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

Module Title: Fire Safety Name: Class: Subject: Teacher: Date: 28th July 2008 University Construct a 2000 word report to identify how identifying fire risks in the workplace will help to reduce the number of fires in premises. Your report should also explain the principles of means of escape throughout a building and the methods of warning people in the building, should an outbreak of fire occur. You should also explain why buildings are built in accordance with the Building Regulations in Great Britain. Fire safety is a concern that is considered as a crucial aspect in any working environment. Every business organization or any inhabited area should be structured in a pattern so that every aspect related to fire safety is already evaluated and assessed. In case of advance assessment and evaluation of all fire risks involved, the lives, physical health and assets of the area will be secured to a large extent (Read and Morris 1983). The assessment and identification of risks related to fire outbreak helps in the diminution of the fire risks involved. Not only the risks but also the people who work in a building should also be identified in terms of their number as well as their linkage to the working area. In case of outbreak of fire, there must be appropriate number of routes for escaping from the building that has caught fire (HM Government 2006). The lives of people should be given priority above every other thing, as it is the most precious object. The management of a building or area is answerable or accountable for the fire safety of a building and they should make certain that a building is well-assessed in terms of fire risks and it is constructed with proper and well-structured escape passages (Home Office 2000). The people present in a building or work place should be alarmed in case of occurrence of fire outbreak. The warning can be given by various procedures such as smoke alarms, alarm sounders, heat alarms and other kinds of detectors and alarms that are employed by building owners to ensure fire safety. All the buildings should be constructed according to the Building Regulations in Great Britain as these regulations allow the assessment of all fire risks and keep ways for escaping along with the security of building and people (National Fire Protection Association 2004). In case of pre-planned methodology and assessment concerning fire safety, the risks involved in terms of fire outburst are minimized as precautionary measures are already taken to ensure that people and building is secured fully. The risks related to outbreak of fire can be in case of various sources that can be a reason of making fire such as fuel, oxygen and any other source of ignition (HM Government 2006). In case of presence of all the mentioned products, the chances of fire spread are increased and in case of their absence, the chances are minimized. While constructing a building and while setting it with different kinds of furniture, it should be kept in mind that there can be sources of fire outbreak in the locality (Home Office 2000). These sources must be avoided as much as one can. The foundations of fire outbreak can be many such as food preparation utensils, heated ducts, outlets, chimneys, strains, smoldering stuff such as cigarettes, match sticks, lighters and other stuff, room warmers, electrical warmers, oil warmers and other warmers, blistering planes and procedures, wrong usage of electrical or gas equipment, arson attacks and many other sources can be there, which can prove to be as a reason for outbreak of fire (Langdon-Thomas 1972). While evaluating all the risky conditions in a building, the management should consider all the related sources that can become a reason of fire outbreak (HM Government 2006). After analyzing all the fears that can be there in case of fire situations, it is suggested that fires in the premises will be reduced because after identification of risks and the sources that can become as a risk in future, there are also protective steps taken (Read and Morris 1983). The protective steps taken in such a condition can be the fixation of alarms and detectors, fire extinguishing equipment, management and construction of escape routes, classification of people working in a building, training them about any problematic situation, tightening the security of the building, stopping the access of irrelative persons and many other such steps that will prove helpful in case of fire outbreak (Home Office 2000). After identification of risks involvement related to fire, the next step comes of the management of escape routes for the people working in a building (Langdon-Thomas 1972). People should get the warning to leave the building as soon as there is any problem related to fire spreading. In rush places or the places, where there are more fears concerning outbreak of fire, the number of people present or working in a building should be assessed to establish escape routes and passages according to their number and danger to them (HM Government 2006). There should be automatic alarm systems in place of manual alarm systems and it must be ensured that because of fire outbreak, the alarms are not spoiled. They must be good enough to resist the fire and must be able to inform all the employees of the building. If the working environment is big enough, there should be considerable alarm systems that can inform all people about the outbreak of fire. Alarm systems are fixed so that people can notice fire that is there in any part of the building (Read and Morris 1983). Alarm systems should be placed in corridors as well as in rooms and other places of the building so that each and every person is informed about the outbreak of fire. The fire should be detected and reported by alarm systems and detectors that must be installed in every work place (HM Government 2006). The alarm systems and detector systems should be upgraded and maintained regularly, so that in case of any problem concerning fire, they are well-prepared to do their required job. The escape passages that are constructed for the employees and other people must be two in number at least so that a huge rush may not be caught in one place (Langdon-Thomas 1972). For evacuation of people present in the building, there must be a substitute lighting system in the escape passages so that if one gets disturbed or is failed because of outbreak of fire, the other is workable. In case of non-lighted, escape passages will be dangerous to be used by the people (Home Office 2000). There must be signboards to show the direction to which, people should proceed. There should be notice boards for the information of people that where they should they move. The escape routes should be constructed keeping in view that no fuels or sources of fire are there so that there may be no problems in terms of fire spreading (Read and Morris 1983). They should also ne constructed in a way that people are evacuated from those escape routes as soon as they can. The employees should be made aware of the escape route before time so that they face no difficulty while evacuation (HM Government 2006). On the escape routes, there should be staff appointed that can ensure quick evacuation without any troubling situation. The staff members that are placed on the escape routes must be fully trained in terms of fire fighting and management of a large number of people. The escape routes should be developed in such a manner that in case of outbreak of ire, people present in each and every part of the building get a chance to be evacuated by means of the escape routes. People should not be caught in some fire-spreading situation where they had no chance to get out. There should be availability of logical safety for every individual like secured corridors, staircases and other routes (Home Office 2000). There should be enough escape passages and the management should take consideration in various factors such as the number of people that need evacuation, time needed for evacuation, age of people, the structure of the building, number of escape passages developed, places of alarm systems, pre-planned means of getting away in case of fire outbreak and places where people are going to reach after evacuation (Read and Morris 1983). For evacuation of people, various passages are employed usually such as staircases, lifts for mass departure, lifts for fire fighting personnel, horizontal escape passages, vertical escape passages and slopes (HM Government 2006). The management should make sure that all the passages used in terms of escaping from the building caught in fire, are safe for the people who are making use of the ways. The management should consider the following points while constructing a building or during working hours of people at the building: 1. The building should be structured and built in a way that in case of fire outbreak, the fire should not be able to be spread in all directions without any hindrance. There should be hindrances in the way of the spreading fire. The escape routes should be constructed in ways that the fire that is spreading in the building should not be able to come to the area of escape (Langdon-Thomas 1972). 2. While constructing a building or during maintenance of a building, the management should ensure that the walls, ceilings and floors have no cracks or default openings because in that case, there are more chances of spreading of fire. 3. The escape routes that are built in a building should be built according to the number of people working and other people who usually come in a building (HM Government 2006). While constructing a building, the management should assess the overall number of people that can be present in the building at a time so that enough escape routes are created for them in terms of their evacuation. 4. The doorways and windows should be assessed to be appropriate in their places so that there is no problem afterwards. It should also be assessed and made sure that the escape passages and routes allow people to come at a place that is totally safe and secure (Read and Morris 1983). 5. The management is also accountable for making certain that the escape routes are not employed in common days. They must be left empty so that in any risky situation, they can be employed without any difficulty (HM Government 2006). 6. The management should also assess about how many people will be able to make up till the escape passage. They must also evaluate the chances of people being trapped in some area of the building. 7. The management must also be sure that all the doorways or exits of the building are open when there is any problematic situation. 8. There should be proper maintenance of escape passages and people should face no trouble in making use of those routes in case of emergency (HM Government 2006). After consideration of above-mentioned aspects, the management will be able to make sure the safe escape of all the people of the building (Home Office 2000). In a working environment, the management is held accountable for all the losses that are there and they should be able to take protective measures before time so that no major trouble is created. Buildings and houses are built in Great Britain in accordance with the Building Regulations to ensure that there are no security problems in terms of fire spreading (National Fire Protection Association 2004). In case of tracking and acting upon Building Regulations while making a building, the owners of a building are able to make certain that a building is well-secured and protected with reduced fire risks. The development of escape passages with all the well-structured methodologies, the employment of alarming and detection equipment by the management, manufacturing of casements, doorways, roofs, floorboards, steps and all other building technicalities are built in accordance with the Building Regulations (National Fire Protection Association 2004). Building Regulations define what is required in construction of a building and what is not required. After acting upon the regulations set by the Building Regulations, there are reduced chances of outbreak of fire as all the aspects concerning outbreak of fire are considered before time and their solutions are found out (National Fire Protection Association 2004). If a building is constructed by following the Building Regulations, the building is well-secured and well-structured and there are minimal or quite negligible chances of any big losses in these buildings. In case of identification of risks, the fires in the premises are reduced because with the identification, security measures are also considered and applied to stay away from any risky situation, which minimizes the risk of fires in the premises. People present in a building can be warned by means of detecting systems and alarming systems that should be maintained in order to ensure their efficacy in time of fire outbreak. The escape passages and routes constructed by the management should be developed by considering various aspects such as number of people, number of escape passages required, security personnel that should be there for evacuation procedure, opening of doorways, availability of light in escape passages such as staircases and corridors and the arrival of people to a safe place after being evacuated. The constructors in Great Britain built buildings in Great Britain according to the Building Regulations that makes certain that the constructed building has negligible chances of any loss. References Home Office. Fire Safety: An Employer's Guide (H.S.E Books). Great Britain: Stationery Office Books, 2000: 67 – 83. HM Government. Fire Safety Risk Assessment: Large Places of Assembly. London: Department for Communities and Local Government Publications, 2006: 12 – 32. Langdon-Thomas, G.J. Fire Safety in Buildings: Principles & Practice. London: A and C Black Limited, 1972: 54 – 67. National Fire Protection Association. Fire Protection Handbook: Building Construction. Quincy Mass: National Fire Protection Association. 2004: 42 – 60. Read, R.E.H. and Morris, W.A. Aspects of Fire Precautions in Buildings. Watford: BRE Publications, 1983: 102 – 123. Read More