Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

Undertaking fire safety training is a responsible task for somebody to take on. So if you have been appointed in your organisation to undertake fire safety training, whether that is a basic fire safety awareness course, or a more in-depth course where you are training to be a fire warden or marshal, you may have some questions about the training itself. Luckily for you, we’ve put together our very own fire safety training FAQs blog, with a huge range questions covering some topics you may be wondering about.

Conclusion

Thank you for reading out fire safety training FAQs blog! We hope you’re now more clear on our fire safety training and what you can expect. To make sure you have the relevant fire safety training, you can review the training we have on offer:

• Face-to-Face Fire Training Courses
• Online Fire Training Courses

Have a question we haven’t answered here? You can get in touch with our friendly customer service team by calling us on 01327 552160, email us at hello@smarthorizons.co.uk, or use the live chat feature on this website to speak to us during office hours. 

The post Fire Safety Training FAQs – Your Questions Answered appeared first on Fire Training Company.

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

New Fire Safety Regulations

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 is a set of legislative rules implemented after the recommendations made by the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. They will come into force on January 23^rd – focused on manager responsibilities for high rise buildings.

Fire and Rescue Services all over the UK are urging managers of high-rise residential buildings to make sure they understand this new legislation. Current regulations determine high-rise buildings to be at least seven storeys or 18 metres in height.

The 2022 regulations build upon the amendments made to the Fire Safety Act 2021, which came into force in England in May 2022. This act extended the scope of the existing fire safety regime (the Regulatory Reform Order 2005), to make it clear that structures of a building containing two or more dwellings also fell within the scope of the Fire Safety Order.

With this new legislation, it now stretches the legislation to high-rise residential buildings too.

The new regulations explained

The new fire safety regulations outline a number of requirements that the Responsible Persons of high-rise buildings will have to meet. These include:

• Providing their local fire and rescue service with detailed floor and building plans. This should be in the form of both an electronic and a hard-copy.
• Providing details of the building’s external wall construction.
• Advising the fire and rescue service of any faults to firefighting equipment and lifts. This extends to reporting when said faults are fixed.
• Install signage which is visible in low light conditions.
• Inform local fire services if a lift used by firefighters or one of the pieces of firefighting equipment is out of order for longer than 24 hours.
• Provide relevant fire safety instructions to their residents on how to report a fire and what a resident must do once a fire has occurred. This will include information on the evacuation strategy for the building, and may also include consideration of fire signage in other languages where appropriate.
• Carry out quarterly checks on all fire doors, as well as annual checks on building entrance doors.

Reasons for the legislation

The new regulations, and the rules laid out within them, pertain to high-rise buildings in particular following the investigation into the tragedy of Grenfell Tower in 2017.

The concluding report from the inquiry made several recommendations, many of them directed towards the government – requesting a change in the law to implement. The Fire Safety Regulations 2022 will introduce many of these recommendations. The new regulations apply only to England and are being introduced under Article 24 of the Fire Safety Order.

You can check your fire safety responsibilities under the new regulations here.

The new fire safety regulations will require many to assess their own knowledge when it comes to fire safety. That’s where Fire Training Company’s courses can help you. You can find all of our online and face to face fire safety courses on our All Fire Training Course page.

Our friendly customer support team is always happy to talk through your training options. You can give us a call on 01327 552160, or email us at hello@smarthorizons.co.uk.

Related links

• Fire Safety Doors
• What to do in an Electrical Fire
• Fire Risk Assessments for Landlords

The post Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 – Explained appeared first on Fire Training Company.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

If you work in the hospitality industry, fire safety is vital to protect your guests and staff. This was highlighted by the fire at the luxury Scottish hotel, Cameron House in 2017, in which two guests lost their lives and a business was fined £500,000. The findings from the incident found that the hotel firm admitted to failing to take the necessary fire safety measures to ensure the safety of its guests and employees.

In this blog, we discuss the importance of fire safety in hospitality, starting with a detailed breakdown of some of the main causes of fire in the industry.  We then briefly understand how these causes of fire risks can be reduced by carrying out a fire risk assessment of the hospitality venue by the ‘responsible person’ outlined in the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

So what are the main causes of fire in the hospitality industry?

Electrical equipment

Electrical appliances continue to be one of the main causes of fire in the hospitality industry. For example, hairdryers and kettles in hotel rooms and illumination in pubs and restaurants, as well as any heating/cooling systems. Other common causes of fire risks posed by electrical equipment are:

• Malfunctioning equipment
• Laundry equipment
• Lighting

Hospitality business owners need to ensure all electrical appliances have been PAT tested within the last 12 months to minimise the risk of a fire.

Obstructed exit routes

Obstructions in fire exit routes, such as boxes, can in the event of a fire cause people to fall, seriously hurt themselves, and even block the exit passageway for others. Keeping exit passageways clear of obstacles enables people to exit a venue quickly and safely. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order states that emergency doors must not be locked or fastened in any way, and must be easily and immediately opened by ANY person who may require access to them in an emergency.

Kitchen equipment

Damaged or faulty kitchen equipment can easily lead to fires in commercial kitchens. Cooking equipment should be installed, operated and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s guidelines and by a responsible person. Some potential causes of fires in the kitchen are:

• Oil/grease fires
• Leaving cooking food unattended
• Damaged or faulty cooking equipment
• Gas leaks

You can learn more about common causes of fire and how to keep yourself and staff safe in the kitchen in our blog Restaurant Fire Safety.

Smoking

Discarded cigarette butts are still one of the most common causes of fire in hotels and other premises. All high-risk areas must be no smoking zones with appropriate signs and training for staff. Cigarettes are the biggest killer in accidental fires. Tobacco is manufactured to burn at over 700 °C and to stay alight, meaning it can remain smouldering and start a fire. Most fires are caused by smoking materials left on beds, furniture or are thrown into full bins.

Hospitality venues should provide highly visible and easily accessible bins or wall-mounted ashtrays for smokers to safely stub out and dispose their cigarettes.

Mitigating the risk of fire in the hospitality industry

As well as understanding the main causes of fire hazards in your hospitality venue, it is important to implement regular and documented fire safety checks and execution of policies in line with fire safety regulations. Hospitality venues will require a fire risk assessment, which will identify all the fire hazards and items that can act as fuel, an outline of emergency evacuation procedures, as well as who might be harmed by a fire and why.  The findings of the fire risk assessment will determine what physical precautions and management arrangements are necessary to reduce risk of harm.

An example in a hotel would be if the ‘responsible person’ performed a fire risk assessment and identified the risk of a cooking oil fire in a kitchen. They would make sure that a Class F fire extinguisher is installed in the kitchen and that staff were trained on the use of cooking oils. The fire risk assessment would also involve a number of additional measures to ensure guests and employees are protected as much as possible such as the positioning of fire safety signage, having the correct amount and type of fire extinguishers and an assessment of fire safety equipment.

For more information about practical advice on reducing fire risks in the hospitality industry, specifically in bed and breakfasts, guest houses and self-catering properties, you can read the government publication: Do you have paying guests?  

Train your hospitality staff

The Fire Safety in Hotels page on our website explains what fire training you are likely to need as well as additional things to think about around fire safety relating to the hotels and the hospitality industry in general.

Our IFE approved & CPD accredited online Fire Marshal/Warden Course can be taken by staff, and our face to face Fire Marshal/Warden Courses can be tailored to your establishment, ensuring you keep your guests and staff safe.  

Our friendly customer support team is always happy to talk through your fire safety training options. Why not give us a call on 01327 552160, email us at hello@smarthorizons.co.uk, or use the live chat feature on this website to speak to us during office hours.  

Related links

• Fire safety in the work place – a guide 
• What should fire safety at work cover 
• Fire safety checklist for business 
• Fire safety training in the workplace 
• How many fire marshals/wardens do I need? 
• 5 duties of a fire marshal  
• How long does my fire marshal or fire warden certificate last?  
• Fire safety training: What’s in a fire warden training course?  

The post What are the Main Causes of Fire in the Hospitality Industry? appeared first on Fire Training Company.

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

Introduction

Perhaps unsurprisingly, we see a huge amount of Christmas fires in the UK. The food and festivities, drunken uncles and the cheery atmosphere seem to be the perfect kindling for a fire. So in the spirit of raising fire awareness, here are our 12 days of Christmas Fire Safety. We hope that these tips will help you celebrate a safe and enjoyable festive season.

1st Day – Office Smoke Detectors

How does that old yuletide chorus go? ‘On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…a smoke alarm with matching batteries?’ Whilst it might not have quite the same ring (or five) to it as the original, it’s a good lyric to remember. Fire safety in the workplace is no joke.

Before you leave the office on the 24th, ensure that you fulfil your legal requirement to maintain a functional fire detection system. It would be a good idea to change the batteries, too. Arson, one of the most common causes of workplace fire, is most likely when people are out of the office for an extended period.

2nd Day – Office Christmas Decorations

Picture the scene. The office Christmas party is in full swing. Hastily-bought decorations adorn the walls, trays of food cover the desks and the poor Christmas tree is in the wars. Unfortunately, this chaos isn’t what an office is made for. It almost certainly isn’t included in your workplace fire risk assessment. Stacks of office paper + tree + paper decorations = copious potential fuel. 

If there were to be a fire in the office during the party, it would have more room to grow and more fuel to consume. Be aware of how turning your workspace into a party space could make it more dangerous (not to ruin the fun). For example, buy an artificial, flame-retardant Christmas tree, as it’s far safer.

3rd Day – Alcohol Consumption at Christmas

This ties in quite nicely with alcohol consumption over Christmas, which can be dangerous for two reasons. Primarily, it impairs decision-making. On the final day of work before break, an eagerness to turn on the music and Christmas lights could lead to overloaded plug sockets. This is one of the most common causes of workplace electrical fires.

Secondly, remember that brandy, rum and other traditional christmas spirits are extremely flammable. If your office enjoys a traditional christmas lunch, the lighting of the christmas pudding could quickly turn hazardous.

4th Day – Surge Protectors

Christmas is an indoor event. Whilst you may have the whole family over, chances are you’ll stay cramped and cosy inside, rather than out in the cold. Consequently, your energy usage increases massively over Christmas. 

Even before the family comes over, electric decorations, ovens and televisions are often in use for long periods of time during the holiday period. Add in your cousin’s new playstation and a family’s worth of phone chargers and you’ll be soon asking for a lot from your plug extension cables. These can very easily overheat. Spread your appliances throughout the house and invest in some surge protectors, to protect any overloaded plug extensions from electrical spikes.

5th Day – Timers

Christmas decorations can, by their very nature, be problematic. Tangled fairy lights and battered old reindeers can all pose a risk. Even when fully functional, these decorations place huge demand on your electrical system, particularly flickering lights. Add in some faulty, exposed and/or untested wiring and you could have a real issue. 

Ensure that you hook your Christmas decorations up to some timers. When you go to bed and forget to turn your lights off, you could be endangering those in the house and wasting huge amounts of energy. Traditional timers work fine. However, you can also now easily control smart bulbs and timers from your phone. Worry about everything else on our 12 Days of Christmas Fire Safety; with timers, just set them and forget them.

6th Day – Candles

There’s a certain cosiness to Christmas; the inside warmth, the low light and the food all create an intangible festive atmosphere.  In Denmark, they have a word for it – Hygge. One of the biggest contributors to this feeling of cosiness is candlelight. There’s something comforting and calming about a candle’s warmth protecting us from whatever may be waiting outside in the cold.

However, in London alone, there were 200 fires caused by candlelight in 2020. If you do light candles over Christmas, mount them safely in stable candlesticks, which are difficult to knock over. Furthermore, you should only keep them lit in rooms you’re using, so they can be constantly monitored.

7th Day – Domestic Smoke Alarms

We’ve already mentioned how you absolutely must keep a well-functioning fire detection system in your workplace. However, smoke detectors are also absolutely necessary in the home, too, especially (but not exclusively) at Christmas.

The chaos of a Christmas kitchen is near-unrivalled. Potatoes are roasting, the turkey is waiting and someone is giving far too much attention to the bread sauce. When the smoke alarm inevitably goes off, it’s enough to draw a collective groan from the whole family. However, do not take the batteries out of the alarm. In fact, it’s good practice to replace your batteries around Christmas every year, as it’s often the most demanding time for a smoke alarm. Additionally, smoke alarms often ring more when their batteries are running out, so it’ll likely save you some Christmas earache.

8th Day – Fire Blankets

Speaking of which, perhaps it would be wise to invest in a fire blanket. You’re often likely to see them in commercial kitchens, mounted on a wall within easy access. In a restaurant kitchen, there’s obviously a good reason for this; the sheer amount of cooking appliances working at high heat in a high-pressure environment means that fire is more likely. Yet for some reason, we often don’t consider having a fire blanket in our own kitchen. 

Whilst it may look unseemly (though it doesn’t have to be wall-mounted), it actually makes a lot of sense, particularly at Christmas. Domestic kitchens aren’t as robust or well-designed as a commercial kitchen. So, when you’re cooking for 12 at Christmas, with every gadget in use and your attention divided, you’re really testing the limits of your appliances and greatly increasing the chance of fire. Having a fire blanket on hand could help you easily tackle any small fire, before it gets out of hand.

9th Day – Outdoor Decorations

We often keep outdoor decorations for years; it really starts to feel like Christmas when the glowing Santa gets put up above the kitchen window. 

However, we often don’t have the best storage conditions. Damp, cold garages might see mice chewing through wires or water-damaged bulbs and when they’re up outside, rain and snow can easily penetrate older, more fragile Christmas lights. This could cause power failures, electric shocks and fires.

To avoid this, you should use decorations designed for the outdoors  and cover their electrical supplies with plastic sheeting. Whilst you don’t have to get your lights PAT-tested, running over them with an electrician’s multimeter may also be a good idea. However, a simple visual check for frayed wires and good maintenance practices should be more than enough to keep your lighting safe.

10th Day – Looking after the vulnerable

Tenth in our 12 Days of Christmas Fire Safety is, in the festive spirit, looking after others. The elderly, people with disabilities or mobility issues may need help to ensure their safety. Moreover, they may not have the energy or ability to perform maintenance themselves. In some areas of the UK, you can register for a free home fire safety check; the majority of UK fire services provide free smoke alarms and fitting services to vulnerable people.

You can help by ensuring that safety ramps are fitted where necessary and in good repair, smoke detectors are tested if and strobe fire alarms considered if the person is hearing-impaired. These small favours can keep vulnerable people safe over the holiday season.

11th Day – Fireworks

As we near the end of the Christmas season, many are doubtless looking forward to the year ahead. New Year’s celebrations are just as good a reason as Christmas to throw a party and go all out. Whether you love them or hate them, that means the fireworks are coming out.

We often attend New Year’s Eve fireworks displays, perhaps foolishly, in our back gardens rather than at organised events. If you are having a firework display, keep safe by following the Firework Code, use certified fireworks, read instructions and plan everything thoroughly.

12th Day – Stay Vigilant

For the final day of Christmas, we’ll keep it short and thematic. Stay vigilant! Understanding what causes fire is vital to preventing it. Constantly monitor your use of electricity, heating, cooking appliances and open flames. Whilst we’ve tried to keep our 12 Days of Christmas Fire Safety light and enjoyable, it’s important to understand that fire safety is a very serious matter. Stay aware and keep your friends and family safe and you’ll be certain to have a great festive season.

Oh, and Merry Christmas!

Related Links

• Fire Safety and Office Christmas Decorations
• The Importance of Smoke Detectors
• What to Do in an Electrical Fire

The post 12 Days of Christmas Fire Safety appeared first on Fire Training Company.

Those who have taken fire training, however, will be able to recognise when it’s the correct course of action to extinguish a blaze before it gets out of control. The key is to know which fire extinguisher is appropriate to which situation – as you don’t want to make an error in such a dangerous environment. 

Having fire extinguishers within your building is required by law – and knowing how to use them is critical to ensuring the safety of everyone.

Fire Training Company have created this helpful fire extinguisher quiz so you can test your knowledge of the different types and the various flammable materials they can be used for.

Fire Extinguisher Quiz

Start Quiz

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Your answer:

Correct answer:

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Your Answers

Learn more about fire extinguisher use

Fire extinguishers need to be handled properly. Incorrect usage of an extinguisher could not only jeopardise your chances of handling a fire but, in fact, make it worse. Face-to-face fire extinguisher training can help prevent this, teaching you and your staff the proper practices.

Without doubt, the best option is not to use them and clear the building. Unless you have no choice, or it is totally safe to do so, firefighting is best left to the professionals. The best policy when facing a fire is ‘get out and stay out’.

Related Links

• How to use a fire extinguisher
• What are the different classes of fire?
• What to do in an electrical fire

The post Fire Extinguisher Quiz appeared first on Fire Training Company.

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

We deliver online and face-to-face training for fire marshals and fire wardens but some customers ask us what is the difference between a fire warden and a fire marshal?

In this blog, we will see whether the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRFSO) makes a legal distinction between the two roles. We also discuss whether organisations choose to differentiate the two responsibilities and why.

The role of the ‘responsible person’

The Regulatory Reform 2005 (Fire Safety) Order provides a framework for standard fire safety in all non-domestic premises, this includes almost all buildings, places, and structures that are not private homes. Under this order the fire safety arrangements would no longer be decided by the fire service, instead the responsibility was moved to the ‘responsible person’ at the premises. This person often has control (or a degree of control) of the building, and is often the owner, employer or an occupier. 

Under the Fire Safety Order the  ‘responsible person’  takes reasonable steps to reduce the risk of fire and makes sure people can safely escape. Alternatively, the ‘responsible person’ may give the role of the fire warden/fire marshal to somebody else, and this person would take responsibility of fire safety in the building.

Legal references to the role of fire warden

There is no legal reference that differentiates the roles and responsibilities of a fire marshal and a fire warden in the Fire Safety Order. Therefore the duties of a fire warden or a fire marshal can be classed legally as performing the same role and responsibilities. 

The order does outline that it is vital to appoint trained fire marshals/fire wardens to keep employees and customers safe.  Allocated to these fire wardens/marshals are important duties, which include understanding the fire risks and managing an evacuation if a fire happens. Both need to have adequate fire safety awareness and training and they play an important part in your fire safety plan.

Do some businesses split the fire warden/fire marshal role?

In some businesses, they do make a distinction between the role of a fire warden and a fire marshal and each role will have a different set of responsibilities. This often happens in larger and more complex organisations, but it is totally up to the business to decide whether they want to split the role and what the difference is between the two roles in their workplace.

The number of fire wardens/fire marshals you need depends of many risk factors, this number is calculated by a specialist and is referred to in your fire risk assessment.  If you’re interested in guidance on how many fire warden/fire marshals you need in your business, you can take a look at our latest blog:  How Many Fire Marshals/Wardens do I Need? 

The role of a fire warden/fire marshal in a low or high risk business 

In a smaller, low risk business you may think you need to assign one ‘responsible person’, and they will probably have the title of either a fire warden or fire marshal, it really doesn’t matter as their roles and responsibilities will be the same. However, you do need to bear in mind who would take responsibility if the designated person was away from the business for any reason e.g. holiday, illness, visiting clients, etc.

In a higher risk business, you will probably need to allocate more than one ‘responsible person’. It makes sense to have separate fire marshals and fire wardens who have predefined responsibilities with different day to day fire management duties, ensuring fire safety is manageable and that the business is fully compliant with fire safety regulations. Although these roles are interchangeable and it is up to the individual organisation to decide how the roles will be split. As a rule of thumb, fire wardens will usually have a more proactive role where as a fire marshal’s role tends to be more reactive. Here are some examples of how the responsibilities could be divided. 

Example responsibilities of a fire warden:

• Undertaking regular fire door checks and equipment checks. 
• Assisting in creating plans for evacuations and emergencies.
• Responsibility for searching the premises and ensuring that the whole building has been successfully evacuated. 
• Responsibility for fire risk assessments and fire drills. 
• Employing good fire safety practices in the workplace and any necessary reporting. 

Example responsibilities of a fire marshal:

• While a building is being evacuated, they will handle the evacuation outside the building.  
• Performing the roll calls. 
• Making sure all fire wardens are safe. 
• Undertaking some of the roles of the fire warden outlined above. 

In summary, there is no difference between the role of a fire marshal and fire warden, but if your workplace/business warrants or requires it the roles may be divided.  Proper training is vital if taking on these roles. Not only does becoming a fire warden/fire marshal allow you to help make your workplace a safer environment, experience in this role can also increase your employability in the future. 

Want more information about our fire warden/fire marshal training?  

Our IFE approved & CPD accredited online Fire Marshal/Warden Course make sure you are compliant with the current fire legislation. It covers your responsibilities, the correct fire extinguishers to use and fire prevention and evacuation.    

We also offer face to face Fire Marshal/Warden Courses across the UK. Our courses are tailored to your workplace, and our experienced ex-fire service trainers give you the opportunity to use a fire extinguisher.

Our friendly customer support team is always happy to talk through your fire safety training options. Why not give us a call on 01327 552160, email us at hello@smarthorizons.co.uk, or use the live chat feature on this website to speak to us during office hours.  

Related Links

• Fire safety in the work place – a guide 
• What should fire safety at work cover 
• Fire safety checklist for business 
• Fire safety training in the workplace 
• How many fire marshals/wardens do I need? 
• 5 duties of a fire marshal  
• How long does my fire marshal or fire warden certificate last?  
• Fire safety training: What’s in a fire warden training course?  

The post What is the Difference between a Fire Warden and a Fire Marshal?  appeared first on Fire Training Company.

Estimated reading time: 11 minutes

Introduction

Whether you work in a home for people with disabilities, the elderly, those who need hospice care or anyone else for that matter, fire safety in care homes is a vital and often quite intimidating issue. Due to their size and the needs of the people who live in them, fire safety regulations for residential care homes are detailed and demanding.

Reading through all the legislation and understanding your legal requirements can be a time-consuming, daunting task. To help, we’ve summarised everything you need to know in a concise guide.

What causes fires in care homes?

Before we look at how we should approach fire safety in care homes, we should figure out exactly what causes fire in these places. On average, there are fires in 388 UK care homes every year.

According to the London Fire Brigade, 41% of those care home fires are caused by cookers and the act of cooking, 21% by kitchen appliances and 13% by smoking. It’s probably to be expected that kitchen-related incidents form 62% of total fire incidents. Residential care homes care and cater for tens to hundreds of people. Cooking and delivering a high number of meals puts strain on both the kitchen and the staff working inside them.

Unclean extractor fans and ventilation systems are the leading cause of fire in commercial kitchens in the UK. It’s easy to imagine how, pressed for time and overworked, a kitchen staff member may neglect an extraction fan. After all, it’s not the most obvious fire hazard in kitchens with gas-burner stoves and industrial ovens.

If you’re a keen mathematician, you may notice that the London Fire Brigade haven’t accounted for 15% of care home fires in their statistics. Before we move into how to tackle fire safety in residence homes then, here’s a couple of alternative, less common causes to consider, which might make up that 15%:

Electricals

As with most commercial buildings, heavy and load-intensive use of electricity could become a problem in a care home. Perhaps you have a number of recreation rooms with radios and televisions dotted about for residents. Kitchen appliances may be poorly-wired, improperly-inspected and/or be old.

The residents in the home may not be particularly electrically-minded and might overload plug sockets with too many devices. All of these possibilities could be worsened if yours is an old building, with dated and damaged wiring.

Lack of de-escalation

It could be that one of the biggest issues residents face is not knowing how to deal with a fire or not getting the proper help from staff. Residents may not have the mental wellbeing to recognise that a fire has started or what dangers it may pose.

Arson

Unfortunate as it is, it could be the case that a resident who is not very well may intentionally start a fire in their room or in a communal setting.

What are the possible consequences of fire in a residential home?

The human cost

Thankfully, fire casualty rates in UK care homes aren’t too high. They’re certainly not the lowest, often double the rate of food & drink and entertainment venues, but they’re much lower than other places of mass-residence, like hospitals and prisons. That said, if a care home doesn’t meet the necessary fire safety requirements, the consequences could be massive.

Care homes may host the same number of occupants as a school, depending on their size, with those residents also staying in the building(s) for more than double the time of students. Fires are arguably more dangerous at night, with sleeping residents more vulnerable to unwitting smoke inhalation. Furthermore, mentally and/or physically vulnerable residents may be slower to react to a fire and remove themselves from the situation.

Such is the possible casualty rate in a care home that UK fire services, as policy, intend to respond more quickly to residential home fires.

The financial cost

From a purely business perspective these fires can be extremely costly. Fines alone have been as big as £380,000 in the UK for care home fires. This is on course on top of any repair costs, which could stretch into the millions, depending on the size of the home and the extent of the damage.

Consider too the effect on any future earnings. People entrust care homes with the protection of their close family members. It’s unlikely that a home reopening after a fire would have a long list of residents waiting to register for a room.

What is the legislation regarding fire safety in care homes?

There are two central pieces of legislation covering a care home owner’s fire safety responsibility:

The Care Home Regulations Act (2001)

Amongst some other important subjects, a section of this Act tells of how to approach fire safety specifically within a care home. This responsibility for fire safety falls on the owner or manager of the property. Some key takeaways from the regulations are:

• Seek advice from the local fire authorities regarding your home’s approach to fire safety
• Ensure your staff have received some formal fire safety training, including how to deal with an actual fire incident
• Designate a fire warden(s) for the premises
• Reduce the possibility of a fire by combating potential fire hazards
• Create a fire detection system
• Regularly practice fire drills with both staff and residents and document the process

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety Order) 2005

The majority of the requirements for fire safety in non-domestic premises is oriented around the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

The first action specified in the document is declaring a Responsible Person. This person will be in charge of and responsible for all fire safety procedures onsite and should specifically be in the hands of someone with ‘control of the premises’. In care homes, this would typically be:

• Employers
• Facilities Managers
• Owners
• Landlords
• Third-Party Risk Assessors

It’s important to realise that there can be more than one Responsible Person. If, by the legislative definition, there are a number of people with ‘control over the premises’, they must work collaboratively in the interests of fire safety.

The Responsible Person has a number of specific duties:

• Delivering a Fire Risk Assessment
• Communicating the findings of this assessment to staff
• Maintaining fire safety measures 
• Providing formal fire safety training to all staff 
• Planning emergency procedures

Fire risk assessment in residential care premises

Though it’s not legally-binding legislation, the government has released a comprehensive guide on fulfilling your legal duty for fire risk assessment in care premises. It’s intended for all buildings in which residents would require carer assistance to be safe in the event of a fire.

Who enforces this legislation?

Fire safety enforcement is under the jurisdiction of local fire and rescue authorities. The local fire service is entitled, at their discretion, to inspect care residences and you are obliged to allow that inspection.

If a premises fails inspection, there is a progressive scale of consequence: 

• The local authority could issue alteration notices, which demands immediate change to fire safety matters onsite.
• Enforcement and prohibition notices could follow, leading to site closure, temporarily or permanently.
• If such notices aren’t adhered to, unlimited fines and prison sentences can follow.

Abiding by the legislation

As mentioned earlier, your first task, prior to filling out a fire assessment, is to declare a so-called ‘Responsible Person(s)’. Most often, in the case of a care home, this person will be an owner, manager or facilities manager (or all 3). All people involved with management of the property must have created a consensus on who is the Responsible Person (s).

Fire Risk Assessment

Upon appointment, this Responsible Person(s) must undertake a fire risk assessment, with the following procedures:

1. Identify all possible fire hazards.
2. Identify people on the premises who may be at risk.
3. Reduce and/or remove those risks. 
4. Record your findings, prepare your emergency procedures accordingly and provide fire safety training.
5. Review and update this assessment regularly.

If the Responsible Person(s) doesn’t have the required competency for a fire risk assessment, you can hire a third-party risk assessor. Of course, this is expensive, as such assessors assume a certain level of risk themselves.

Common Risk Areas

Proper fire safety in care homes should be built on a proper fire risk assessment. When completing such an assessment, it’s important that you tailor it to your workplace. There’s no point copy-and-pasting the assessment criteria of an elderly residence of 40 beds onto a vulnerable people residence of 400.

That said, there are some fairly obvious, common risk areas to assess and improve within most care homes.

Evacuation procedures and assistance

People who live in care homes most likely need assistance in evacuation. Not only do they not have a legal obligation for it, people in care likely do not have the facilities to fully abide by a predetermined evacuation procedure. Accordingly, you must create an evacuation system which accounts for this.

Your carers must be properly prepared and know exactly which sections of the home they’re responsible for. They must know how to deal with a certain number of vulnerable people during a crisis, possibly needing to enter their rooms and wake them, taking into account their individual needs.

Helping those with disabilities

To that end, some residents will likely be people with disabilities. Such disabilities could include psychiatric disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, wheelchair-use, deafness and blindness. Again, you must adapt to the needs of those in your care home.

For example, if you look after the elderly or infirm, consider using an evacuation chair to help them safely down flights of stairs. In addition, you cannot apply a one-size-fits-all approach. Imagine you have a resident who is hard-of-hearing and subsequently needs a strobe alarm to know when a fire occurs. Perhaps, on the same floor, there’s also a photosensitive-epileptic resident, who may have a seizure triggered by such a fire detection system.

These bespoke, complex arrangements for evacuation are key to planning for a fire. They might include planning room designations for certain residents far in advance.

Fire exit routes

As aforementioned, your staff must understand the precise evacuation system in place in the event of a fire. This includes fire escape routes.

Such routes must be predefined and kept unhindered. They must also be well thought-through. If you have a number of residents with low or zero mobility, create the easiest possible route for a carer to evacuate them. Cleared corridors on the ground floor, for example, would help carers to escort residents in wheelchairs off of the premises.

Training your staff

You have a legal requirement to provide your staff with formal fire safety training. One such form of training is one of our courses. They’re comprehensive, clear and available in both in-person and online formats. What’s more, our Learning Management System (LMS) keeps a central record of completed, verifiable certificates for your staff, as acceptable evidence for the local authorities.

Day-to-day fire safety in care homes

Below is a handful of good habits to take into consideration. You should include these in a regular fire safety routine:

• Maintain equipment – If you do have an assortment of fire safety equipment customised for your residents, take good care of it; it’s often expensive! Have your alarms tested and ensure any fire extinguishers are fully charged.

• Periodical fire drills – Undertake regular fire drills with your staff and residents. Test out your escape routes and ensure your staff get practice with the equipment they might use in a real-world scenario.

• Keep fire doors closed! – This is fairly self-explanatory. You should never proper open fire doors; they’re designed to give you time to escape in the event of a blaze.

• Take care of the hazardous areas – We’ve already looked at how the kitchen is the most common place a fire might start in a care home. If it’s dirty and uncared for, ensure your staff raise their standards. If there’s not enough staff compared to the workload, hire more. Similarly, enlist your carers’ help with monitoring your residents’ electricity use and smoking habits. Perhaps you could buy surge protectors for the recreation room, for example, and designate smoking areas for residents and staff who need a cigarette break.

Conclusion

Fire safety in care homes is a very real concern but it shouldn’t intimidate you. There’s regulation in place so that you and your residents stay safe. For more information, take a verifiable training course today.

Related Links

• Fire Safety Training in Care Homes
• Fire Triangle Explained
• Fire Safety in the Workplace: A Guide

The post Fire Safety in Care Homes: A Guide appeared first on Fire Training Company.

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Introduction

We often act very differently in extreme situations to how we perhaps thought we might. At no time is this truer than during a fire; uncontrolled flames seem to stir something instinctual and fearful inside us. Unfortunately, this very human reaction can very negatively affect our actions. There are in fact many varieties of fire, all of which must be treated differently, in case you make them worse. In this article, we’re going to explore what to do in an electrical fire.

Electrically-ignited fires are some of the most common, particularly in the workplace. Most offices don’t store overtly flammable materials or work with obvious potential sources of fire; this often creates a false sense of security. However, there is a long list of electrical fire hazards to consider in the office (along with many other varieties of fire hazard). Dated and/or untested appliances, overloaded plug sockets and faulty wiring can quite easily cause devastating fires.

However, there are some clear actions you can take in an electrical fire to keep yourself and your coworkers safe. Let’s explore them.

The Fire Triangle

To properly understand the actions you should take during an electrical fire, however, we should explore how one might start. Electrical appliances draw electrical energy from the mains. When we don’t handle that energy properly, it can become dangerous. For example, when we fill an extension lead with too many appliances, it can overheat from the sheer amount of electrical energy drawn to it.

The fire triangle is a concept detailing the three components of any fire: fuel, heat and oxygen. To collapse a fire, we must break the fire triangle, by taking away just one of these three elements. With this knowledge of how fires start, let’s start exploring specifically what to do in an electrical fire.

1. Break the Fire Triangle

Step 1 – see if you can break the fire triangle. Let’s take our earlier example of an overloaded extension lead. Could we take away the heat element by cooling it down? Well, most cooling methods would involve water. Obviously, electricity and water don’t mix, hence why grabbing any old fire extinguisher could make the situation far worse, as it might be water or foam-based.

So, what’s causing the heat? As we discussed earlier, the electricity surging to the extension lead is giving off heat energy. So, by unplugging the lead, we take away both the fuel and the source of heat.

Of course, it’s important to consider that the electricity may not be the only thing fuelling the flames anymore. Fire consumes anything flammable in its path. Could the carpets, stacks of office paper or wooden desks now possibly have become fuel? If the fire has found a new source of fuel, unplugging the lead may be fruitless.

So, if you can’t reach the plugs, or turning them off doesn’t help, what next?

2. Use Fire Equipment

Removing oxygen with fire equipment is the next angle of attack. A fire blanket could be a good idea, provided the fire is small enough, in order to starve the flames of oxygen. However, in the case of an electrical fire, you should use a CO2 fire extinguisher. The physical structure of a CO2 molecule means that it has no free electrons. Consequently, it can’t conduct electricity.

Whilst a water-based extinguisher might make the fire worse, as it conducts electricity, a CO2 extinguisher will prevent this and also act as a flame retardant. Objects covered with this CO2 flame retardant can’t be used by the fire as a fuel source. If the flames are then properly extinguished, try again to remove the source of electricity, for security.

3. Evacuate

Of course, fires can develop quickly; a potentially devastating blaze can form in 30 seconds. If you can’t fight the electrical fire safely and/or successfully, as with any other fire, you must evacuate the building.

There are some clear do’s and don’ts of fire evacuation for office employees. In short, follow fire exit signs calmly, use evacuation chairs to help people with disabilities and meet at a pre-designated fire assembly point. This procedure should be regularly practiced in advance with fire drills.

Conclusion

So, knowing what to do in an electrical fire may not be as easy it first sounds. Taking incorrect steps could endanger lives and worsen the problem. To make matters worse, this is only one of many possible types of fire that can rage in the office. To learn more, you and your team should undertake some form of fire safety training.

Related Links

• Would You Know Which Fire Extinguisher To Use In An Emergency?
• How Do I Become a Fire Safety Officer?
• Online Fire Safety Training

The post What to Do in an Electrical Fire appeared first on Fire Training Company.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Introduction

Fire Safety in the office can be a lot to handle. Often for those managing or owning businesses, dealing with it can become a burden alongside other typically-demanding duties. As such, we’ve created a fire safety checklist with which you can manage all procedures you need to implement in your workplace. Below, you can read about the reasoning behind this checklist and what areas of fire safety it considers.

It is important to note that a fire safety checklist can never be universal. Offices can be very similar or completely unique. Accounting offices probably need a different set of fire safety protocols to clay-modelling workshops. Understanding this is key going forward.

What should your Fire Safety Checklist cover?

Administrative Duties

It’s important to set out your initial administrative guidelines, to dictate the procedures you’ll implement and follow in an emergency.

For example, you should establish the maximum occupancy of your premises. Knowing how many people should sensibly be in your building at any one time helps you to understand the bounds of your fire safety responsibilities. In short, if you and your colleagues strictly adhere to a 50-person limit in the office, then you can plan your evacuation procedures for 50 people.

So too, you are legally required to undertake a fire risk assessment. Moreover, a competent/trained person must complete this assessment. They must review the safety of the premises and make recommendations for any necessary improvements. Additionally, you should predetermine a date for a fire risk assessment review, preferably annually, in order to understand the most current risks to safety.

You must also write Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) for the differently-abled. This includes all those with lessened mobility who work in the office daily or may be onsite at any point. ‘PEEPs’ must detail any equipment you may need for evacuation. For example, you should have evacuation chairs ready by stairwells for those in wheelchairs, strobe alarms for those with hearing difficulties and perhaps a ‘buddy’ system for those with impaired vision.

Additionally, you should appoint a number of fire wardens/marshals. Establish your building’s level of risk in your assessment; this is typically based on the type of workplace, the number of floors and the layout of the premises. This level then dictates how many fire wardens you need; low-risk premises need 1 per 50, medium-risk 1 per 20 and high-risk 1 per 15. Most UK offices are medium-risk.

Training

In addition to these administrative duties, you are also legally-mandated to provide formal fire safety training to all those in the office. In addition, you must provide fire marshal or fire warden training to specially-appointed members of staff. This training should include practice with fire extinguishers and any other fire equipment in the office.

Similarly, you and your colleagues should regularly practice your fire evacuation procedures with scheduled drills. Practice calmly and quickly reaching the fire assembly point and accounting for all those present in the office.

Equipment

There’s no point training yourself and your colleagues to use fire equipment in the event of an emergency if it’s not always to hand. Accordingly, remember to fully kit out your office with whatever fire equipment you require, according to your fire risk assessment. Whilst it’s impossible to know all of the possible causes and categories of workplace fire, you can still prepare yourself adequately.

For example, offices are often most susceptible to electrical fires, which require a CO2 fire extinguisher. Understanding, to the best of your ability, the possible causes of fire in your office is key to tackling them.

Similarly, do you have a legally-mandated fire detection system? Whilst you don’t have (or necessarily need) to have smoke alarms, you must have some kind of smoke detection system. If you have a large office, with multiple exits, floors and/or rooms, your best option is to install smoke detectors. Also, remember never to unplug or turn off smoke alarms.

Regarding the aforementioned Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans for the differently-abled, are you appropriately equipped? If you need evacuation chairs, strobe light alarms, wheelchair ramps or any possible adjustment to the office, would it be accessible during a fire?

Proactive Maintenance

Finally, you should take an interest in this equipment. If you have sophisticated fire detection systems and fire extinguishers on every floor, you need to make the effort to maintain them. Have your electrical equipment PAT-tested and use the smoke alarms in your regular fire drills.

Furthermore, you can take daily actions to prevent problems during a fire. Ensure that pre-designated fire exit routes are respected and never blocked by chairs, desks or any obstructions. Also, never prop fire doors open, even in the summer heat.

Conclusion

Whilst this fire safety checklist is by no means exhaustive, it covers a lot of ground. You can implement many of the procedures detailed here in your company’s fire safety protocol. However, the main thing we hope you’ve grasped from this is that every building is different and so too are their fire safety necessities.

Related Links

• How Do I Become a Fire Safety Officer?
• The Importance of Smoke Detectors
• 5 Duties of a Fire Marshal
• How to Prevent Fires from Spreading in the Office
• Fire Training Courses

The post Fire Safety Checklist for Business appeared first on Fire Training Company.

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Think for a moment, if you will, about that big clock on Countdown. In the 30 seconds that it takes for that clock to time each round, a potentially disastrous fire could also start in your workplace. Two minutes after that, the fire could have spread enough to do serious damage, resulting in an average cost of over £20,000. In just five minutes, someone could fall victim to a fatal level of smoke inhalation. Preventing these rapid fires, then, is vital; to do so, you must understand the common causes of workplace fire. Here’s the top 5.

Human error

Whilst all mistakes may be created equal, some are deadlier than others.

If you work in a workshop or somewhere with very obviously flammable materials, you likely have many day-to-day microroutines in place to prevent catastrophe. In terms of probability, such measures reduce risk to a minimal level.

However, human error is often more prevalent in workplaces which superficially seem innocuous, with regards to fire. Untested kitchen appliances, overloaded plug sockets and deactivated smoke alarms are just a few of the possible harbingers of fire in your workplace, all caused by human error.

Faulty electrics

In the modern workplace, there is often a plethora of potential sources of electrical fire. Badly wired plugs and broken cables can provide the ignition needed for fire.

Regular PAT testing and some common sense will reduce the danger here. However, note that in some cases, perfectly safe and adequately-tested equipment can still be a danger if neglected.

One equipment problem every firefighter will be familiar with is the danger posed by cheap, imported personal device chargers. A poorly-constructed charger or battery using low-quality components can explode, leak and cause fire.

Negligence

A startling amount of workplace fires are caused by simply not caring about the risk, not recognising negligent behaviour or not following safe practices. Negligence should always be challenged and rectified, regardless of whether the neglected item is a toaster or a forklift.

Flammable materials

There are a wide range of regularly-used materials in almost every workplace that can ignite or even explode. There are both obvious and less-obvious examples; petrol and gasoline can cause fires but so too can paper stationery in the office.

Paper and packaging materials are one of the most common causes of workplace fire. Where items such as flammable liquids are present, your workplace should have CoSHH and other safety controls in place. However, there are no formal controls in place to stop sunlight reflecting through a glass of water and igniting paper on a desk, for example, or a smouldering cigarette from igniting a pile of old cardboard. Be vigilant.

Arson

Sadly, a large percentage of fires are malicious in nature, either as revenge or vandalism. While there is probably little you can do to stop a determined arsonist, never ignore other signs that the workplace is being visited by unwanted guests.

Broken fences, external graffiti and so on can all indicate that you could be at risk. Similarly, never dismiss threats of attacks by disgruntled employees or even customers.

Conclusion

Recognising and reacting to a potential fire hazard is the basis of an effective policy that will have a real impact on your fire safety. Thinking in terms of general areas like the ones above will help define the potential risks in your specific circumstances.

Related Links

• Fire Safety Training: How likely is a fire?
• Face To Face Fire Warden/Marshal Training
• Face To Face Fire Extinguisher Training
• Fire Safety Signs in the Workplace
• Fire Safety in the Workplace

The post Common Causes of Workplace Fire appeared first on Fire Training Company.