The fire risk assessment decides which precautions a building needs. Some of these precautions stop a fire from starting. Others detect a fire, warn people, and give them the means to escape or to tackle a small fire safely.
As a fire warden, you will help to keep these measures in good order. You need to know what they are, how they work, and what to look out for.
In this module you will learn about:
Prevention is the first priority in fire safety. The most effective way to prevent fires is to eliminate risks from the outset, and there are many practical ways to do it. Choose cleaning products that are not flammable instead of solvents. Avoid heaters with open flames, such as gas cylinder radiant heaters, and choose safer storage heaters instead of open-bar electric heaters. Swap flammable paints for water-based ones.
Replace petrol-powered equipment with electric alternatives, for instance by changing handheld petrol saws and cutters for battery-operated electric versions. When you do have to store flammable materials, such as wood, paper, plastics or explosive substances, keep them in a room or space with no sources of ignition. Gas cylinders may need open storage, and safety guidelines for that must be followed.
Good housekeeping is one of the simplest and most effective ways to prevent fire. It means:
Several more rules help to keep a workplace safe. Never store easily ignitable materials in corridors, near fire escape routes or exits, or beside heaters and electrical equipment, even when they are switched off. Clean up spills of dangerous substances quickly, including cleaning products, cooking oils and baking ingredients such as flour, because they can ignite if they meet something that can start a fire. Follow your workplace waste disposal procedures.
Fire-resistant waste containers should be placed outside, away from the building and escape routes, and emptied regularly. Keep flammable liquids and gas containers apart from other combustible materials. Do not overload electrical sockets, use extension leads sparingly and avoid linking several together, as this can cause overheating. If equipment is faulty or shows signs of damage such as frayed wires or burn marks, stop using it and report it. Smoking inside is strictly prohibited, so use designated outdoor areas with safe means of extinguishing cigarettes.
Good housekeeping plays a major part in preventing fires. Employers must set up safe procedures for storing and using materials and keep the workplace clean and organised, and when they do, employees including fire wardens can help keep it tidy and free from fire risks. Move waste boxes, paper, card, aerosol cans, chemical containers and other flammable materials to a secure storage area promptly. Keep flammable materials separate from other substances, in sealed non-flammable containers such as metal bins or storage units.
Do not burn waste unless there is a designated incinerator for the material, supervised by a trained and responsible person. Reduce the use, storage and disposal of paper wherever possible, and keep digital copies instead. Dangerous flammable materials belong in designated containers. HSE guidance advises keeping no more than 50 litres of highly flammable liquid in a workroom, in fire-resistant metal cupboards or bins.
Many workplace fires start with electrical equipment. To reduce the risk:
Electrical installations and portable equipment must be inspected and tested regularly by a competent person.
Safe use of machinery and equipment is a key fire prevention measure. Employers must make sure that people operating machinery that involves hazardous materials, or that produces harmful substances, receive proper training, instruction and information. Paint sprayers and cleaning machines that use dangerous chemicals are examples that carry a fire hazard. For machines and equipment that could cause a fire or explosion, manufacturers must supply written health and safety information, normally in a user or instruction manual.
English is standard, but other languages are acceptable. The manual should include a full description of the product and its essential safety features, its intended uses and any uses that are not allowed, correct and safe installation or setup, and safe methods of use. It should also give guidelines for safe maintenance, covering cleaning, unblocking, inspections and testing. Specific legislation may require additional information.
Almost every workplace needs a way of detecting fire and warning everyone. Depending on the risk, this can range from manual call points and bells to an automatic system with smoke and heat detectors linked to a control panel.
Systems are designed, installed and maintained to British Standard BS 5839.
Specialists can advise on whether additional measures are needed. Visual warning alarms, such as flashing lights, can be essential for employees with hearing impairments, or for people who wear noise-cancelling equipment and might not hear a normal alarm. For people working alone in remote areas, a pager can be supplied that sounds the alarm when it is activated, to protect their safety. Different kinds of detector may also be needed in particular parts of a building, depending on the work done.
Ionising, optical, heat and combined detectors each detect fires in a different way from a traditional smoke alarm. The equipment your workplace needs is decided during the fire risk assessment, and employees should be given any training required so that detectors are not obstructed and can work properly if there is a fire.
Everyone in a workplace must be ready to react in an emergency, so you need to know about the safety measures that apply to you. Employees and others on the premises should be told how to act in a fire and how to recognise the alarm signals. You should understand the types of alarm and detector used. There may be audio and visual alarms, personal pagers and different detectors in different areas.
You should know where the manual alarm call points are. There should be at least one on each floor, usually near escape routes, and you should know how to reach one from anywhere in the building. Learn the sound or appearance of the alarm so that you recognise it immediately and can evacuate promptly. If you have concerns, there should be clear instructions for reporting them. If a report reaches you as a fire warden, make sure senior management hears about it and acts.
The Fire Safety Order and similar laws require almost all workplaces to have fire detection and warning systems, the exception being small single-room buildings with only a few employees. Manual alarm call points and detectors make sure everyone is alerted quickly, and detectors are particularly important when a fire starts somewhere that cannot easily be seen. The system must be designed so that people can hear or see the alarm from any part of the building, and detectors must be able to detect a fire automatically in any area, so a workplace should have several detectors and alarms placed throughout.
The type of system depends on the building, the work and the people present. Apart from very basic systems, installation should be by specialist contractors working to BS 5839-1. If you notice a fault, tell your employer so it can be repaired, and in a serious case stop work and tell a senior manager at once.
A fire alarm only protects people if it works. Typical checks include:
If the alarm cannot be heard in part of the building during a test, or a call point is damaged, report it immediately.
Your employer must arrange regular testing and maintenance so that detection and alarm systems keep working. Manual alarm call points should be tested once a week, and as a fire warden you may be asked to do this, so make sure you are shown how to check a call point and activate the alarm correctly. The test should be at the same time each week, short enough for people to tell it apart from a real alarm, and should rotate between call points so that every location is tested in turn.
The whole system, including alarm points, detectors, control panels and emergency lighting, should be inspected and tested by a competent person, usually every three to six months, such as the installer. Emergency lighting needs a brief monthly functional test and an annual test for its full rated duration, for example three hours, carried out by a competent person.
Fire extinguishers are red, with a coloured band or label showing their type:
Always check the label before use. Using the wrong extinguisher can make a fire worse, or cause electric shock.
Using the right extinguisher for the class of fire is vital. Using the wrong one, such as water on an electrical fire, can cause a dangerous reaction. Water spray extinguishers are for Class A fires involving solids and dusts, such as burning paper, cardboard or curtains, but never on other fires, especially electrical ones, because water conducts electricity and risks a shock. Water mist extinguishers are different and suit more kinds of fire: Class A, electrical fires and Class F.
ABC powder suits Class A, B and C. Never use an extinguisher on a gas fire unless the gas supply has been shut off. Special dry powder, M28 and L2, is for Class D metal fires such as aluminium swarf, and only L2 is suitable for lithium. Powder should not be used in confined spaces such as cellars, because it can be inhaled and cause a white-out, and it can damage electrical equipment.
Every workplace needs an appropriate number of extinguishers. The quantity depends on the size of the building and the work done in it, but as a general guideline there should be at least two extinguishers, with a combined rating of at least 26A, on every floor of 400 square metres or less. As a fire warden you should receive practical training in identifying, using and maintaining extinguishers. Many training providers and specialist companies offer this, as does your local fire and rescue authority.
Remember that evacuation is usually more important than fighting a fire. If you are trained, use an extinguisher only if the fire is small, you have the right type and you have a safe means of escape. Never fight a fire that is spreading or too big for extinguishers. Stop, and tell colleagues to leave with you. If you have not had practical training, do not use one.
Your safety, and that of others, always comes first. Only tackle a fire if you have been trained, and only if:
If in doubt, get out, and close the doors behind you. A building can be replaced; a life cannot.
Foam extinguishers are suitable for solid materials and dusts, and for fires caused by flammable liquids such as paint and thinners. Avoid them on other fires, especially electrical ones, although some foam extinguishers are dielectrically tested and considered safe near electrical fires, so read the information and labelling on the extinguisher. Carbon dioxide extinguishers are mainly intended for electrical fires, and are also effective on Class B fires involving flammable liquids.
They must not be used on Class F fires, because the strong jet could spread the burning oil or fat, and they must not be used on Class D fires such as burning metal swarf. Wet chemical extinguishers are designed for Class F fires involving burning cooking oils and fats. They can be used on Class A fires of organic materials such as paper or wood, but foam or water is more usual for those.
Most extinguishers work in the same way. Remember the word PASS:
Do not hold the horn of a carbon dioxide extinguisher, as it becomes extremely cold. If the fire does not go out quickly, or starts to spread, stop, leave, and close the door behind you.
Your employer has to assess carefully which types of extinguisher are most suitable, taking into account the classes of fire the workplace is most likely to experience, and provide extinguishers accordingly. In an office with computers and other electrical equipment, carbon dioxide extinguishers deal with the likely electrical fires. In a restaurant kitchen, where fires involving cooking oils and fats are more likely, wet chemical extinguishers are needed.
A metal cutting workshop should have M28 and L2 extinguishers, which are suited to fires involving flammable metals. A warehouse that stores flammable liquids and gases should have foam and powder extinguishers, which work on a range of fire types. As a fire warden, learn which types are provided in your area and which classes of fire each one can safely be used on.
Regular checks, servicing and maintenance keep extinguishers accessible, in good condition and fit for purpose. As a fire warden, part of your responsibility is to help make sure they are well maintained and to report any problems promptly, because poor maintenance undermines their effectiveness and compliance. Your training should help you spot a range of problems. These include physical damage, signs that an extinguisher has been misused or tampered with, and extinguishers that are missing from their proper location.
Look for corrosion or excessive wear on parts such as the discharge nozzle, any sign of leaks, labels that are faded or torn, missing locking pins, a pressure gauge in the red, and damaged hoses. Also report any extinguisher that has not been checked at the required intervals.
Many workplaces also have fire blankets. They are made to put out very small, contained fires, such as a fire in a cooking pot, or to wrap around yourself or another person if clothing catches fire. Blankets are typically suitable for workplaces with a kitchen that is not used for regular cooking of hot food, for example communal office kitchens where hot drinks and lunches are prepared. As with extinguishers, use a fire blanket only if you have been trained to do so safely, because incorrect use can increase the risk to you and others.
Remember what this course has stressed throughout: your first priority is not to fight fires. Tackle only small fires that are still manageable, assess the situation, and concentrate on planning your escape if you are not confident it is safe. Practical training is essential.
In this module, you have learned that:
Good housekeeping, safe electrics and control of hot work, smoking and arson prevent most fires.
Fire alarms must be tested weekly from a different call point, and serviced by a competent engineer.
Only tackle a small fire if you are trained, have the right extinguisher, and your exit is behind you.
In the next module, we will look at escape routes, fire doors, emergency lighting and signs.