Fire safety strategy and operational procedures 1 - Fire safety inspections and audits 2 - Fire wardens 3 - Fire safety

maintenance 4 - Fire safety training 5 - Fire incidents

Introduction The following strategy and operational procedures detail how the University manages and maintains a high standard of fire safety in accordance with the above policy. The fire safety management structure & responsibility flow chart details how the following strategy is implemented and clarifies duties and responsibilities for fire safety management. 1- Fire safety inspections and audits Fire safety advisers The Universitys fire safety advisers will carry out a fire safety inspection or audit on premises on a risk based inspection programme identified by the fire safety advisers High risk premises annually Medium risk premises biennially Low risk premises triennially The fire safety advisers will carry out or review structural and electrical building fire risk assessments using the form in Appendix 2 in liaison with the responsible person or appointed representative. In addition, the fire and rescue service and the fire safety advisers or health and safety services will carry out periodic visits and inspections as they consider necessary. The fire safety advisers may also visit premises and schools or services on an informal basis to discuss fire safety procedures with staff. These visits may take place at a time convenient to the school or service. Following inspections, the fire safety advisers will prepare a report which includes the recommended actions, the persons responsible and recommended completion dates. Responsible person / Estate Services The above reports will be submitted as appropriate to the estates zone team leader, electrical energy technical officer and the responsible person for the school or service who will arrange for the immediate implementation of any recommendations made within their area of control as appropriate. It is the duty of the responsible person or appointed representative to ensure that employees are informed of progress in implementing any recommendations. The responsible person will nominate appropriate staff to carry out six-weekly fire safety checks (this will normally be a fire warden) and monitor this activity.

Implementing recommendations of fire safety advisers The major fire precautions meeting is an Estate Services internal committee which discusses priorities and funding in respect of fire precautions Where any physical structural or electrical alterations are recommended, the fire safety advisers will classify these according to priority and advise if they are legislative requirements or could be considered as good practice in order to reduce risk. Recommendations for medium or large scale physical alterations may need to be considered by the above meeting in accordance with priorities and funding available from within the Estate Services budget.

2 - Fire wardens The duties of fire wardens are described below. The fire warden should: Complete an operational fire risk assessment using the risk assessment form (Appendix 3). It should be reviewed annually and particularly if: (a) They suspect it is no longer valid, or (b) There have been significant changes in what it relates to. This can include when changes to special measures, technical measures or organisational measures. Carry out six-weekly checks of the existing fire precautions within the area of responsibility using the fire precautions checklist (Appendix 4), and ensure that any faulty equipment or defects are reported to the responsible person, Estate Services helpdesk or fire safety adviser as appropriate. Keep a record of the fire precaution checks, together with a copy of the fire safety advisers structural and electrical risk assessment Regularly check the fire alarm panel and report any faults indicated on it If the fire alarm panel shows an incident in their area of responsibility, investigate what started it (without putting themselves at risk), contact security and take charge If the fire alarm goes off, help in the evacuation of the building and, where necessary, redirect people to a less busy exit route. Try to prevent any re-entry into the building until the all clear is given by the officer in charge of the fire service, security or safety supervisor. Liaise with the fire and rescue service and security at any incident Report any irregularities that happen during the evacuation process to the responsible person, the fire safety adviser or the health and safety team, so action can be taken to rectify it.

Organise and supervise an annual evacuation drill via Estate Services helpdesk, (making sure that security is informed and no direct call is made to the fire service); In some areas, duties are shared or organised differently to suit local circumstances, and this is especially true in specialist areas or large buildings. For example, if a school or service appointed a fire co-ordinator responsible for compiling the operational fire risk assessment and organising fire drills, other fire wardens would then help with the day-to-day duties and responsibilities.

3 - Fire safety maintenance Estate Services use a planned programme of maintenance (PPM) as follows: Fire alarm systems, including automatic door release mechanisms, are tested every three months Emergency lighting systems are tested every three months Fire doors, fire exit doors and associated door furniture are examined and tested every six months Fire fighting appliances are examined and tested annually.

Records are maintained within the PPM system and/or in a fire logbook as appropriate.

4 - Fire safety training Training for fire wardens - delivered by fire safety advisers Health and safety services run three fire warden courses. Course A Participants will get a greater knowledge and awareness of the threat of fire within University premises. They will learn how to operate a fire extinguisher, and refresh their existing knowledge of fire procedures. The course will also ensure they know the duties and responsibilities of fire wardens. Course B A continuation of Course A which will give participants a greater knowledge and awareness, so they comply with legislation and the Universitys fire policy. The course will cover the following principles: Means of escape Fire compartmentation Fire risk assessments

Following this course, the fire warden will be fully competent to carry out all the duties and responsibilities in line with University policy, including fire risk assessments and fire safety checks. Course C This is a refresher course and the content will vary from year to year. It will update fire wardens on any changes to legislation and policy, and cover different themes. Newly appointed fire wardens must attend fire warden course A, followed by course B before they can be considered fully competent. They must attend course A within six months of being nominated and then course B within six months of completing course A. Failure to attend could incur a charge and the removal of their name from the list of fire wardens. Existing fire wardens who have completed courses A and B and have been appointed for three years or more will attend course C as a refresher every three years. Additional training is provided as requested, for example using the Evac chair or breathing apparatus.

Training for all staff - delivered by fire wardens All staff are to be trained in the following: What to do if a fire is discovered What to do on hearing the fire alarm Re-entry procedure after an incident The location of the areas fire fighting equipment, and basic operating procedures Any alternative exit routes The responsible person must ensure that all their staff attend fire training sessions as required by this policy, and monitor their attendance. They are also responsible for releasing staff from duty so they can attend. Supervisors must ensure that new employees attend an induction course of fire safety training as soon as possible after the start of employment. Supervisors must also inform these new employees of the following on their first working day: Relevant fire evacuation procedures Means of escape The location of fire alarm points and fire-fighting equipment

5 - Fire incidents The following procedure for fire incidents is generic throughout the University. There may be a requirement to vary the procedure in special circumstances to suit local requirements. If it is necessary to do this, the procedure should be approved by the fire safety advisers. On hearing the fire alarm, all occupants should evacuate immediately by the shortest possible route and go to the assembly point designated on the fire action notices. (Areas where there is a need to shut down experiments or equipment prior to evacuation should have specific procedures in place. In lecture theatres the lecturer is responsible for evacuation.) If safe to do so, the fire wardens should check the areas they are responsible for, ensuring that such areas as toilets, rest rooms, dark rooms etc are checked. The fire warden should then evacuate and assist security staff. All fire wardens will, if possible, wear the orange identification arm band. On hearing the fire alarm, a designated fire warden will proceed to the fire alarm panel to ascertain the location of the call point or detector that has actuated. The fire warden in the area of the fire alarm actuation should investigate (without placing themselves in danger) and if a fire is suspected immediately inform security who will call the fire and rescue service. On arrival of security, the fire wardens will make themselves known, giving their name and designation and information regarding the incident. At all fire alarm actuations where fire wardens are not present, security will attend and take charge until a fire warden, with specific building knowledge, takes charge. The fire alarm must not be silenced until the cause of the fire alarm actuation is known or may be silenced by the Fire and Rescue Service for operational reasons. The person in charge will make the decision when to allow persons to re-enter the building only after discussion with security. The schools or services safety supervisor or the fire warden should liaise with the Fire and Rescue Service officer in charge to relay local knowledge of any relevant information regarding the part of the building involved.

Confirmed fires must be reported on the Sentinel incident and accident reporting system, giving a full description of the incident.