety management in the organisation and consideration of the human factors – how people will respond to an emergency and whether they will take appropriate action.

19. Publically Available Specification 79 (PAS 79)

20. PAS 79 Fire loss experience. Fire hazards. Fire prevention.
Storage and handling of flammable liquids and gases.
Housekeeping.
Means of escape.
Compartmentation.
Flammability of linings.
Emergency escape lighting.
Fire safety signs and notices.

21. PAS 79 Fire detection and fire alarm systems.
Fire extinguishing systems and appliances.
Smoke control systems.
Facilities for use by the fire and rescue service.
Arrangements for management of fire safety.
Fire procedures.
Training and drills.
Testing and maintenance.
Records.

27. No requirement to follow any particular format – other methodologies can be equally suitable and sufficient…even a PAS 79 can be poor if not properly applied and interpreted for the given premises!

28. Particular Matters to Consider in Care Homes!
Type of Assessment (Invasive or non Invasive?); Compartmentation; Staffing ratios; Evacuation plans; Training; More?

29. Review?
The fire risk assessment process is intended to be dynamic, and take into account change. Fire risk assessments should be reviewed from time to time or if there is a reason to suspect that it is no longer valid, and, in particular, if significant changes take place, such as an increase in the numbers of people in the building or changes to floor layouts. Fire risk assessments should also be reviewed after a fire.

31. Questions?