FOCUS FIRE SAFETY
TAKING THE HEAT
Among facilities managers’ many
responsibilities, fire protection is one of the
most important. All non-domestic buildings are
required to have fire protection in place, and a
failure to keep these properly maintained and
managed can result in fines and prosecution. Even
more important is the need to keep a building’s
occupants safe from the risk of fire.
Fire protection involves many factors: the fire risk
assessment, the fire detection and alarm system,
the extinguishing system (such as sprinklers and fire
extinguishers) – it’s a lot to manage, and keeping on
top of it all should be a regular scheduled task to
ensure that nothing is overlooked.
FIRE RISK ASSESSMENTS
The fire risk assessment should be reviewed at regular
intervals, and whenever there are any changes in the
building – if renovation work is carried out, for example,
or if a new extension is built or a room repurposed.
Although the assessment is a legal requirement, there
is no set legal template – it will depend on the building
itself. Guidance notes are available on the gov.uk
website.
At a basic level, all fire risk assessments should
identify the key fire hazards; identify the people at risk;
evaluate, remove or reduce the risks; record findings,
and help prepare an emergency plan and training.
They are easy to do – but hard to do well.
Professional help is available if required, but it’s
important to be aware that almost anyone with a
background in the fire industry can set themselves
up as a ‘professional’ fire risk assessor. Hundreds of
‘experts’ visit premises around the country giving
advice to building owners and businesses, not always
with the appropriate qualifications or experience.
The situation is changing now that the number of
certified (independently verified to be fully trained
and reliable) risk assessment companies is rising. In
2012 there were none – now there
are 42. While this may not sound
like a particularly high number, the
figure is likely to snowball over the
next few years as a more educated
public demands verification of the
skills of the people they are hiring
to carry out fire risk assessments.
50 JUNE 2019
(It’s encouraging that the trend for certification is
spreading. More and more installers of fire alarm
systems are certified, for instance – over 800 companies
and counting.)
FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
How many fire extinguishers should a building have?
It all depends on the size of the premises and
the type of risk. British Standard 5306 part 8 gives
recommendations for the number and type of
extinguisher needed in a building. By classifying risk
by the type of material that could burn (class A, for
example, refers to fires involving wood or paper),
the standard provides a method of calculating the
number and types of extinguishers required.
In some cases, it sets a minimum level of coverage
– for class A it sets a minimum of two class A
extinguishers per floor, for example. By working out
the floor area, and setting that against the area a
particular extinguisher covers by its fire rating, you
can calculate how many extinguishers are required.
The fire risk assessment should also mention if
extinguishers are required for first-aid firefighting.
A third-party certificated portable extinguishing
company will be able to recommend the correct
course of action and determine if your building has
the correct number and type of extinguishers.
FIRE DETECTION AND ALARMS
Fire detection and alarm systems need careful
management. A weekly test should be performed
and regular fire drills carried out. These should be
recorded in the log book.
If any false or unwanted alarms occur, these should
also be recorded in the log book.
In order to ensure a good quality of service, the Fire
Industry Association (FIA) recommends that facilities
managers requiring expert assistance choose fire
detection and alarm service companies with thirdparty
certification. Maintaining an accurate log book
helps the external technicians to study events that
have occurred and resolve any issues, such as by
altering the type or siting of equipment.
Third-party certificated installers understand the
importance of proven products that are correctly
designed, installed and maintained. These companies
are generally members of a trade association with an
enforceable code of practice; this extra level of cover
means the client can be confident the work will be
carried out to the highest standard. Skilled third-party
certificated installers aim to get it right first time – with
the added bonus that product traceability is assured.
Third-party certification breeds good practice and
means worthwhile certificates of conformity are
issued. This will give confidence to the specifier, client
and enforcer that the job has been carried out to
the highest standard. Additionally, in the event of a
disaster, lawyers will come looking for the person with
the biggest pockets. The involvement of a third-party
certificated company helps to establish a sound
defence in the event of a lawsuit.
In the worst case, where somebody is killed in
a fire, the possibility of a breach of the Corporate
Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act arises.
Once again, the use of a third-party certificated
company is beneficial to the organisation defending
the action.
FIRE INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION
Fire detection and alarm systems, portable fire
extinguishers and sprinklers all need regular
maintenance. The FIA (the UK’s largest
non-profit trade association for fire
protection) recommends that suppliers
should hold third-party certification for
their area of operation.
FIA members are all third-party certificated and
some may have sta specially qualified in fire
detection and alarms. They may also have undergone
FIA training in a range of other areas, meaning
they are able to provide expert advice as
required. To find an FIA member, visit
the FIA website and click the ‘find
a member’ button.
www.fia.uk.com
Neil Budd and Robert Thilthorpe,
Technical Managers at the Fire
Industry Association (FIA), explain
the core responsibilities involved in
fi Ue pUotection PanaJePent
Neil Budd Robert Thilthorpe
/www.fia.uk.com