Fire Safety Services – Coventry & Warwickshire

The overarching document which states the fire safety procedures of an organisation, how a fire incident should be managed and how an evacuation should be carried out is known as a fire safety policy. It consists of a policy statement and arrangements in how it all works. It is necessary for businesses, schools and organisations of all sizes to know what to do should a fire break out. This should be documented so you have a clear set of fire safety arrangements in place. Some premises may be more prone to a fire than others, but even for low risk properties, you must document what to do. The larger the premises, the more complex the policy may become. If you have multiple floors, lots of people, dangerous substances, amongst other factors, you may need a more detailed plan than for a simple building. For your fire risk assessment, an assessor will need to see evidence of your fire safety policy. At JCH Safety, we always work with our clients to help them to tackle any gaps we identify. If you need assistance writing your fire safety policy, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Fire evacuation procedures are clear and concise instructions of what to do in the event of a fire. For some buildings, it will involve an immediate evacuation. For others, it may involve a stay-put policy, a phased evacuation or a horizontal evacuation procedure. JCH Safety work with clients to ensure that the plans in place are suitable and sufficient. The fire evacuation procedure should be written to ensure all people involved in evacuation management know what needs to be done, when and by who. It needs to clearly detail which routes should be taken out of a building, where to leave the building and where to congregate at a fire assembly point. Some buildings have several fire assembly points which might be in a carpark, a local park or on the street for example. The assembly points require managing so that it is possible to ascertain that everyone has been evacuated from the building. This is the role of the fire evacuation procedure. If you need assistance writing your fire evacuation procedures, JCH Safety can help.

A fire drill is a simulated fire incident which involves testing the fire evacuation procedure. Normally, the fire alarm will be activated and all people involved in the fire evacuation procedure will then carry out the drill. They will ensure people evacuate safely and, unless there is a stay put policy in place, leave the building. Most buildings carry out fire drills once or twice a year. It is good practice for schools and colleges to practise fire drills more frequently, such as once a term. Fire drills should witness buildings being emptied swiftly and safely. As occupants leave the building, fire marshals sweep through the property to ensure no one is left behind or has become trapped. They will also be looking out for any signs of fire so that they can report its location to the lead fire marshal.

The fire log book is, quite simply, the book where the fire safety tests are recorded. It is necessary to inspect and maintain your fire safety equipment and devices. Buildings have various fire safety critical features which keep people safe. These include automatic detection, manual alarms, emergency lighting, fire doors, fire extinguishers, fire and smoke suppression systems, amongst others. These require regular safety checks, services and inspections. The fire logbook provides your record system for this.

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, it is necessary to train staff about what to do in the case of a fire and how to prevent fires. There are two key types of training which are essential; fire awareness training (also known as basic fire awareness training -link to the online training module) and fire marshal training (also known as fire warden training – link to module) . Fire marshal training is for people involved in the fire evacuation procedure. Basic fire awareness training is about ensuring people know how to behave in a fire-safe way in a building. It encourages safe working practices that will mitigate the risk of a fire starting. In addition there are other types of training such as training in how to use fire critical equipment such as evacuation chairs or sprinkler systems.