Five Steps to Fire Risk Assessment
To assist our clients with the undertaking of fire risk assessments, especially those clients who may have relied in the past on the Fire Certification process, we outline below the steps that are recommended by the Enforcing Agencies to carryout the task. The recommendations are based on the standard five steps approach as is common with the other types of risk assessments that businesses undertake.
Step 1 - Identifying the Fire Hazards
For a fire to occur there must be a source of ignition, fuel and oxygen. If all three are present and in close proximity in the workplace, then the fire risk could increase as a result. In the average workplace, fire hazards will involve the first two categories, whilst the oxygen will be present in the air in the surrounding space. Occasionally oxygen can be found in chemical form (i.e. oxidising agents) or as a gas in cylinders or piped systems.
Potential sources of ignition could include:
| • | naked flames, smokers’ materials, matches, pilot flames, gas/oil heaters, gas welding, cookers, arson etc.; |
| • | hot surfaces, heaters, engines, boilers, machinery, lighting (e.g. halogen lamps), electrical equipment etc.; |
| hot work, welding, grinding, flame cutting etc.; | |
| friction drive belts, worn bearings etc.; or | |
| sparks, static electricity, metal impact, grinding, electrical contacts/switches etc. |
Potential sources of fuel are anything that can burn. Examples include:
| • | solids, textiles, wood, paper, card, plastics, rubber, PU foam, furniture, fixtures/fittings, packaging, waste materials etc.; |
| • | liquids and solvents (petrol, white spirit, meths, paraffin, thinners etc.), paints, varnish, adhesives etc.; and |
| • | gases, e.g. LPG, acetylene. |
Your risk assessment should list the potential sources of ignition and fuels that are present in your workplace.
Step 2 - Identifying People at Risk
If there is a fire, the greatest danger is the spread of the fire, heat and smoke through the workplace. If this happens, the main risk to people is from the smoke and products of combustion, which can very quickly incapacitate those escaping. If a workplace does not have adequate means of escape or if a fire can grow to an appreciable size before it is noticed, then people may become trapped or overcome by heat and smoke before they can evacuate.
Your assessment of risk to persons should include:
| • | the likely speed of growth and spread of any fire, and associated heat and smoke (remember some fuels burn much faster and produce more toxic products than others); |
| • | the numbers of persons working in the area including contractors, visitors, and members of the public; |
| • | considering how they will become aware of any fire that occurs, e.g. will any outbreak be conspicuous or will some form of fire detection and alarm system be required; and |
| • | considering how they will make their escape (i.e. can they make their way out quickly, easily and safely?). |
Step 3 - Evaluating the Risks
Once the hazards and the persons at risk have been recorded, you must assess the effect of any particular hazard on the occupants of the workplace, taking account of any existing control measures that are already in place. Once this has been done, you must decide if any further control measures are needed in order to reduce the risk to an acceptable level. Further control measures may act to reduce the possibility of ignition, minimise the potential fuel load in the workplace, or assist persons to escape from the effects of a fire, should it occur.
They may fall into a number of different categories:
| • | fire safety management systems; |
| • | means of escape; |
| • | staff training; |
| • | fire warning systems; and |
| • | means of fighting fire. |
Different control measures can be applied to reduce the risk to an acceptable level. For example, if the risk is the possibility of a fast growing fire, potential control measures could include one or any combination of the following:
| • | changing the process to use a slower burning fuel; |
| • | removing all possible ignition sources; |
| • | moving the hazard to an area that affects the minimum number of persons, e.g. outside the premises; |
| • | providing an additional exit/protected route to speed the escape of the occupants; |
| • | providing a fire detection and alarm system to warn persons of the fire in its early stages; |
| • | training the staff to reduce the possibility of a fire occurring, e.g. housekeeping/safe working practices; or |
| • | providing appropriate fire fighting equipment/fixed installation e.g. sprinkler system. |
Whilst this list is not exhaustive and applies to one area of risk only, it can be seen that there may be a number of different solutions depending on the nature of the situation.
If any areas of inadequacy are identified, an action plan must be included to show how the problem is being addressed. This should include time scales for achieving the required level of control and specify who is responsible for the action.
If your workplace is situated in a relatively modern building it should already incorporate important control measures that were installed to meet the requirements of the Building Regulations, e.g. fire escape staircases, fire lobbies, fire doors, emergency lighting, etc. Many of these measures will also be found in older buildings.
You should include details of these existing control measures in your fire risk assessment. Remember, a full understanding and evaluation of the existing control measures is essential - it is your starting point for deciding if any further action is necessary.
Step 4 - Record your Findings
If you employ five or more employees you must record the significant findings of your risk assessment, together with details of any people that are at particular risk. More importantly, the record must show whether the existing control measures are adequate and, if not, what further action is required to reduce the risk to an acceptable level.
Remember to make sure any control measures identified, or introduced, remain effective by testing and maintaining them regularly. For larger workplaces you are encouraged to include a simple floor plan in your fire risk assessment. You can use the plan to record fire hazards and control measures in a simple format that is easily understood.
If your workplace has a Fire Certificate issued under the Fire Precautions Act you may wish to cross reference your fire risk assessment with your Fire Certificate plan – see this article after step 5 for further information.
Step 5 - Reviewing and Revising the Risk Assessment
It is important to remember that fire risk assessment is a continuous process and as such must be monitored and audited. New and existing control measures should be maintained to make sure they are still working effectively.
However, if you introduce changes into your workplace your original risk assessment may not address any new hazards or risks arising from them. For this reason it is also important to review and revise your assessment regularly.
This does not mean that it is necessary to amend your assessment for every trivial change that occurs, but the impact of any significant change should be considered. For example;
| • | a new work process may introduce additional fuels or ignition sources; |
| • | changes to furniture layout or internal partitions could affect the ability of employees to see a fire and escape in time; |
| • | increasing the number of employees may mean that a fire exit is now too small to cope with their escape within a safe period; and |
| • | occupying another floor of the building may mean that an electrical fire warning system is now necessary etc. |
The above list is not exhaustive and any change that could lead to new hazards or risks should be considered.
Who should own a Fire Certificate
You should have, or have made an application for, a Fire Certificate if your premises are, or contain, a:
| • | hotel or boarding house where sleeping accommodation is provided for more than six people (whether guests or staff) or if there is some sleeping accommodation above the first floor or below the ground floor; |
| • | factory, office, shop or railway premises where more than 20 people are at work at any one time or if more than 10 people work elsewhere than on the ground floor; or |
| • | a factory where explosive or highly flammable materials are used or stored. |
If a building contains two or more of these types of premises (which can be the whole or part of the building) you should include the total number of people at work.
If you think your premises require a Fire Certificate, but are unsure if you have one, check to find out. Dependant on your circumstances, you could contact the owner, the landlord, other or previous occupiers, or the managing agent.