Earlier in the year, I wrote about Fire assessment and what is required. I am now finding that the Local Fire Officer is now expecting a fire assessment to be carried out on every compartment of each building.
The fire officer calls a "Compartment": a distinct area that can be considered for fire. This normally means a room but in the case of the equipment store could also involve the fuel, paint, fertiliser and pesticide stores. It may be as well to carry out an assessment of each of these individually as well as collectively if they are of particular risk.
Earlier in the year I explained about fire and how it occurs. The assessment must look at this as well as control, prevention, and evacuation.
The assessment can be approached by making a form as follows: Each Compartment must be considered individually by filling in a simple entry or the appropriate tick (some may require several ticks if several answers apply).
Site: ………………
Room Number: ………………
Room: ………………
Work activity (tick as appropriate)
| Access Corridor | Equipment Store | Laboratory | Store |
| Access Stairs | Workshop | Kitchen | Dining Area |
| Office | Workroom | Classroom | Toilet & Showers |
Hazard (tick as appropriate)
| Paper | Electrical Machinery | Fats | Electrical Equipment |
| Flammable Liquids | Petrol Powered Machinery | Oils | Electric Heaters |
| Wood | Other Machinery | Gas | Computers & Other IT |
| Chemicals | Gas Cylinders | Petrol | Toaster/ Microwave |
Hazard Effect (tick as appropriate)
| Fire | Explosion | Chemical Leak | Electric Light Failure |
Who is at risk (tick as appropriate)
| Those In The Area | Office Staff | Kitchen Staff | Serving Staff |
| Those In The Building | Maintenance Staff | Students | Other Staff |
Fire prevention measures in place (tick as appropriate)
| Good Housekeeping | Good Storage Layout | Fireproof Cabinet | All Electrical Equipment Checked |
| Exit Signs | Fire Doors Clear | Fire Exits Clear | Fire Drills Carried Out |
| Evacuation Plans | Assembly Point | Refuge Area For Disabled |
Controls in place (tick as appropriate)
| No Smoking | Permit To Work System | Power Cut-Off Switch | Gas Cut-Off Valve |
| Fire Alarm BGU | Linked Fire Alarm BGU | Emergency Lights | BGU & Emergency Lights Checked |
| Fire Blanket | Fire Hoses | Fire Ext - Dry Riser | |
| Fire Ext - Water | Fire Ext - Co2 | Fire Ext - Powder | Fire Ext - Foam |
| Fire Ext - Halon | Fire Ext - Low-Pressure Foam | Fire Ext - Checked Annually? | |
| Telephone Available | Access For Fire Vehicle | First Aider |
Assessment (tick as appropriate)
| This area is a | Low Risk | Medium risk | High risk |
| and the measures are adequate and the measures require to be improved as detailed in the report | |||
Report: ……………… (detailing requirements or comments)
Signed Assessor: ………………
Date: ………………
As usual most of you will look at the above and say, "yes all that is logical, and most of it I already do" but do you have it in writing? Can you prove you have considered Fire, its causes, consequences, prevention and control.
In the event of a fire would your system react adequately? Could you live with yourself if it did not? Why not have a fire drill this week?
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