1. Fire Safety In Healthcare 23rd September 2015
Current Legislation
HIQA Inspections
Fire Wardens/Managers
Mark Gavin
BSc, BEng (Fire Eng) CEng MIEI MIFireE
Michael Slattery Associates

2. Current Legislation & Updates
Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005
States that employers must ‘ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety, health and welfare at work of his or her employees’.
Section 8 of the 2005 Act requires employers to obtain, where necessary, the services of a competent person – Fire Safety Manager
Competent person/Fire Safety Manager is defined as having the sufficient training, experience and knowledge having regard to the task and the size or hazards (or both) of the undertaking

3. Current Legislation & Updates
Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005
Section 11 requires emergency plans and procedures to be in place
Section 12 requires consideration of persons other than employees
Section 19 requires Fire Safety risk assessments to be carried out, which address:
Fire Prevention
Fire Detection and Warning
Emergency Escape and Fire Fighting

4. Current Legislation & Updates
Fire Services Act 1981 & 2003
‘It shall be the duty of every person having control over premises to’
take all reasonable measures to guard against the outbreak of fire on such premises
provide reasonable fire safety measures for such premises and prepare and provide appropriate fire safety procedures for ensuring the safety of persons on such premises
ensure that the fire safety measures and procedures are applied at all times

5. Current Legislation & Updates
Fire Services Act 1981 & 2003
‘It shall be the duty of every person having control over premises to’
ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the safety of persons on the premises in the event of an outbreak of fire whether such outbreak has occurred or not

6. Current Legislation & Updates
Building Control Act 1990 & 2007
A Fire Safety Certificate is required in relation to the following works:
Works in connection with the design and construction of a new building
Works in connection with the material alteration of a hospital o healthcare facility
Works in connection with the extension of a building by more than 25 square metres
Whare a a material change of use takes place

7. Current Legislation & Updates
Building Control Regulations
The Building Owner is ultimately responsible to ensure compliance with Building Regulations and must appoint competent Designers, the Builder and the Assigned Certifier.
If an Owner, Designer, Assigned Certifier, Ancillary Certifier or Builder signs one of the statutory undertakings or certificates under the Regulations which subsequently prove to be non-conforming, they can be held liable for the consequences.

8. Current Legislation & Updates
Health Technical Memorandum ‘Managing healthcare fire safety’– 2013 Edition
Sets out recommendations and guidance for the management of fire safety in healthcare buildings.
Intended to assist in determining the appropriate fire safety management system to be applied to healthcare organisations.
The increasing use of fire strategies for healthcare premises which contain fire-engineered design solutions will intensify the need for enhanced fire safety management.

9. Current Legislation & Updates
Health Technical Memorandum ‘Fire safety in the design of healthcare premises’ – 2014 Edition
Major Changes:
Guidance on the designing for fire safety in premises providing in-patient mental health services and in-patient accommodation for people with learning disabilities,
Revised guidance on the provision and use of escape lifts,
Definition of fire hazard rooms and the
Location/type of fire & smoke dampers.

10. Top Five Fire Safety Compliance Tips
Fire Safety Manager – competency & support,
Fire Safety Management Policy,
Duties & responsibilities
Procedures
Maintenance of life safety systems
Fire Safety Training,
Fire Drills,
Fire Safety Risk Assessments

11. HIQA Standards & Inspections
The Fire Safety Inspections:
Specific for residential services for children, older people and people with disabilities.
Services are only allowed to operate if they are registered by HIQA and they are inspected regularly.
The purpose of the inspections is to safeguard vulnerable people of any age who are receiving residential care services.
The inspections are announced or unannounced & reports are published after every inspection.

12. HIQA Standards & Inspections
Fire Safety Requirements:
The legislation governing the registration and inspection of residential care services is the Health Act 2007 (Regulation 28 - Fire Precautions).
Each centre must have written confirmation that all statutory requirements relating to fire safety and building control have been substantially complied with - from a certified engineer or a qualified architect.

13. HIQA Standards & Inspections
Preparing for a HIQA (or any) Fire Safety Inspection:
Each centre must have written confirmation that all statutory requirements relating to fire safety and building control have been substantially complied with - from a certified engineer or a qualified architect.
Proper Fire Safety Management System in place,

14. Fire Safety Management
The Fire Safety Manager:
Day to day responsibility for Fire Safety within the building
Proper Fire Safety Management System/Manual in place
Responsible for the following:
an awareness of all fire safety features of the building
fire safety risk assessments
requirements for disabled staff and patients

15. Fire Safety Management
The Fire Safety Manager -Responsible for the following:
compliance with legislation
development and implementation of the organisation’s fire safety policy & strategy
development of an effective training programme
liaison with enforcing authorities
liaison with other managers
monitoring of inspection and maintenance of fire safety systems

16. Fire Safety Management
The Fire Safety Warden -Responsible for the following:
act as focal point on fire safety issues for staff
raise issues regarding local area fire safety with line management
assist with coordination of the response to an incident within the immediate vicinity
be responsible for roll-call during an incident
be trained to tackle fire with first aid firefighting apparatus where appropriate;
support line managers on fire safety issues.

17. Fire Safety Management
The Fire Safety Manual:
Should contain the technical specifications for all aspects of the building and should include the following;
Compliance with legislation
Fire safety policy statement
Safety management structure
Development and implementation of the organisation’s fire safety policy & strategy
Actions to be taken in a fire emergency
Fire drills, Staff training

18. Fire Safety Management
The Fire Safety Manual:
Should contain the technical specifications for all aspects of the building and should include the following;
Housekeeping
Monitoring of inspection and maintenance of fire safety systems

19. Fire Safety Risk Assessments

20. Fire Safety Risk Assessments
Dependency of the patients:
Awareness of the particular requirements of the patients, staff and management.
Any fire strategy should be specifically designed to address these profiles and to enhance the care provision of the hospital.
Notably, to consider:
The patient dependencies on staff in an emergency,
The current evacuation protocols and staffing levels,
The existing standard of on-site Fire Safety Management.

21. Fire Safety Risk Assessments
Risk assessment of the fire hazards, should include:
Waste management,
Food related activities,
Electrical systems and portable appliances,
Medical gases – piped & cylinders,
Storage of goods,
Textile management,

22. Fire Safety Risk Assessments
Adequately fire safety trained staff:
Key to the hospital’s fire safety policy is the provision of fire safety training courses:
To deliver the full scope of fire safety training courses, at a time that suits the staff and including night time delivery where required,
Customise a course to meet a group’s specific objectives,
To develop a new or adapt a fire safety training course for a new role or procedure,

23. Cause of fires in major hospital’s
During the period from 1 April 2004 to 31 March
2005, the NHS in England reported 1194 fires.
The main causes of fire in the NHS were:
deliberate ignition (27%)
smoking (20%)
cooking appliances (17%) and
equipment failure (electrical) (16%).

24. Location of fires in major hospital’s
With regard to specific areas of the healthcare
buildings:
17% of these fires occurred in clinical areas
15% of fires occurred in non-patient areas
13% of fires occurred in communal areas
7% of fires occurred in food preparation areas.

25. Common Fire Safety Failures
Fire Safety Management Responsibilities
Fire Safety Training
Fire Alarm System – usage
Evacuation Procedures

26. Common Fire Safety Failures
Fire doors wedged open

27. Common Fire Safety Failures
Fire exits blocked

28. Common Fire Safety Failures
Fire exits blocked

29. Common Fire Safety Failures
Fire stopping missing

30. Common Fire Safety Failures
Fire stopping - foam

31. Common Fire Safety Failures
Fire dampers – missing/not fixed

32. Thank you