Good management will keep your business and employees safe
In recent WMB articles we looked at the Fire Safety Legislation, the need to carry out a fire risk assessment and the ability to raise the alarm, but now we will focus on one of the more technical elements...means of escape (MOE).
Under article 14 of the Fire Safety Order (FSO), means of escape can be seen as a designated route for people to escape a location or building to a place of safety in the event of a fire. The adequacy of the means of escape is assessed based on management, occupancy, construction, time, exits and travel distance.
Management is possibly the most important aspect of MOE from buildings, because without effective and efficient management of fire safety responsibilities, even the best designed and equipped buildings can become dangerous and untenable very quickly in the event of fire. Good management will have plans to prevent fire, respond to an outbreak of fire or an emergency, and mitigate the effects of a fire. Planning, Organisation, Control, Monitoring and Review, are the cornerstones of fire safety management.
Occupancy considers the use of the premises and the people who occupy it. Factors to consider are:
- Hazardous processes, high fire loading, the presence of flammable or explosive materials and substances, or other ignition sources will inevitably increase risk and therefore require control measures to reduce the risk down to acceptable levels.
- The number of people and their distribution within the building.
- The age, physical and mental condition of occupants.
- The activities that take place on the premises (e.g., lone working or sleeping increases the risk.)
- How people are likely to react to an emergency and how quickly they will start evacuating.
Construction refers to the ability of the building construction to limit fire spread. For example, an escape route protected by fire-resisting construction, gives occupants more time to escape safely, and compartment walls can create a place of relative safety when evacuating. To be effective, elements of structural fire protection must form a complete barrier to fire and smoke. This includes well-maintained fire doors and fire-stopping of any penetrations by pipes or cables.
Time available for escape is the period from when a fire ignites to when the conditions within the compartment or building become untenable. The target escape time is 2.5 minutes, but this may vary according to the level of risk on the premises.
Exits from the premises in terms of their number, location, width, and ease of opening, are evidently an essential part of the means of escape. If the exits are not accessible to disabled people likely to be on the premises, refuges may be implemented to create a place of relative safety while awaiting assistance for further evacuation. Escape routes should be kept clear at all times, that is, free from obstructions, ignition sources and combustible items, wall linings or decorations. Essentially, anything that constitutes a fire risk should be located away from escape routes and exits. Emergency escape signs should be visible in any location where the direction of escape is not obvious and emergency escape lighting should be installed to illuminate escape routes in the event of a power failure.
Travel distance is the distance to the nearest place of relative or ultimate safety from the furthest point in a room. Limits on travel distances are determined by the level of risk and availability of alternative escape routes. Longer travel distances are allowed in low risk premises with two or more directions of escape, while the limits are more restrictive in premises that are high risk or where only one escape route is available.
For more information on fire safety in your premises please refer to the free guidance on the Government website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fire-safety-law-and-guidance-documents-for-business