User Manual

9
2.3 Fire safety management
Good fire safety management is essential to ensure that:
 The probability of a fire occurring is very low
 If a fire should occur, then it should be:
 Detected early
 Extinguished quickly
 Restricted to a small area of the building
 If, in spite of all efforts to restrict the spread of the
fire, it should get out of control, then all persons
inside the building must be evacuated safely and
quickly.
2.3.1 Fire safety policy
In the majority of universities and large school complexes
fire safety management is based on a comprehensive Fire
Safety Policy, which not only defines the legal
responsibilities of the institution, but also clearly states
the individual (and collective) responsibilities of the
various groups of people within the organization. It is the
duty of top management to ensure that the basic
principles and guidelines set out in the Fire Safety Policy
are implemented to ensure the safety of everyone within
the university community and protect the university
assets. In particular this includes the provision and
management of fire safety systems and procedure.
2.3.2 Fire risk assessment
[4]
The first step towards establishing and maintaining
effective fire safety management is to make a detailed fire
risk assessment. The main objectives of such a fire risk
assessment are:
 To identify the hazards and determine who or what
might be harmed and how
 Reduce the risk of those hazards causing harm to an
acceptable minimum
 Decide what physical measures (both passive and
active) should be implemented
 Decide what management procedures should
be implemented
 Record the findings
 Regularly review the assessment and revise where
necessary
2.3.3 Checklist for fire risk assessment process
Sources of ignition
A list should be compiled of heat sources that could be
sufficient to ignite any material found in the vicinity.
These could include:
 Poor electrical installations (overloads, heating from
bunched cables, damaged cables)
 Faulty or misused electrical equipment, for example:
 In technology or art and craft facilities
(ovens, kilns, etc.)
 In student accommodation (heaters, kitchen
equipment, hair straighteners etc.)
 Hot processes
(welding in workshops, maintenance work)
 Cooking equipment, hot ducting, flues and filters
(canteens, food technology rooms)
 Naked flames (candles, Bunsen burners)
 Arson
 Chemical agents in laboratories
 Smoking materials (cigarettes, matches and lighters)
 Light fittings and lighting equipment
(halogen lamps, display lighting)
 Central heating boilers
 Obstruction of equipment ventilation
(office equipment)
 Gas heating
Sources of fuel
Some of the most common ‘fuels’ found in educational
premises are:
 Flammable liquids, such as cooking oils in food
technology rooms or solvents and adhesives used in
workshops and engineering laboratories
 Flammable chemicals, such as those used in
laboratories or photographic dark rooms, cleaning
products or photocopier chemicals
 Flammable gases in laboratories
 Displays of teaching materials
 Paper, books, computer equipment
 Props and scenery in drama departments
 Clothing and bags in cloakrooms
 Textiles and soft furnishings, such as stage curtains
and costumes in drama departments
 Waste and litter products; especially loose material
such as wood shavings, sawdust, rags and off-cuts
frequently found in workshops or art and design
studios
 Gym mats with cellular foam fillings
Reducing the associated risks
Having identified potential ignition sources and
flammable materials, the risks can be greatly reduced by:
 Removing the hazards where possible
 Enforce a no-smoking ban
 Prohibit portable heaters
 Introducing alternative methods of storage
 Use metal cabinets for storing flammable liquids
 Defining organizational measures to reduce the risks
 Introduce a hot-work permit system
 Make regular checks on electrical equipment and
installations
 Create (and enforce) guidelines for the careful
handling of waste materials
 Create (and enforce) guidelines for correct
behavior in student accommodation etc.
People at risk
In addition to the students and staff, this will include
contractors and members of the public. Equally important
is identifying where these people are likely to be found, as
the main objective of this particular exercise is to develop
appropriate evacuation plans.