Good practice: a five-step checklist to fire risk assessments –
step two
In the second of a five-part series on fire
risk assessments, Connect looks at step two – identifying
the people at risk.
In part one of the five-step guide to
fire risk assessments, Connect looked at identifying the
hazards – namely, the sources of ignition, the sources of fuel and
the sources of oxygen. Now we look at the groups or individuals who
are potentially at risk in the event of a fire.
To do this, you need to consider where you have people working.
Are they based at permanent workstations, or do they ‘hot desk’? Do
they move around various locations on the premises?
Who’s at risk?
Once you’ve established exactly where in the premises people
work, you then need to look closely at who else may be at risk
other than full-time permanent staff. These could include:
- customers
- visiting contractors.
You also need to consider where these people are likely to be
found. For example, are you made aware of contractors who, say, are
working on the roof of the premises and do you have suitable
procedures in place to make them aware if a fire starts? You also
need to know the number of people in each location.
A fire risk assessment must consider all the people who use the
premises, but particular attention needs to be paid to those who
are especially at risk such as:
- employees who work alone, e.g. in petrol stations or small
workshops
- employees who are in isolated areas: for example, cleaners and
security staff
- people who are unfamiliar with the premises such as seasonal
workers, contractors, visitors and customers
- people with disabilities or others who may not be able to leave
the premises quickly: for example, elderly customers, parents with
children, or children on their own
- other people in the immediate vicinity of the premises, such as
neighbours or passers-by
- people with language difficulties and those who do not have
English as their first language.
When assessing the risk to people with disabilities, you may need
to discuss their specific individual needs with them. In larger
buildings used mainly by members of the public, you may want to
seek specialised professional advice. Further advice and guidance
on people with special needs is given here.
Checklist
- Have you identified who is at risk?
- Have you identified why they are at risk?
- Have you made a note of your findings?
In the next issue of Connect, we look at step three:
evaluate, remove, reduce and protect from risk.
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