fire compliance presentation€¦ · 13th june 2016, south wales fire and rescue service defendant...

“Protectingyou&yourpremises”

Fire Compliance

TheFire RiskAssessmentandBeyondAHotTopic

Presenter Pete Moulson FRACS, IFSM


RegulatoryReform(FireSafety)Order2005(CommonlyknownastheRROorFSO)

• PrimarypieceoffiresafetylegislationforEngland&WalesNBThereareequivalentdocumentsforScotlandandNorthernIreland

TheRegulatoryReform(FireSafety)Order2005‘TheArticles’• Therearecirca53ArticleswithintheRegulations.AnArticle–

referstoasubjectheading

• InordertoavoidEnforcementAction,CompliancewithArticles8– 22ismandatory

• TheArticlesinclude‘PowersofEnforcement’availabletotheappropriateagency

• Provisionforanappealtobemadeagainstunjustenforcement

Article9– TheFireRiskAssessment

• The‘ResponsiblePerson’mustbeinpossessionofasuitableandsufficientFireRiskAssessment(FRA)completedbya‘CompetentPerson’- PAS79

• PurposeoftheFRA,istoreducetheriskoffire,identifythepeopleatriskandthegeneralfireprecautionsrequiredtokeeppeoplesafee.g.‘RelevantPersons’

• FRAtobesufficientlyrobusttosatisfythescrutinyofafireaudit

• The‘ResponsiblePerson’alsohastheundertakingtoensurethepersoncompletingtheFRAis‘Competent’

NBTheFRA,isonlythefirststageofachievingcompliancewiththeRRO.EffectiveFireManagementsystemsandproceduresalignedtotheFRAareequallyimportantasoutlinedPAS7


WhoEnforcestheRRO?

Fire&RescueService(FRS)- TheirRole:Toachieve‘BroadCompliance’

How:Throughaprogrammeofplannedinspections/audits,theFRScanandwill:• Enterpremisesatanyreasonabletime• Inspect/auditpremises• Makeenquiriestoassesscompliance• Requestrecordsandplans

NBWherepossibletheFRS,doNOTwishtoProsecute

Whoisthe‘ResponsiblePerson’?

• Theemployer(iftheworkplaceisundertheircontrol)• Thepersonhavingcontrolofthepremises• Theowner/landlord• Theleadcontractorresponsibleforasizeablerefurbishmentor

newbuildprojectcouldbetreatedasthepersonincontrol• Inmulti-occupancybuildingsitwillbethelandlordand/orthe

occupants


The‘ResponsiblePerson’

KeyResponsibilities• Maintainthesafetyofall‘RelevantPersons’• Choose/nominatea‘CompetentFireRiskAssessor’• Implementthe‘SignificantFindings’oftheFRA• Havesufficientsystems,processesandproceduresin

operationtoenablecompliancetobeevidenced• Maintainuptodaterecordsoftestingandmaintenance

regimesreadyforinspectionbytheEnforcingAuthority• Monitor,controlandperiodicallyreviewtheFRAReviewand

theFRAbefore,duringandaftersignificantchangestotheuseorlayoutofthebuilding/s,especiallyifchangesinvolvethemeansofescape


The‘FireRiskAssessor’GuardianofCompliance

TheRoleoftheFireRiskAssessor:• Completesuitable&sufficientfireriskassessmentstoenable

the‘ResponsiblePerson’achievefullcompliance• Guideorganisationsonhowtoachievecompliance,applying

bestpractice• Wherepossible,providecosteffectivesolutionstoissues

identifiedduringtheFRA• Ensure‘BusinessContinuity’iscentraltothecompletionof

theFRA• WhereRequired,liaisewiththeFRSonbehalfofthe

organisation

GuidanceonCompetencyofaFireRiskAssessor

GuideissuedbytheFireRiskAssessmentCompetencyCouncilin2013

CanIdoitmyself?- YES

Dutyholders,particularlyinsmallorlowriskpremises,maybeabletocarryouttheirownFRAusingtheappropriateguidanceandgenericdocumentation.HOWEVER,YOUNEEDTOKNOWYOURLIMITS!

TheDutyHolder– The‘ResponsiblePerson’- NotexpectedtobeanexpertinFire,retainstheresponsibilityforensuringtheadequacyoftheFRAandchecktoensurethecompetencyoftheFireRiskAssessoriscredible.


GuidanceonCompetencyofaFireRiskAssessor

Inprincipal,therearetwomethodsbywhichpeoplecandemonstratecompetence:

• ProfessionalBodyRegistrationSchemese.g.IFE,IFPOorIFSM

• UKASAccreditedScheme(CompanyorPerson)accreditedfortheactivitye.g.FRACS

GuideissuedbytheFireRiskAssessmentCompetencyCouncilin2013



FirstandMostImportantSteptoAchievingCompliance:

Beinpossessionofa‘Suitable&Sufficient’FireRiskAssessment(FRA)(CompliantwithArticles8– 22)

Mustbeinwritingif5ormoreemployees


Wheredoesitapply?• Allbuildings,workplacesandstructures(temporaryor

otherwise)andfrequentlyincludesemptyproperties

• DoesNOTapplytoprivatedwellingsbutwouldincludecommonareasofflatsandHMO’s.

What is a Good Fire Risk Assessment, Give Us a Clue!


WhatHappensifIDon’tComply?BeforeaFire– ‘ReputationalRisk’– DoesitMatter?FRSwillscrutinisetheFRAduringanaudit.Iffoundlacking,theFRScanandwillactiononeormoreofthefollowing:• Issuea‘NoticeofMinorDeficiencies’• Issuean‘FRAActionPlan’• Initiate‘EnforcementAction’and/or• Dependingontheseverity,commence

prosecutionproceedingsand/or• Issuea‘ProhibitionNotice’• DependentonthecircumstancestheFRScanissuean‘AlterationsNotice’

WhatHappensIfIDon’tComply?

24th March 2016, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue ServiceDefendant charged with five failures to comply with The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.Fined £380,000 plus Costs £29,222Total fine of £409,222

7th September 2015, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue ServiceDefendant charged with:• failure to provide a suitable fire risk assessment, • failure to provide a suitable working fire detection and alarm system, • failure to provide suitable means of escape, • failure to maintain systems and equipment provided for fire safety purposes. Fined £22,500 plus £6,242 in costs

13th June 2014, Lancashire Fire and Rescue ServiceDefendant charged with 15 breaches of the Fire Safety Order, including:• failure to maintain suitable escape routes, • failure to provide an adequate fire alarm and detection system, • and failure to provide a suitable emergency lighting system.18-month jail sentence; Ordered to pay £5,243 in costs.


13th June 2016, South Wales Fire and Rescue ServiceDefendant charged with:• Not co-operating adequately with South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, under Article 27 of the

Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005Fined £6,000 plus Cost £7,423.09Total fine £13,423.09

15th April 2016, Merseyside Fire and Rescue ServiceDefendant charges included:• Inadequate fire precautions• No Fire Risk Assessment• Failure to ensure public safety• No emergency lighting• No fire alarm systemSentenced to 8 months, suspended for 2 years, a 2 year supervision order, 150 hours unpaid work plus Fine £1,200


24th June 2016, Cheshire Fire and Rescue ServiceDefendant charged with:Four breaches to comply with The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.• Inadequate fire safety assessment• Insufficient smoke and fire detection• Failure to demonstrate evacuation procedures• Compromised compartmentationFined £40,000, plus Costs £15,000Total fine of £55,000

Defendant - Former fire fighter Charged with failure to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessmentSentenced to 4 months, suspended for 12 months plus costs £1,600


LondonFRS- Shell• Blockedescaperoutes• Blockedfireexits• Defectivefiredoors• ExcessivefireloadingFined£300,000!



AfteraFire- ReputationalRisk‘GoneupinSmoke’

FRSwillinvestigatethecircumstancessurroundingthecauseandseverityofthefireincident.Dependingontheoutcome,theFRShavevariousoptionsavailable.IfthecauseisattributedtotheinadequacyoftheFRAor,the‘ResponsiblePerson’hasfailedintheirduty,dependingontheseverity,thisisalmostcertaintobeafasttracktoprosecution.InsuranceCompanieswillfindtheresultoftheFRSInvestigationofconcern,assuch,aclaimmaynotbeupheld.Moreover,60%ofBusinessesNEVERrecoverfromaseriousFire


LondonFRS– NewLookFollowingafireattheirOxfordStreetstore• Insufficientstafftraining• StorageblockingescaperoutesFined£400,000!



WhatDoIDoNext?

Evaluate: Doyoucomply?

IftheanswerisYes,fantastic,welldone…..

IfontheotherhandyouDONOToryouremainunsure,youneed HELP!

SoWhat’stheSolution…

? ? ?

TheFCMSFireComplianceSchemeOneCompleteSolution - 4SimpleSteps:Step1 - TheEvaluation– You’vealreadydone!Step2 - TheGapAnalysis- InitialComplianceReviewandprovisionofnewFRAStep3 - EntryontotheFireComplianceScheme

- Implementationofsignificantfindings- Liaisonwithfireauthority- Provisionofbespokefirecompliancedocuments- FireTraining- FireWarden,FireSafetyAwarenessTraining- Awarda‘CertificateofMembership’intotheFireComplianceScheme

Step4 - PeriodicComplianceReview- RenewalofFireComplianceScheme

Providingourguidanceisfollowed,’ComplianceisAssured!’WeGuaranteeit.


WhatisincludedwithintheCompletePackage

• Creation of a new/revised Fire Policy – following the creation of thisdocument by FCMS, the ‘Responsible Person’ would be advised to readand endorse the content of the policy document and once fully acceptedand understood, would be asked to sign the document accordingly

• Provisionofanew/revisedsitespecificFireEmergencyPlan• NewSiteSpecificFireEvacuationProcedure basedontheFireWarden

SweepSearchsystemandNOTtherollcall,however,thecompletionoftheclassregisterswouldremainasanintegralelementoftheprocess

• FireEquipmentMaintenanceRecordingProcesses whichincludescopiesoftestsheets

• BasicFireTrainingPackage- AnnualprovisionofFireSafetyAwarenessTrainingforAllstaffbyelearning.Certificateswillbeawardedtoallattendeeswhicharevalidfor1year.

WhatisincludedwithintheCompletePackage• Site Specific Training an agreed number of 3 hour training workshops

and/or elearning packages for Fire Wardens based on 2 x courses per day.Management Training as Required. Certificates will be awarded to allattendees which are valid for 1 year.

• Client Access to Website Portal + Submission of hard copy reports andother Fire Compliance documentation in one of the FCMS Fire ComplianceManagement folders

• Multi-site IT Administration Platform – National, regional or individualsite records highlighting non-compliant hotspots

• Remote assistance during the implementation of the Fire Regulations and(where required) providing on-going remote advice/support to the seniormanagement

• Remoteliaison withtheFireAuthority(asrequired)• Awardof‘CertificateofMembership’ intotheFireComplianceScheme• AttendancetocarryouttheAnnualFireRiskAssessmentReview(FRA)

Shouldyourequireadviceonanythingcontainedwithinthispresentation,pleasecall08443320445oremail

[email protected]

ThankyouforListening

fire compliance presentation€¦ · 13th june 2016, south wales fire and rescue service defendant...

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