FIA

Unit 9 - Fire Risk Assessment - Responsibilities & Procedures

Description

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order, known as the Fire Safety Order (FSO), requires owners/managers/employers of/at non domestic premises to be responsible for the fire safety risk assessment. These people are deemed the Responsible Person (RP). A fire risk assessment should be carried out frequently (annually) and recorded in premises where five or more are employed.

Risk assessments must involve the Responsible Person on site. This can be aided by a qualified risk assessor (e.g. an approved consultant registered by the Institute of Fire Engineers) especially where the risks are complicated. For low risk, non-complicated premises the process should be fairly simple. Government Guidance will aid the process.

The role of the Competent Person (CP) [mainly installation/maintenance companies], is to assist the RP on site by providing guidance and advice, thereby avoiding the need and expense of employing a qualified risk assessor each and every year.

Typically, when a Responsible Person first understands that they are responsible, they will try to off load this responsibility. They cannot. However, a Competent Person can aid in the process and make it much simpler.

This training course explains the risk assessment principles describing in detail the five basic steps involved in fire risk assessment and how to compensate for the fire risks using fire detection and alarm equipment. Fire Alarm Engineers (CPs) attending this course would be able to explain their customers how to do risk assessments, and to explain the requirements placed on the RP at the premises.

The course includes:

• The relevant parts of the Fire Safety Order legislation
• The Five steps in the fire risk assessment
• Due diligence for the owner of the premises
• Documentation to be available if the fire authorities call to inspect the premises
• Categories of protection as described in BS5839-1
• How to choose the Category to suit the fire risk identified in the fire risk assessment
• An example template to follow for risk assessment
  

Specifically aimed at the Competent Person, this is the only known course that identifies the building categories (e.g. M, L1 - L5, specific to life and P1 - P2, specific to property). It will also identify how best to evaluate the risk arising from hazards. This evaluation will assist in determining whether the existing fire precautions are adequate or whether more should be done to get rid of the hazard or to control the risk (e.g. by improving the fire precautions).