Law, Ethics, and Globalisation - United Kingdom Fire Service and Laws - Term Paper Example

Introduction This report aims at assessing the fire safety laws of UK and studying that how the law operates internationally as it applies to the fire service. At this juncture, role of globalisation is analysed in affecting the legislative and substantive work of those in the fire & rescue service. Some important ethical considerations in the fire safety issues are identified and seen how they are dealt with in the fire & rescue service. Conclusion of the report summarise the role of the practitioner in a changing world environment is summarised. The ingredients of this report essentially include comparison of UAE’s fire safety law in relation to UK fire safety law, communication of community & fire safety policy in both Abu Dhabi and UK. It is proper to have a glance on the basic parameters of the two countries. Table showing comparisons how reducing home industry fire how many deaths How many fire how many fire stations Industry Population country local 500 34 483 manufacturing 6.5 million UK public 365 21 47 oil 4.5 million UAE United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirate Government is basically responsible for the legislation on fire and safety issues in the country. The legislation is done in consultation between stake holders, experts on the subject, government functionaries and elected members of the assembly. www.gulfnews.com have reported that the legislation on fire and safety issues produced by the government of United Arab Emirates involves the already in use laws on fire and safety in the United Kingdom, United States of America, Australia and Hong Kong for banking on the basic parameters and standards. The accepted standards of the national fire protection agency (NFPA) are more relied upon. The fire safety engineers in the United Arab Emirates also depend upon, the British or U.K Standards as contained in the British fire safety regulation and legislation in the Reform (Fire Safety) Regulatory Order 2005 and Fire & Rescue Services Act 2004. Two basic departments are delegated powers to enact, implement and execute the laws and regulations on the fire safety issues in the United Arab Emirates. This department is called department of civil defence protection. This is also responsible for production of different regulations under the main subject of fire safety regulation. Emirates in the UAE follow and implement the national legislation that governs the fire safety in the country. Each Emirate has its own ruler who in his own way enjoys a proper degree of autonomy and can legislate on various local laws. The police are responsible for the implementation of emergency services and also held responsible for the execution of quick intervention teams (QIT) that are deployed in the emergency situations in the cities, factories, oil wells and other sensitive installations. The deployment of QIT and emergency services is necessitated where there is an eminent disaster and where there is always high risk of personal injury. There are many examples when deployment of QIT’s and emergency services is necessitated on. Once there were five people who were killed when a huge explosion occurred with the ripping out of fire works in Dubai’s Al Quos industrial area in March 2007. Incidence had 70 buildings gutted by fire. Again in March 2007 two warehouses in the Al Jaddaf area of Dubai were gutted by fire. In another incidence in March 2007, 4 people sustained minor injuries. There was another incidence when In April 2008 a fire gutted 183 shops in Naïf Souq in Deira. The other incidences was when the QIT’s and emergency services were deployed are given as below. Luckily , no one was injured because the souq was closed when fire broke out. In September 08 a massive fire broke out at a storage facility of an oil refining company located in Shajah’s Port Khalid. Two people were badly injured in May 08 a fire broke out in a building under construction Dubai’s Internet city. However no casualties were reported in the blaze at Tecom B construction site. Civil defence departments works closely with the fire and rescue services of the Emirates in collaboration with environmental agencies that have a major regulatory role ., for instance fire suppression devices such as fire doors, alarms etc. the fire safety certificates for new buildings are issued by these departments jointly under the leadership of fire safety departments. These departments are also jointly responsible for ensuring such safety inspections with mutual consensus of owners of these buildings and their fire safety standards have also to be upgraded. This is also pertinent to mention that in the public and private building the requirements of alarms and evacuation drills are dispensed with. In new buildings a new system has been introduced and recommended for announcement on immediate basis whenever people ignore the fire alarms in the nearby buildings and hospitals. It is necessary that private hospitals must have one formal fire audit per year and must have one snap fire inspection in one year. The new housing blocks, hotels and the hospitals must have the fire safety inspections. There are different forms that are required to be filled on formal and informal visits of the fire system inspectors and these inspected buildings are not essentially required to report fire alarm faults etc. as far as fire safety in homes is concerned, this due to the cultural considerations, burning of small strips of wood and installation of smoke and fire detectors is not considered viable. http://www.arabianbusiness.com/index.php?option=com_companylist furthered the role of federal government and the local governments of the Emirates in legislation powers etc. these governments have released the strategic documents that contain major economic policies that are listed in the federal strategies and are aimed at the economic growth for making the UAE economy strong and competitive. Various regulations including fire safety regulations are also upgraded. As the economic growth is being achieved on a fast track the expected economic growth has also to be matched with the fire safety regulations in the country because of the reason that fast development of infrastructure also involves development of new buildings and their fire safety requirements on crash footings. The fire safety and police departments have always to remain on regular alert. Therefore it is necessary that the fire safety rules regulations and legislation are kept afresh with the fast economic growth in UAE. Otherwise there can be a mismatch in the development of infrastructure ensuing from the economic growth. For having a complete picture of the development and implementation of fire safety regulations coming out of the legislative process it is necessary to have a look on all the elements of social sectors that are given as follows. These are economic sector for social development along with public sector social development department. Such departments are supported by the justice department of the Emirates. The fire safety department is one of the linchpins in these departments. The infrastructure and rural development departments are the two other departments of economic development in UAE. The fire legislation is basically done by the public sector departments, fire safety departments and the infrastructure department of UAE. Humera Naz, 2008, p 160, concluded that it is very important to mention that a separate policy agenda for Abu Dhabi was announced for 2008. This policy agenda for Abu Dhabi included of the policy statements for health and safety issues and police and emergency services. This policy announcement of Abu Dhabi was in view of the fast economic growth that necessitated the development of a lot of sky rocketing buildings in the city including office complexes, housing flats and apartments and big hotels. Such emergency requirement that the government of Abu Dhabi was enforced to immediately work on a ire safety and improved rescue plans as a result of 2008 policy agenda. http://www.government.ae/gov/en/biz/resources/sites.jsp have further elaborated that there are various issues which emerge from the development of new agenda of fire safety regulation of Abu Dhabi in 2008. The globalization of economic growth and capital flow into Abu Dhabi from all over the world especially from Europe America and Asia has brought in a lot of capital investment in Abu Dhabi in the last one decade. The investors have been more interested in the real estate development of the hotel industry and housing units. More and more people are interested in buying the real estate in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. This phenomenon increased during the period just before the recession in Europe and America. The investors had actually lost interest in investing in Europe and America and they brought in their money to invest in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Thus this rapid process of globalization of businesses necessitated the fire safety regulations announcement in Abu Dhabi in 2008. The ethical issues involved in a fire and safety issues of this rapid economic growth was that the lives, property and assets of the local and foreign investors had to be ensured, protected and promoted at all costs. This was necessary that the investors’ confidence needed to be restored and ensured in the process of investment in the UAE and especially in Abu Dhabi. Till now this is achieved by providing support, equipment and training to the Fire & Rescue Service. Communities & local Government aim to reduce the level of damage, injury and death caused by fires. With a missionary program to achieve this they are working closely with the Fire & rescue Services. United Kingdom Fire Service and Laws http://www.communities.gov.uk/fire elaborate that the fire safety regulations in UK are presented through compliance with regulatory reforms (fire safety) order 2005. This fire safety order has been enforced in England and Wales alike. In Scotland, General fire and safety is being delivered vide strict compliance with part three of the fire act of 2005 and fire safety regulations of 2006 as implemented and executed in Scotland. Local governments have responsibility for general fire safety in all the domestic premises, as a policy matter that includes all non-domestic buildings and common housing units and blocks and flats, including houses which are occupied by multiple residents. There is a risk based approach while dealing with fire safety issues and operations in these buildings. These issues in the UK fire safety operations include the Fire Safety in the Community, Fire Safety in Industrial Premises and Fire Safety in Business Premises, whereas the legislation requires a responsible person to carry out a fire risk assessment, Implement appropriate fire precautions and protection measures and to maintain a proper fire management plan. http://www.warringtonfire.net gives the details about such responsible persons who are usually the owner of the business, the occupier of the premises or a competent person appointed by either of the above. The requirements of the UK’s fire safety order include the Emphasis on preventing fires & reducing risk and the responsibility to ensure the safety of everyone who uses your premises and anyone in the immediate vicinity that in turn requires including the general public and the local community, including housing, shops & others. The Principle Enforcers are Fire & Rescue Authorities. They have a duty to enforce the requirements of the legislation. The enforcement procedure requires the Fire & Rescue Safety order is enforced by periodic inspections, visits and audits, by the enforcing authority, The Fire & Rescue Service. A. P. Mouritz and A. G. Gibson, 2006 have mentioned that while the community service caters for The Fire & Rescue Service will also be active within the Community helping and advising the general public on fire safety issues. http://www.hse.gov.uk/fireandexplosion/workplace.htm given the details that smoke alarms are freely available and will be fitted free of Charge by the Fire Service, DVD’s and other materials are also available as educational material and Free home safety checks. This is pertinent to mention that The Principle Enforcers for Fire & Rescue Authorities are The Health & Safety Executive (HSE), and The HSE no longer have especial responsibility for premises under the issuance of The Fire Certificate (Special Premises) Regulations 1976, in revocation of October 2006, The HSE still have responsibilities under the Health & Safety at Work Act, for working environments and work procedures where there is a risk of fire. This is further to elaborate that The Fire & Rescue Services Act 2004 imposes 4 key responsibilities on the Fire & Rescue Service including Community & Fire Safety, Fighting Fires, dealing with Road Traffic accidents and responding to other emergencies such as flooding, natural & man-made disasters. In order to satisfy the requirements of Fire safety order, every Company or business must have an Emergency & Disaster Plan, Implemented under The Control of Major Accident Hazard Regulations. The requirements of An Emergency & Disaster Plan include way of reducing the impact on the community & others who may be affected by your acts or omissions. According to the Emergency & Disaster Planning it’s necessary as a moral, ethical and legal obligation to protect the safety of people and to the plan also protects jobs and the economics of the company. The Emergency & Disaster Plan ensures a regular review of risks, Safe working systems and Management & employee co-operation on safety standards. www.lancsfirerescue.org.uk postulated that In UK the Emergency Conditions are most likely to arise in a workplace are Fire or explosion, Release of substances - gas, liquids, chemicals (toxic & corrosive), Combinations of the above conditions and Natural and man-made factors from inside and outside the works. In UK fire safety regulations an Emergency is a situation is defined as a situation that Produces or threatens to produce a fire of whatever size or damage to plant & equipment or injury to people, release of chemicals/gas/toxic conditions likely to affect people’s health, immediately or later and Requires the mobilisation of the Fire & Rescue team, Police, First Aiders etc. while a major emergency is a situation which produces multiple casualties that may require hospital treatment, release of material likely to render unusable, a significant proportion of the works, release of material likely to affect the surroundings of the works or Any combination of the above. http://www.hse.gov.uk/fireandexplosion/workplace.htp further reported that in the field of Community Fire Safety every year there are almost over 50’000 accidental house fires in the UK and the Fire Services Authority aim to reduce fire related deaths in the home by 20% by March 2010.While they are also working to make sure the UK is equipped to deal with major emergencies such as terror attacks or natural disasters. Therefore, in view of the necessity and ethical considerations in the globalization perspective, there are many comparisons drawn between UK and UAE fire safety legislations on the basis of ethical requirements of the safety, preservation and protection of the lives and properties of the investors in these countries owing to the trends and prime movers of globalization in the world, especially in Europe and Middle East. However, the following summarized role of fire practitioner, along with ethical concerns of a fire defence station and a typical flat under fire is submitted at the end of the report. The role of a fire safety practitioner along with ethical consideration of a civil defence station and ethical impact of fire in an apartment can be summarised as below. The safety practitioner is the responsible person to execute the fire safety rules in the area of his responsibility without discrimination to any class, creed, gender, religion or cast. He has to discharge his duties with full impartiality and professional competence. Ethical consideration in a civil defence station is the indiscriminate, swift and sympathetic service to all the affected of fire in a best possible manner. The equipment has to remain tidy, ready and operational. The staffs have to be ready, fresh and willing with full and fresh energies. Ethical fire impact in an apartment is the maximum effort to save lives, minimum energies, rescue of women, children, patients and elderly first. Full care for the precious goods and property of the affected household. Moral boosting efforts and positive work attitude on part of fire officers are very important in the affected flat. Sources 1-http://www.communities.gov.uk/fire 2-www.lancsfirerescue.org.uk 3-http://www.warringtonfire.net 4-WWW.gulfnews.com 5-http://www.arabianbusiness.com/index.php?option=com_companylist 6-http://www.government.ae/gov/en/biz/resources/sites.jsp 7-http://www.hse.gov.uk/fireandexplosion/workplace.htp 8-http://www.hse.gov.uk/fireandexplosion/workplace.htm 9- A. P. Mouritz and A. G. Gibson, 2006, Fire Safety Regulations, publisher’s Springer Netherlands. 10- Humera Naz, 2008, “A detailed survey of Fire safety legislation in Middle East”, First edition. Egypt Book centre Cairo. ISBN 34578765 11- http://www.fireservice.co.uk/ Read More