The LWF Blog
Fire Safety for Healthcare Premises – Fire Safety Audits – Part 71
April 23, 2019 2:38 pmIn LWF’s blog series for healthcare professionals, the aim is to give information on best practice of fire safety in hospitals and other healthcare premises. In part 70, LWF looked at the difference between an annual audit of fire precautions, including management systems, staffing, compliance issues and resourcing, and a fire risk assessment as required by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) order of 2005. In part 71, we will continue to look at the fire safety audit and what it should comprise.
As part of the audit, it is necessary for some areas to receive validation checks. For example, an examination of documentary evidence which supports the fire precautions policy is necessary; cavity barriers and fire stopping arrangements should be visually checked to ensure they remain intact and fit for purpose and should any remedial actions be necessary in any area, they should be initiated.
The fire audit team will be expected to spend time on all issues relating fire safety. For this purpose, full access to staff records will be required. Attention should be paid to the following areas:
– That the chief executive or a similar senior member of staff such as a board-level director has understood and accepted the responsibilities as set out in HTM 05-01.
– Fire safety policies have been written for all healthcare premises.
– A board-level director has been nominated as having responsibility for fire safety.
– A fire safety manager has been nominated.
– Competent healthcare fire safety advisers have been appointed.
– The annual business plans of all premises to include a rolling programme of installing and maintaining an adequate level of fire precautions in those premises.
– Fire Safety policies and emergency procedures are regularly reviewed and updated to reflect changes.
– Fire risk assessments are undertaken to ensure compliance with Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and these are updated on a continual basis to reflect ad-hoc changes, works etc.
– That procedures are in place for reporting serious fires in accordance with HTM 05-01.
– Training of all staff in accordance with HTM 05-01.
– Procedures are in place for alerting the fire service in case of fire and in accordance with HTM 05-03 Part B ‘Fire detection and alarm systems’.
In part 72 of this series, LWF will continue to look at those areas which should be addressed during a fire safety audit of healthcare premises. In the meantime, if you have any questions about this blog, or wish to discuss your own project with one of our fire engineers, please contact us.
Lawrence Webster Forrest has been working with their clients for over 25 years to produce innovative and exciting building projects. If you would like further information on how LWF and fire strategies could assist you, please contact Peter Gyere on 020 8668 8663.
While care has been taken to ensure that information contained in LWF’s publications is true and correct at the time of publication, changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact on the accuracy of this information.