The LWF Blog
Fire Safety for Healthcare Premises – Fire Safety Training for Staff – Part 79
June 10, 2019 1:14 pmIn LWFs 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 78, LWF looked at fire precautions in underground locations. In part 79, we discuss fire safety training for staff in healthcare premises.
The effective management of fire safety training for all staff in healthcare venues is an important area of fire safety management. It is also a statutory duty under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. Health Technical Memorandum 05-01 Managing Healthcare Fire Safety lays out the requirements.
The fire safety procedures of any organisation are written to ensure that best practice is followed in a fire situation. The efficient application of those procedures is only possible when staff know how to follow them and what their own role is. All staff must undergo effective fire safety training in order to fulfil the requirements of the law and of Firecode.
There are no exceptions to the ‘all staff’ rule. This includes temporary or agency workers, part-time etc.
Senior members of staff of all disciplines and all managerial staff must lead by example in ensuring that each and every person receives basic instruction in fire safety along with more focussed training based on their own role and the workplace involved.
The content of the fire safety training should incorporate the following aspects for each and every member of staff in premises providing healthcare services:
An understanding of how fire develops and works – the characteristics of fire, smoke and toxic fumes.
Be informed as to the particular and potential fire hazards in the working environment
An awareness of the significant findings of fire risk assessments relevant to the work area
A commitment to practise and promote fire prevention in the healthcare workplace
Knowledge to allow instinctively the correct action to take if fire breaks out or if smoke is detected
Have an understanding of evacuation procedures, escape routes and relevancy to the time and place of duty
Participation in practical training sessions which include evacuation techniques, including those procedures which will be specific to areas of work
In part 80, LWF will continue to talk about fire safety training in healthcare venues. 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 0800 410 1130.
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.