Version 2.

Fire Safety Awareness

Workbook For All Staff

Please ensure you read the workbook thoroughly

before completing the online assessment

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Introduction

Fire safety training is a mandatory element of training as detailed in the UK Core Skills Training Framework. This workbook provides an opportunity for the basic level of compliance to be met on a bi-annual basis but should not take the place of a classroom session.

Managers are responsible for ensuring staff within their teams complete the workbook provided and ensuring any necessary assistance or support is given to aid its successful completion. The commentary part of the workbook can be discussed as part of a team meeting but the question section must be completed on an individual basis.

Should there be any issues regarding the completion of the question section then it can take the form of an oral assessment and their responses recorded.

Learning Outcomes

Enable staff members to achieve compliance with statutory requirements

To increase staff awareness of fire safety measures in place and ensuring they are maintained in the work environment

Ensure staff are able to respond to a fire or fire alarm activation

Training Requirements The trust policy states that fire safety competence should be demonstrated on a bi-annual basis for all staff members in addition to the attendance at a fire safety session during the induction process. Refresher options:

Classroom session (bi-annually)

E learning

Workbook and assessment

Guidance for Completion

Each topic has a section with associated questions and should take no longer than 10 – 15 minutes to complete. If a pass mark of 75% is not achieved an instructor led or e-learning session must be attended. Dates and times of instructor led sessions can be located on the Slate booking system on PC desktops.

Please read the contents of the competency workbook provided

Answer all questions. Partial completion will be recorded as a “did not pass” (Please be aware some questions require more than one answer).

The completed online questionnaire will go automatically to the Fire Safety Advisor for marking once submitted.

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Fire Costs 2016 /2017

Fire killed 313 people

15815 fires (does not include dwellings)

Fires in hospitals & medical care 656 -137 were deliberate

Casualties in hospitals & healthcare – 3 people died and 62 were injured

In 2008 fire cost £8.3 billion

Fire Safety Legislation

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) came into force on 1 October 2006 replacing the previous fire safety legislation. The FSO identifies the Responsible Person, usually the Employer, placing on them certain requirements. In the case of the hospital it is the Trust Board These requirements include:

Ensuring that a fire risk assessment is completed and a written record of any significant findings is made. For the hospital risk assessments are completed to cover either a Block, Ward, Department or Building.

The management of the fire safety measures, both preventative and protective, within each premises

The FSO also places requirement on all staff members to assist the Responsible Person (RP) to ensure that the fire safety measures are maintained and that there actions do not cause the RP to commit an offence. It should be noted that individuals can be held responsible for their actions. Whilst the Trust Board would be known as the Responsible Person anyone who has a degree of control over an area is termed as a Duty Holder and is responsible for ensuring the fire safety measures are maintained. Such people would be Ward Managers or Department Heads. The role of the Fire Safety Advisor is to provide guidance to the Trust on all fire safety matters to ensure our compliance with the Fire Safety Order. This would include formal guidance to the Trust and can include informal guidance at ward and departmental level. Guidance to assist in ensuring compliance for Healthcare Premises can be found in the Firecode Documents, Health Technical Memorandums (HTMs) and a government guidance document ‘Fire safety risk assessment – Healthcare Premises’

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Fire Development and Spread

Fire is a chemical reaction brought about by the combining of fuel, oxygen and the application of sufficient heat to cause ignition. The easiest way to represent this is as a triangle.

The removal of any one of these will result in the fire going out:

Cooling – removal of the heat element

Starvation – removal of the fuel

Smothering – removal of the oxygen Fire spreads in a number of ways. Principally these are:

Convection – When a fire occurs it produces hot gases which rise, heating other substances which will ignite if they reach their ignition temperature.

Conduction – When a solid article such as a metal door or steel beam is heated the heat is transferred along the article and has the potential to ignite materials away from the original location of the fire.

Radiated Heat – When an article is heated by a fire the heat can transfer across a space to another article which then will heat. Should this second article reach its ignition temperature it will then ignite.

Direct Burning – This can be by the application of a flame or the ignition of an article by another burning material.

The other main issue with fire is that it produces smoke and hot gases in large quantities. Whilst fire is visible smoke and gases may not be and yet pose a greater risk to people in the vicinity, and in particular to those who are more vulnerable such as the young, elderly and those who are unwell. The hospital premises are constructed in such a way so as to prevent the spread of smoke. This includes fire resisting doors, fire resisting walls and ceilings.

This is usually available in

the surrounding air or can be

from other sources such as

oxidising agents or piped

oxygen

Cause by an electrical fault, flame

or radiated heat

This could be a solid, liquid or gas

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Fire Hazards (Causes)

There is a need to understand some of the causes of fire and the reasons it spreads which will then guide on how to tackle them. Although this will be formally done as part of the fire risk assessment process there is a need for all staff to be aware of this so that by taking a few easy steps the risk of fire can be reduced. As has been previously stated, to start a fire there needs to be three elements (fuel, oxygen and a heat source). The removal of any one of these will prevent a fire from occurring. The four most common causes of fire in the NHS are:

Smoking

Electrical Appliances

Cooking

Arson Other actions which have the potential to cause a fire include:

Obstruction of the ventilation of heaters, machinery and electrical equipment including computers and other office equipment

Trapped or pinched electrical cables

Storage of combustible materials near to ignition sources

Poorly maintained electrical or other equipment

Inadequate supervision of cooking or other work activities

Appliances being left on when not in use

Inadequate maintenance of equipment

Control Measures

Fire Prevention

There are a number of measures that can be taken to prevent fires from occurring in the first instance. How are the four most common causes of fire controlled within the Trust?

Smoking – From 1st October 2017, all forms of smoking (including tobacco, e-cigarettes and vaping) were banned and are no longer permitted anywhere on the hospital site. This relates to all outdoor areas, including the car parks. https://intranet.mkuh.nhs.uk/smoke-free-site

Electrical Appliances / Installation – Portable appliance testing is undertaken on a regular basis as part of the planned preventative maintenance programme. The Trust’s Electrical Policy states that ‘All electrical appliances’ must be tested before use within the Trust. It also says that extension leads should only be used when authorised by the Estates Competent Person and then only after they have been tested. In respect of electrical items bought in by patients or visitors a visual check should be made and, whenever possible, a discussion with the Estates Competent Person (Mark Brown, Electrical Services Manager). In addition the electrical installations throughout the site are tested on a regular basis in accordance with BS 7671.

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The Electrical Policy also states that extension leads should only be used in exceptional circumstances. The proposed use of an extension lead should be discussed with the Estates Department as the alternative of fitting additional sockets could be a more suitable solution. Joining of extension leads in a ‘daisy chain’ must be avoided.

Cooking – Cooking equipment, including toasters and microwaves should only be used in kitchens or staff rest rooms. They are not to be placed or used in offices. In addition toasters, microwaves and any other cooking equipment must never be left unattended.

Arson – This issue can be difficult to manage. The management of this is the responsibility of all staff members being vigilant, not permitting the accumulation of combustible materials in areas which can be easily accessed by everyone including visitors and members of the public.

Fire Alarm and Detection

The hospital is fitted with an electrical fire alarm system which includes:

Break Glass Call Points – These need to be operated by a person to alert others in the event

of a fire

Automatic smoke detection – These devices detect smoke. Once detected activates the fire

alarm

Automatic Heat Detection – These devices operate when either the temperature around them

has reached a pre-determined level or a rapid rise in temperature, has been detceted

Sounders & Visual Warning Devices – These devices alert people to the fact that a fire has

been detected on site. There are two stages, an Intermittent alarm and a Continuous alarm

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Fire Extinguishers /Equipment

Fire extinguishers / equipment are provided throughout the site. Generally there are two type of extinguisher:

Water

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

There may be other types of extinguisher which are for specific risks; such as Dry Powder or Foam. Fire blankets are also provided in kitchen areas and should be wall mounted.

Fire extinguishers are used to tackle different classes of fire dependent on the material involved. They all have red bodies but include a 5% colour band which assists in identifying the content of the extinguisher

Water Extinguisher coloured RED often with white writing.

Class A – Paper, cardboard, wood fabrics, and similar

materials

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) extinguisher – Red with a BLACK

band on its body.

Suitable for using on fires involving electrical equipment

Foam extinguisher – Red with a CREAM band on its body

Class B – Flammable liquids mainly, but could be used as

per Class A

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Unless trained, staff members should NOT use fire extinguishers to fight a fire. The one exception to

this is where to use one would aid your escape.

Fire extinguishers are generally sited in the following positions:

Adjacent to final fire exit

Adjacent to fire alarm call points (break glass)

Near to a room that has a specific risk

Dry Powder extinguisher – Red with a BLUE band on its body.

Class B – Flammable liquids. Can also be use on fires involving

live electrical equipment.

NB: SHOULD NOT BE USED INSIDE A ROOM OR BUILDING

A Non-Flammable blanket which can be used to smother a small

contained fire such as in a saucepan, toaster, microwave or to

wrap someone in whose clothes are on fire. Will usually be in

Kitchens, Tea rooms and potentially in Laboratories.

Ensure that you have read the instructions on how to use

the extinguisher before you may need to use it. Failure to

do this will delay your escape and could potentially put

yourself at risk

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Fire Protection - Compartmentation

This is provided by fire resisting walls, floors, ceilings and doors. The combination of these provides protection, permitting people to escape to places of relative safety.

It is essential these elements are maintained in a good state of repair and are not abused. The item which is often abused is the fire resisting self-closing door. These doors are fitted to provide protection to escape routes and form part of the protection around high risk areas such as operating theatres, plant rooms and storage areas.

On NO ACCOUNT should these doors be held open by any means other than approved devices and then only after a suitable and sufficient risk assessment has been completed.

Approved Devices

Devices- NEVER TO BE USED

Wedges of any description

Fire extinguishers

Waste bins

Cardboard boxes or similar items

Magnetic – connected to the fire alarm. On

activation of the alarm it releases allowing the

door to close.

Free swing – connected to the fire alarm. On

activation of the fire alarm it releases allowing

the doors to close

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Where there is an identified need for a fire resisting door to be held open for air circulation or

operational needs then a proposal for an approved hold-open device to be fitted should be

made to the Fire Safety Advisor in the estates department.

Escape Routes

Escape routes including staircases, corridors and hospital streets should be kept clear at all times to enable people to safely move to a place of relative safety – adjacent fire compartment or a place of ultimate safety outside the building.

Exits can become easily obstructed which then makes them either unusable or difficult to use, potentially putting lives at risk. On no account they should escape or protected staircases be used as storage or workplaces.

There are a number of devices that may be seen on fire exit doors, these include the following:

Push bars ( sometime know as panic bars)

Approved security devices

Electro-magnetic locking devices.

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The exit doors fitted with an electro-magnetic locking device should fail safe (unlocked) on the activation of the fire alarm. Should this fail for whatever reason the manual override should be operated and the door will unlock. It is operated by breaking the glass.

PUSH BARS SECURITY DEVICE

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC LOCK

Lock

MANUAL OVERRIDE

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Emergency Procedures

Within the hospital there are Clinical and Non-Clinical areas. The emergency procedures for each of these areas will differ depending on the people involved. The procedures are as follows:

Non-Clinical Areas

N.B: There is No Intermittent alarm in non-clinical areas

Action on discovering a fire

Operate the nearest fire alarm call point

Telephone 2222 and inform switchboard of the exact location of the fire. If not possible call 999

requesting the fire service

Inform supervisor, if possible

Evacuate immediately reporting to the assembly point and remain there

Do not re-enter the building unless told it is safe to do so

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO FIGHT THE FIRE UNLESS TRAINED

Action on hearing the fire alarm (continuous)

Leave building by nearest exit route

Do not stop to collect personal belongings

Do not use lifts

Report to the Assembly Point and remain there

Do not re-enter the building until told it is safe to do so by the fire & rescue service or the senior

person present.

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Clinical Areas

N.B: There are both Intermittent and Continuous Alarms within Clinical Areas

Action on discovering a fire

Operate the nearest fire alarm call point

Call 2222 informing switchboard of the location of the fire or call 999 to summon the fire service

Inform supervisor

Commence evacuation of patients using agreed prioritisation

Evacuate people into safe areas – either into another fire compartment or to a place of ultimate

safety outside the building

Piped oxygen supplies should only be isolated on the direct instruction of the Ward Manager or

Senior Member of Staff on duty

Action on hearing a Continuous Alarm

Fire Warden should put on their jacket

Prepare to commence evacuation of patients as directed

Evacuate people into safe areas – either into another fire compartment or to a place of ultimate

safety outside the building

Piped oxygen supplies should only be isolated on the direct instruction of the Ward Manager or

Senior Member of Staff on duty

Continue to care for patients

Should it be necessary to evacuate to a place of ultimate safety, it is essential that everyone

proceeds to the Fire Assembly Point. This will assist in identifying if anyone is missing.

Do not re-enter the building or area unless you have been told it is safe to do so by either the fire

& rescue service or the senior person present.

Action on hearing an Intermittent Alarm

This means that a continuous alarm is sounding in an adjacent area. If possible, the fire warden

should try to liaise with the fire warden of the affected ward or area

Preparation should be made for the potential evacuation of the people in the area / ward

Be prepared to receive patients from the adjacent area

Give reassurance to patients and visitors

REMEMBER IT WILL TAKE MORE THAN ONE PERSON TO EVACUATE A BED BOUND

PERSON OR OTHER HIGHLY DEPENDANT PEOPLE

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Progressive Horizontal Evacuation

The principal of Progressive Horizontal Evacuation (PHE) is that of moving occupants from an area affected by fire through a fire resisting barrier (door) to an adjoining area on the same level, designed to protect the occupants from the immediate dangers of fire and smoke. Occupants may remain there until the fire is dealt with, or await further evacuation to another similar adjoining area or down the nearest protected escape staircase.

Reporting Defects

To ensure that the fire safety standards in the hospital are maintained make sure that any fire safety defects are reported. Please use the HELPDESK to report and maintain our standards. This can be done by email to: estateshelpline@mkuh.nhs.uk

FIRE SAFETY ADVISOR CONTACT DETAILS:

TEL: 01908 996086

EXT: 86086

EMAIL: Christopher.gill@mkuh.nhs.uk

My role as the Fire Safety Advisor is to provide advice to the Trust on all matters relating to fire safety. This includes: Fire risk assessments, following up on fire safety audits, arranging fire warden training, conducting fire drills and visiting areas of concern.

Summary This fire safety awareness workbook has covered the following areas:

Legislation and responsibilities

Fire development and spread

Causes of fire

Control measures

Fire extinguishers

Fire protection

Escape routes and exit doors

Emergency procedures

Progressive horizontal evacuation