How Identifying Fire Risks in the Workplace Will Help to Reduce the Number of Fires in Premises - Assignment Example

Fire Safety Name: Roll No: Class: Subject: Teacher: Date: 28th July 2008 University Identify how identifying fire risks in the workplace will help to reduce the number of fires in premises. Identification of fire risks in the workplace is an essential activity that should be done in order to ensure that the people and the workplace both have reduced number of fires in the premises. What happens when the risks in a workplace are identified? With the recognition process, the persons and administration working in a workplace acknowledge the number of risks and hazards involved and take essential actions in order to minimize the ratio of considerable fire risks (Fire Protection Association, 2000). While identification, the fire management staff considers all possible ways by which, the building or workplace can be affected because of fire. Any workplace management should hire a fire management staff in order to judge any kinds of threats that can be there in case of fire outbreak (Fire Protection Association, 1997). The fire management staff is responsible for reduction of number of fires in premises. Reduction of risks is only possible if the risks are identified before time and there are some steps taken to eradicate a massive outcome in terms of harm (Fire Protection Association, 1997). Identification is done with the help of previously involved risks, the business establishment, the nature of competitors, the priorities of staff members, searching reasons for outbreak of fire in alike workplaces and places where there are chances are accidental outbreak of fire and places where there are intentionally putting on of fire (Fire Protection Association, 1997). To identify reasons related to arson attack as well as unintentional accidental outbreak of fire is very necessary so that people who are working there can be fully taught about all possible harmful outcomes related to outbreak of fire, if there is any (Loss Prevention Council publications, 1999). It has been suggested that detection of risks in a workplace is entirely important and significant as the security of a large number of people along with the building’s assets is at stake in case of outbreak of fire (Fire Protection Association, 1997). If all the possible risks related to fire outbreak are identified, there are chances to control any outbreak of fire with the help of precautionary measures that has been taken to reduce any harmful output in case of outbreak of fire. The fire risks identification staff will identify fire risks in terms of different areas of the workplace, the rooms, corridors, ceilings, offices, kitchens, bathrooms, confidential areas and other parts of the workplace (Fire Protection Association, 2000). Like the identification of risks involved in different areas of the workplace, the fire management staff should also recommend different measures that the management or personnel should take in order to lessen the fires in the premises (Loss Prevention Council publications, 1999). While recognition of fire risks involved, the fire management staff recommends ways such as fixation of tools like fire extinguishers that sense heat as well as smoke in order to control the outbreak of fire, the security personnel being appointed at various areas of the workplace should be taught and informed about all the probable risks (Loss Prevention Council publications, 1999). With the identification of arson attack that can be there, the security people should be alert and cautious before time (Fire Protection Association, 1997). They must ensure that no irrelevant person should go inside premises or those confidential areas where the entry of unknown people is restricted. In the identification process, the management should make certain that no area or place is left in a workplace in terms of assessment of fire risks involved in the workplace (Fire Protection Association, 2000). When essential measures will be taken after assessment of fire risks, automatically the risks involved related to outbreak of fire will be reduced, as those essential measures will ensure the reduction of fires in the workplace through the risk strategies that are adopted to control any arson attack or accidental outbreak of fire (Shields and Silcock, 1987). The principles of means of escape throughout a building and the methods of warning people in the building, should an outbreak of fire occur. The building regulations makes it quite clear that while constructing a building, whether it is a commercial building or a residential one, there should be proper escape means in case of outbreak of fire (Shields and Silcock, 1987). The management should ensure that the people are alarmed and have some means of escape from the premises where there is outbreak of fire. The principals of means of escape throughout a building can be sensing the outbreak and move outwards as soon as people can but they must take care that they should not run or make overly hurry as there can be problems in terms of falling down or harming other people because of hurry. The people should be taught they should keep themselves and their wits controlled in case of outbreak of fire (Fire Protection Association, 2000). In case of being disturbed overly, there can be problems in terms of getting away from the premises. For different types of constructed buildings, there are different types of escape passages that are there, so that the people, who are present in a premise, where there has been outbreak of fire, can get out of the premises without any injury or harm (Shields and Silcock, 1987). The escape passages that are constructed in any workplace should be constructed by making sure that they are the most appropriate according to building regulations act and are sufficient for allowing a large number of people to get away from the premises (Fire Protection Association, 1997). The management of the premises or workplace should make sure that the escape passages that are constructed for the people for getting away are properly lighted, as people escaping can know the way from where they should get away. The escape passages should also be lighted in order to minimize or eradicate the risk of crushing of people because of outrushes of people from the premises (Loss Prevention Council publications, 1999). The management is responsible for acknowledging all the possible risks and taking essential protective actions to ensure that the lives of people working in a workplace are in safe hands. Escape passages should be designed according to the construction of the building and according to the number of people working in the workplace (Fire Protection Association, 2000). The management of a workplace should conduct a full assessment in terms of fire risks’ evaluation (Shields and Silcock, 1987). The assessment should be done in order to identify the risks involved concerning the outbreak of fire, it should also be done in order to recognize the number of people that can be adopting escape passages, the assessment should be done to identify the escape passages requirement that can be there while escaping, the assessment should be done in order to assess the needs of people when there is an outbreak of fire, the assessment should be done in order to analyze the reasons behind an outbreak of fire and for many other things while constructing a building (Fire Protection Association, 1997). The escape passages that are designed for people to get away from the building that is set on fire should be designed keeping in mind, the threats that can be there while escaping such as suffocation problems, overly heatedness, rush of people in the escape passages, falling of people due to rushing of people and many others (Shields and Silcock, 1987). The management should ensure that all the threats involved in the escape passages are identified and properly adjusted in order to control any threats that can there while escaping (Fire Protection Association, 2000). There should be proper ventilation system to avoid suffocation problems, there should be proper cooling strategies taken in make certain that the level of heat is not increased in the escape passages, the escape passages should not be slippery or there should be proper light so that people can escape in the right direction and with ease (Shields and Silcock, 1987). People can be alarmed with the help of many tools that can be there in the premises in order to make people know about the outbreak of fire (Fire Protection Association, 1997). There can be detectors, extinguishers, and alarms that inform people about any risky situation concerning outbreak of fire. The management of a premise should ensure that all the alarming and detection tools are upgraded and work with full optimization so that they can inform people about any dangerous situation without any hindrance (Fire Protection Association, 2000). People working in a workplace should be properly aware of the alarm sounds and should be taught ways by which, they can escape the premises by means of ways set by the management. The alarming systems can be many. People can be instructed about all the sounds related to the alarming systems, which can be there in case of outbreak of fire. For detection of smoke signals or heat signals, there are especially designed smoke detectors and heat detectors that can be there for detection purposes in terms of fire outbreak (Shields and Silcock, 1987). The detectors are capable to sense any kind of abnormality concerning over-heatedness and smokes. Some detectors are places with the fire extinguishers. The detectors after sensing smoke or heat, command the extinguishers to commence their action in terms of extinguishing fire (Fire Protection Association, 1997). There are a number of extinguishers that can be used by management of different workplaces. People working in a workplace should be used to with the sounds generated by the fire alarms so that they can get the idea of extremity of fire outbreak (Shields and Silcock, 1987). Moreover, they should be taught about the escape procedures that they could opt for getting out of the building. They should be properly instructed about the escape passages that are there for escape in case of outbreak of fire (Fire Protection Association, 2000). Instructions are very necessary for the staff members working in a locality, so that people may not opt for incorrect choices for getting out of the building. People can be alarmed about the outbreak of fire by means of alarming systems being employed by the management, after which they can adopt escape routes for escaping from the building that is set on fire (Fire Protection Association, 1997). People can be warned through smoke detectors, heat detectors, call points, alarms and other ways that are set by the management for alarming people at work about the outbreak of fire in the workplace (Shields and Silcock, 1987). Why buildings are built in accordance with the Building Regulations in Great Britain. Constructors keeping in consideration the building regulations in Great Britain raise buildings (Fire Protection Association, 2000). The reasons behind consideration of building regulations is that they define the ways that can be opted in terms of safeguarding the building and people in it. The building regulations take into consideration all aspects of the building such as the windows, doors, ceilings, floors, alarming systems in terms of outbreak of fires, ventilation systems, staircases, escape passages, security concerns and other relevant concerns related to construction of building in terms of security of the people and the building (Shields and Silcock, 1987). Buildings are built taking in consideration the building regulations in Great Britain so that in terms of breakout of fire, there can be ways of securing lives and the building in terms of major damages (Fire Protection Association, 1997). This approach is followed to ensure that the people working in a workplace or others living in a residential building are in a safe place that is fully assessed in terms of probability of fire outbreak and the precautionary measures are taken into consideration in order to safeguard people from any troublesome situations concerning fire outbreak (Shields and Silcock, 1987). Buildings are in need of proper construction with well defined and well constructed escape passages along with the alarming and detection systems that should be set up or fixed in order to ensure that all the people present in a premise are fully informed and alerted about the up coming dangerous situation concerning fire outbreak. All the threats and risks should be identified and detected to ensure that enough protective steps are taken in case of a future threat related to fires in a premise. After recognition of different threats concerning outbreak of fire in a premise, protective steps are taken by the management to make certain that the lives and building assets are safeguarded against any risky situation with the help of protective actions before time. Building regulations in Great Britain are followed in order to construct buildings that have reduced number of threats concerning fire outbreak. References Fire Protection Association. (2000). Fire Protection Yearbook 2000. Library of Fire Safety 1: 65-73. (Fire Protection Association, 2000) Fire Protection Association. (1997). Fire Risk Management in the Workplace. Library of Fire Safety 5: 129-136. (Fire Protection Association, 1997) Loss Prevention Council publications. (1999). The Prevention and Control of Arson. Library of Fire Safety 6: 326-340. (Loss Prevention Council publications, 1999) Shields, T.J. & Silcock, G.W.H. (1987). Buildings and Fire. Longman Scientific & Technical, New York. pp. 78-92. 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