Risk Management - Potential Risks Associated with the Lifestyle Factors of the Students - Essay Example

Running Head: Risk Management and Assessment Risk Management and Assessment Student’s Name Professor’s Name Subject Code and Name: Date Submitted: Risk Management and Assessment Introduction The risk assessment by the local fire station will be a careful examination of the factors that would lead to harm in order to reduce the number of fires occurring at the immediate students’ accommodation centers and external public while still maintaining sustainable households.. This assessment will help the fire department to weigh the potential risks associated with the lifestyle factors of the students in order to take precautions to prevent further eventualities of fires. The risk assessment will take several steps that will include identification of the hazards, determining the potential victims of the hazard and in what way, and evaluation of risks and the necessary precautions for those risks. The findings for this assessment will be recorded for later implementation by the local fire station. Further assessments are supposed to update the current assessment depending on further risks and potential hazards. The local fire station will involve the input of the staff and the stakeholders for a thorough and effective assessment (HSE 2002). A hazard is defined as anything that is likely to cause harm like open electrical wires, chemicals, or smoked cigarettes, while a risk is the high or low chance that someone could be harmed by one of these or other hazards while it indicates how serious the hazard could be. The risk is the likelihood of an occurrence of something in this case fire. The probability of this occurrence and the extent of the occurrence is the severity of the risk. In improving the safety of the students, the risk and its severity has to be reduced if the consequences have to be diminished. The incident intelligence of risk analysis helps to investigate the factors that contribute to risks within the accommodation centre. Resources for fire hazards are very demanding however public must be safeguarded at whatever costs but not ignorant that there are protective and preventive measures that are cost effective. The risks can be generated by the activity in a particular place or are dynamic due to the lifestyle factors associated with the users of the facility (Lancashire Fire and rescue services 2009, pg.5). Risk assessment The students in the accommodation facility are exposed to several hazards such as the exposed electricity used for cooking, the lighted cigarettes around the accommodation facilities, the unrepaired power lines, and overloaded power connections that could eventually explode. The lighted cigarettes only pose as short term hazards while the electricity is a long-term hazard. The accidents book has a history of fire incidents mainly caused by the electricity. There were no hazards of gas leakages since the use of gas cylinders is prohibited within the accommodation quarters. Understanding hazards is important in accessing risks since certain levels of hazards become potential risks (HSE 2006, pg 1). The electrical wires for example are not risky, they become potential risks when they are exposed or poorly installed. Smoking is not a hazard unless it is done within closed rooms which by and close to flammable objects. Thus the hazards are dynamic since they have potential for risk at specific times and conditions and not in others. This prompts for inspections and supervision of the potential hazards in the lookout for potential risks. Thus the site conditions determine the type of assessment that will take place in the accommodation centre. These hazards pose different risks directly to the students or the surrounding quarters. In case fire breaks out from the student quarters, it may likely harm the students sleeping in them, and burn down the quarters. Faulty electric installations and equipment pose a great risk to the students and the adjacent public, who may suffer from fatal shocks, and more serious injuries. Lighted cigarettes within the student accommodation quarters may get into contact with inflammable materials and clothing which may ignite explosive fires that would possibly damage the students’ personal materials and burn down the flats (HSE, 2008). The risks in the accommodation centre are in the two categories of the generic and the dynamic risks. They can be generated during the cleaning or ironing activities by the students while their smoking lifestyle can contribute to the occurrence of the risks such as careless disposal of the cigarette butts, excessive smoke in the accommodation centers that cause high temperatures within a room and likely ignite flammable substances. This makes the assessment of cigarette smoke a vital activity throughout the day which can be monitored using the fitted smoke sirens within the accommodation blocks. The risk assessment requires that the fire station give management precautions for the hazards and their eventual harm to the student public. Since the existing controls have not been considered good enough, more input on the controls was considered to be part of the fire rescue services of the fire station. The controls for the electricity required that the electrical installations and faulty equipment be inspected by a qualified person using the inspection program and maintained regularly. The students can’t get rid of the electricity as a hazard since they use it daily for their lighting but when they are advised on proper use and reporting of faulty power lines, they can effectively live with the hazard and avoid any risk. Smoking is prohibited in the closed accommodation quarters since there is reserved area for smoking. Smoking within the quarters is therefore an illegal activity by the students. The students are advised to be disciplined in their smoking lifestyle to minimize the risk of hazardous smoking that would be a risk to other students. The students were also recommended to take the free first aid course provided by the school in conjunction with the fire department in case of unavoidable fire risks even outside the school. Fire exits have already been constructed within the students quarters while the fire extinguishers are fitted at the corners of the where the students will have to take active demonstrations of basic fire fighting using the extinguishers. The results of this risk assessment are to be shared with the staff and the management of the fire station and at the school accommodation facility. The staff at the fire department will be taken through the findings and in turn will be mandated to teach the accommodation facility occupants. What follows is the weekly checks and reports of the potential hazards especially the electricity to the accommodation facility management by the electrician incase there are required fittings and repairs for faulty electricity. The fire department should make sure that proper checks were done with an analysis of the potential hazards proposed in the assessment. The smoke sirens were important indicators of potential hazards and the emergency that would occur, therefore the emergency department at the accommodation facility was on the lookout for such alerts to access the risk involved. The precautions set in place are relatively cost effective and reasonable since they can keep risks at low levels and give timely alerts when the risk of fire occurs. It is the responsibility of the emergency department at the accommodation centre to watch out for the emergency alerts and incidents and they in turn promptly alert the fire station. The risk assessment fits with the Fire & Rescue Service Integrated Risk Management plan for checking on equipments, procedures and controls for new hazards and risks. The partnership approach is vital between the fire station and the accommodation centre management. The combined efforts by the two parties to have a safe environment in both the resources and skills will increase effectiveness in emergency enforcement. The partnership should be able to determine the responsibility of other fire services with clear agreements. Health and safety monitoring that relates to the responsibility of the accommodation centre management is regular on a daily basis. Prevention, protection and Response Prevention is always better than cure which makes prevention basic in emergency situations. Minor injuries also bring fewer traumas than those that are fatal and most people will prefer superficial damage compared to a total loss. High priority is given to reduction in the number of deaths, injuries, losses and the extent of fire thus a wide range of preventative measures are put in place. The basic risk assessment of the accommodation facility should provide advice on the safety measures and actions and escape plan necessary at the event of fire. The smoke sirens are very important due to their timely alerting of the indications of the smoke that is likely to cause fire risks. Complementary initiatives aimed at risk reduction are important to be taught to the students such as the health guidance to students to stop smoking by signposting. Antisocial behavior would cause deliberate fires at the accommodation facility where the students undermine the smoking rules and thus jeopardizing the lives of other students. Remedial actions are necessary to protect the people from deliberate hazardous actions and unalarmed emergencies. Protection devices such as airbags can be put in the accommodation facility to protect the students from inhaling the smoke during emergencies to ensure the students safety. Particular focus has been made to ensure that the students prioritize on their safety rather than their lifestyles since prevention is the safest strategy for risk management. The Regulatory Reform on Fire Safety (2006) enforces fire safety on all premises apart from the single private dwellings. Resources for the inspection program prioritize the highest risks for them to be effectively managed. The responses for protection vary from detailed reports after inspections and site visits in the accommodation facility where the electricity can be categorized as a high risk while the lighted cigarette is a medium risk. Action plans by the local fire station are part of the fire safety enforcement policy decisions. Through these plans, legal notices are given to restrict the access to areas of the highest risks within the accommodation centers and may even involve prosecution where the students or the center have breached the laws of fire safety (Lancashire Fire and rescue services 2009, pg 17). The enforcement plan involves a comprehensive policy for fire safety. It has been formulated to ensure the reduction of immediate risks that would cause serious injuries to the students, to ensure the necessary enforcement plans and actions are taken, to undertake follow-up inspections before the expiry of enforcement notices, to ensure that specific and targeted inspections are done, and ensure that the fire safety advice and consultation requests by the accommodation facility are done on the agreed timescales. The water sprinkler system still remains as a cost effective way of protection since they are reliable. The sprinklers to be fitted in the accommodation facility are especially heat sensitive and will sprinkle the water to the immediate heat sources. They do not need any maintenance fee but only protected from vandalism. The fire response approach to the risks at the accommodation facility would include use of modern equipments such as fire engines, and special emergency vehicles. A 24 hours emergency cover will be provided by the high skilled fire fighters. The control and mobilization department of the fire station is responsible for mobilizing the necessary fire fighting rescue resources and making emergency calls. The current emergency standards are more effective and relevant than the old ones since they tackle the current potential risks. Fire is always viewed as a critical incident which may be secondary if it is not on a large scale and involves a narrow pattern of risk. Calls are handled in 60 seconds while the fire engines are supposed to reach the site between five to fourteen minutes depending on the category of risk. The highest risk should take the least time possible of 6 minutes of response (Risk Management Team 2009, pg 20). The Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 requires that prior arrangement is made in response to fire emergencies and providing fire safety by reducing risk through effective and sustainable means. The health and safety at work legislation 1974 also ensures that there be effective arrangements that ensure the proper health and safety of people at work especially during emergency response. The priorities for the emergency response in fire incidents are meant to reduce risks and enhance resilience to future emergencies. Under the health and safety law, those who take management of facilities must ensure the health and safety of the people living in the premises. They are also responsible for putting in place effective health and safety management systems that meet legal requirements and are able to assure the public and create confidence in their fire safety within the facility. Key elements have to be looked into to ensure fire safety management, they include; setting policies for fire safety, organizing an effective system for health and safety, planning and assessment of risks, implementing and setting standards and procedures, monitoring the performance and reviewing policies after accessing their performance (HSE 2002, pg. 2). Conclusion Risk assessment is an important step for any management facility, be it at work place or areas of residence. This is because certain risk suit specific places while others are potential risks that can cause unforeseen harm. Effective measures help to control these risks like ensuring faulty electrical wires are repaired or ensuring that the smoke sirens are responded to promptly. This has to involve accosts strategy that ensures the facility operates without loss and still meet cost effective measures for fire safety. As per the law requirement, all risk cannot be eliminated but within the practical and more reasonable means, the risks can be reduced. Through careful examination, the risk can be assessed in a facility on the possible harm that the occupants need to be protected from or the corrective measure to make the hazard less of a risk. This helps save on the costs of insurance, the damage of irrecoverable materials, ill health due to smoke, deaths and court stands for poor safety standards and other costs that come with fire damage. The proper steps for risk assessment which are in line with the legislative acts are necessary for risk management to be effective. Hazards need to be identified first and how they can be potential risks where in the accommodation center, the electricity and the lighted cigarette are the hazards that pose potential risks of fire. They need to be decided on who they are likely to affect and harm and in what way. From the analysis of the accommodation facility, the potential victims of the risk are the students sleeping in them where they may die of the fire incidents, their belongings damaged and the whole building burned down. The precautions then need to be decided upon which include the installation of smoke sirens within the accommodation center, repair of faulty electrical wires and regular inspection on the fire safety of the facility. These precautions as per the findings are to be implemented by the management while the fire station effectively manages the emergency inspections. The recommendations are to be reviewed and updated properly within the later assessments of the safety of the accommodation center. Bibliography Health and Safety Executive, HSE. 2006. Five Steps to risk assessment. Created on June 2006. Retrieved on 20th may 2010 from www.hsebooks.co.uk. pg 1-8. Lancashire Fire and rescue services. 2009. Community safety strategy 2009-2014. Retrieved on 20th May 2010 from www.lancsfirerescue.org.uk. Pg 19-30. HSE. 2008. Example of risk assessment for a nightclub. Created on October 1, 2008. Retrieved on 20th May 201 from http://www.hse.gov.uk/noise/musicsound.html Lancashire Fire and rescue services. 2009. Community safety strategy 2009-2014. Retrieved on 20th May 2010 from www.lancsfirerescue.org.uk. Pg 11-18. Lancashire Fire and rescue services. 2009. Community safety strategy 2009-2014. Retrieved on 20th May 2010 from www.lancsfirerescue.org.uk. Pg 1-10. HSE. 2002.Successful Health and safety management: retrieved on 20th May 2010 from http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/etis13.pdf HSE. 2002. Glenridding Beck: investigative report on drowning of Max Palmer. Created 26 May 2002. Retrieved on 20th may 2010 from < http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/healthandsafety/visits> Read More