equipment and facilities; escape routes and strategies; emergency escape lighting; signs and notices; recording, planning, informing; and instructing and training.
Strong consideration should also be given to who is carrying out the risk assessment for the facility. Criteria for the competencies of fire risk assessors can be found in the following document.
The London Fire Brigade, on its website, publishes guidance in choosing a competent risk assessor.
The Institute of Fire Engineers maintains a registry of fire risk assessors as well as a list of institutions offering fire risk assessment training.
The emergency action plan
An emergency action plan is based on a risk assessment, carried out by a competent risk assessor. Partially based on a document from the (US) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) an Emergency Action Plan must contain the following elements: a description of types of emergencies that could occur to the facility; means of reporting fires and other emergencies; levels of emergencies and criteria for escalation; evacuation procedures and emergency escape route assignments; procedures for staff who remain in order to assist patients and others or shut down critical functions before they evacuate; procedures for accounting for all patients, employees and visitors after an emergency evacuation has been completed; rescue and medical duties for employees performing them; names or job titles of persons who can be contacted; agreements with emergency services; agreements with other facilities to accept evacuated patients; and timing for the regular review of the emergency action plan.
The Fire Prevention Plan
A number of organisations also publish a fire prevention plan. It is based on the fire risk assessment and includes a description of sources of fuel and sources of ignition at the facility that could cause or contribute to the spread of fire. The plan also describes alarm systems and fire extinguishing systems. The plan should also describe protection dealing with the detection, the outbreak and the spread of fire.
Based on HSE guidance the plan should also provide clear instructions on eliminating or controlling sources of heat, diminish the amount of combustible or flammable materials. The plan should describe measures to: avoid or control sources of ignition; eliminate or minimise combustible or flammable materials; separate sources of heat from fuel; detect fires and raise the alarm; minimise the spread of fire, smoke, or bi-products of fire; and take action on discovering a fire or when a fire alarm is activated.
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) is concerned about fire safety at work. A Sectoral Group, the Fire Risk Management Group, offers a series of seminars for occupational safety and health professionals on fire safety related issues including: The role of the occupational safety and health professional in dealing with fire safety; dealing with complacency when an evacuation alarm is activated; Risk assessment and emergency action planning; and dealing with the handicapped during a fire evacuation.
For further information email: firstname.lastname@example.org
Even in the most up-to-date health care facility with the most modern fire safety equipment, fires can and do occur. It is essential that fires are prevented and that we do everything that is reasonably practicable to protect ourselves, workers, patients, visitors, contractors and others from the dangers of fire. Empowering the health care professional and other staff with information and training on preventing fires and procedures should a fire occur will help build a culture of fire safety in the organisation. A clearly demonstrated commitment by senior management has also been proven to further strengthen this culture.
Everyone needs to understand the risks of fire and the means to either eliminate the risk or mitigate it to an acceptable level
Dr David Gold, CFIOSH, is vice president of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) and former chair of the IOSH Fire Risk Management Grou