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LATEST FIRE SAFETY NEWS AND ARTICLES
Many Residential Care Homes are breaching fire safety regulations
says Guardian newspaper report. Fire Training Essex report...
A Guardian newspaper report claims
that many residential care homes are breaching fire safety regulations and placing many elderly and/or disabled residents in
danger.
37 out of 46 fire services responded to Freedom of Information requests and it was revealed that 135 care
homes had been subject to Enforcement notices from the period January 2010 to March 2011. Breaches included inadequate
fire alarms, no staff fire training, blocked escape routes and damaged and dangerous equipment.
Managers are reminded
that government guidance is available download free of charge on www.londonfireriskassessmentconsultants.com. Fire Training Essex also provide fire risk assessment services and fire safety training sepcifically for residential care
home staff:
Residential Care Home Fire Training Course
Disabled fire evacuation training courses
City Fire Training - Fire Risk Assessments
What type of fire extinguisher is best? A Fire Training Essex
Extinguisher report
During a fire extinguisher course Essex, a delegate asked what fire extinguisher was
the best for the home and the best fire extinguisher for the workplace! Fire extinguisher training Essex with our organisation
can help answer these questions so why not book a fire extinguisher course Essex now. In the meantime, here a few things to
mull over:
Well, obviously it will depend on what is on fire , but there are some issues to consider before you
ever have a fire. At Fire Training Essex, we recommend that a dry powder fire extinguisher is a good fire extinguisher for
the home, as it is a general purpose extinguisher and can be used to tackle Class A wood, paper and textile fires, Class B
liquid fires in their early stages (such as petrol, diesel etc), Class C gas fires including towns gas and LPGs and lastly
electrical fires.
The best extinguisher in the workplace is a different question! A fire risk assessment should
have determined the most appropraie fire extinguisher in any given risk area, but the debate can be further fuelled by asking
the question whether fire extinguishers with jets or sprays are best.
A jet fire extinguisher is heavier and can
be difficult to use by those who are not too strong. However, jets normally have a longer throw and can be used at a greater
distance from the fire. A spray is nearly always a lot lighter, so can used by everyone who has been trained. The user does
need to be closer to the fire, but as sprays absorb more heat energy they tend to put fires out more quickly than jets.
Growth in fire extinguisher training, fire marshal training courses
and fire warden traininhg courses in Essex. A Fire Training Essex report.
Managers of a number of fire
training companies have reported an increase in fire training activity in Essex and London. City fire training have noted
a big increase in companies and managers requiring fire safety training courses for staff, fire marshals and fire wardens.
Bill Seccombe, director of City Fire Training said " We have seen a big increase in companies requesting fire
marshal training courses in Essex and London. Fire extinguisher training for staff is also on the increase and most managers
are asking for live practical fires to be included. We have trained over 1100 persons since January and this is an increase
of well over 20% compared to last year".
Fire extinguisher training can be provided for organisations and
can be mixed with fire marshal and fire warden training. In June we have four clients who have chosen to mix their training.
All required fire extinguisher practical training in the morning including practical fire fighting and fire marshal training
in the afternoon for fire wardens. The training will include details of their emergency plan,evacuating disabled persons,
accounting methods, evacuation strategies and hazard spotting.
Responsible persons can contact us to arrange training
for staff (unlimited numbers may attend) from just £595 + vat.
Who needs fire safety training? Fire Training Essex provides
advice to fire safety managers.
Who needs fire safety training? Well this will depend on the type of premises
and of course the fire risk assessment. However, in very general terms the following might be appropriate:
*
All staff will need to have general fire safety training. This will include details of the evacuation plan, the fire emergency
plan, fire extinguishers and of course regular fire drills.
* Fire marshals and fire wardens will need
fire marshal courses and / or fire warden training.
* Other persons requiring training will those with specific
responsibilities as detailed in the fire emergency plan. This might include receptionists who call the fire service, those
who liaise with the fire service on their arrival, persons nominated as fire buddies to assist disabled persons with evacuating
from the building and also managers who must have a full understanding of the their fire safety management responsibilities,
such as monitoring fire safety, assessing fire risk, carry out fire safety audits in their premises and ensuring that the
fire risk assessment is regularly reviewed and kept up to date and is suitable and sufficient.
General fire training
might include topics such as - general good housekeeping, the importance of fire doors, fire extinguishers, classes of fire,
fire safety drills, isolating power or processes, the reasons lifts should not be used and where the assembly point is. The
together with full details of the accounting method and evacuation strategy should help make the premises a safer place to
work.
For details of our fire marshal training courses Essex, fire extinguisher training courses Essex and any
other job specific fire training courses go to the website menu and then give us a call!
Fire training in Essex - What are the options?
Most responsible
persons of premises know they must carry out regular and adequate fire training for all of their staff and additional training
for those with specific responsibilities in the fire emergency procedure. But what options are available to managers?
Many managers will opt to engage the fire service for their fire training requirements. They will provide up to date training,
provide the option of the practical use of live fire extinguisher training, provide certificates of attendance and know that
by engaging the fire service staff will consider this a premium level of training. Courses include fire extinguisher training,
fire marshal courses, fire warden courses, fire evacuation for the disabled persons and much more.
Other managers
may opt for a private company. It is quite common for those to pick an organisation that provides other fire safety
services for them such as fire extinguisher maintenance, fire risk assessments etc. This may help make things easily but be
sure that all persons providing the services are properly trained and competent to carry out these duties. Prices for fire
extinguisher training courses in Essex will vary greatly. Our tip is to call the company and chat to the fire course providers.
The following questions may be useful - Is there a limitation on numbers attending the course, is there a practical exercise,
is the practical equipment environmentally friendly, what experience do the instructors have? What level did the fire instructors
have if they are ex fire safety officers (All of the Fire Training Essex fire instructors reached Group manager level). All
of these issues will give you an indication of the professionalism and quality of training you can expect.
On-line
fire training is a new innovation and is used by relatively few managers. Whilst this may be a cheaper option, it does lack
a personal touch and any staff with questions may not be able to find the correct answer. Often on-line fire training is based
on per head basis and may not in fact be cheaper than some in person services.
The sole use of fire training videos
is not to be encouraged. These can be used for very basic training - perhaps a part of a staff induction day or as an interim
refresher for general staff, but this resource is not likely to be passed by fire safety officers carrying out fire safety
audits as sufficient fire training.
In-house fire trainers will clearly know more about the daily routines
of a premises and this information will be useful in some cases. A disadvantage of internal trainers is that they make lack
in depth fire safety knowledge. However, government guides on Fire Safety Risk Assessment are available on line and can be
used to prepare in house fire training sessions.
Fire drills. Should we tell our staff? The question delegates
always ask on a fire marshal training course / fire warden training course in Essex!!
Well that answer
to the Fire drill dilemma is - It depend what you read! BS 9999 states that you should not tell staff that there
will be a fire drill. They advocate this so you will see how staff react in a real emergency. Fire training Essex do not subscribe
to this advice. we prefer the advice of the government guidance Fire Safety Risk Assessment that states that the benefits
of a surprise drill are outweighed by the the possible health and safety issues that may arise by having a surprise
drill.
If staff are told when a fire alarm is being tested and when the organisation will be carrying out a fire
drill they will always know when a fire drill sounds for a real emergency. Not only will staff know, but fire marshals / fire
wardens will also react more quickly when they have not been informed. They will also be able tell those persons who ask "Is
this false alarm or a drill" - that they believe it is a real event.
Responsible persons carrying out their
fire safety management responsibilities may want to try both approaches and then debate the outcomes of each fire drill. The
use of observers is also recommended in government guidance and fire service advice.
So what should a fire extinguisher training course cover? Fire
Training Essex report
We have had one or two calls recently regarding the content of fire extinguisher
training courses. What is included? Do you need practical live fire training with fire extinguishers? How long does the fire
extinguisher training last? Here is a little article to help.
There are thirteen different fire safety guides produced
by the government to assist responsible persons and managers ensure they are complying with fire safety law and are managing
their fire safety risk effectively. There is a fourteenth guide that also looks at the issues surrounding fire safety risk
assessment and means of escape for disabled people.
All of the the thirteen guides that deal with specific types
of workplace give good advice about fire training requirements of staff. This includes general staff, fire marshals and fire
wardens and anyone with specific responsibilities in the fire emergency procedure.
A good fire extinguisher training
course will cover the following components
* A short fire awareness session
* A fire extinguisher
theory session - this will include water fire extinguishers, foam fire extinguishers, dry powder fire extinguishers, CO2 fire
extinguishers, wet chemical fire extinguishers, those with jets and sprays. This session should also include Classes of Fire
A,B,C,D,F and Electrical fires. It may also include a session on general information such as servicing, maintenance, quarterly
or monthly visual inspections
* A practical session using live fires. There is no requirement to carry out a practical
session under fire safety law. However, if one can be done, it will help staff should they ever be required to tackle a real
fire.
At Fire Training Essex we use an environmentally friendly fire training rig that uses LPG. We always carry
out a quick risk assessment of the training area. We ask that delegates where appropriate clothing and wear sensible shoes.
We also ensure that during practical firefighting exercises our delegates wear protective glasses and gloves to minimise any
chance of an accident.
How long should the training last? To carry out effective training we recommend either a
half day, 2 hour or 1.5 hour training session. The duration will also depend on the numbers attending. A group of 12 is ideal
and all should be able to tackle a practice fire if fit enough to do so.
Fire in nightclub highlights need for fire marshal training for club
staff
A serious fire at a nightclub in Cheltenham this weekend (April 2011) highlighted the need for fire
marshal training for staff in similar premises. Government guidance such as Fire Safety Risk Assessment for large places of
assembly clearly detail the type of training required.
At a fire marshal course in Colchester recently, which was
attended by some staff from an Essex nightclub, the group discussed the type of training required. I spoke of my experience
whilst working with Dublin Fire Brigade and what happens in Irish nightclubs. At various periods throughout the evening all
music is stopped and an announcement is made detailing where the fire exits are and the need to take instructions from staff
if a fire breaks out.
Some of the issues that responsible persons must assess are: Some persons may be intoxicated,
some patrons may wish to collect possessions such as coats or bags, some patrons may wish to collect drinks etc, what
type of accounting procedure and evacuation strategy should be employed, how frequently will fire extinguishers be checked
and is there a history of extinguishers being tampered with, are there any disabled patrons on the premises and what arrangements
is made for them?
Many nightclubs adopt a star-burst method of evacuation from a building. This is a form of sweep
method. Fire wardens or will quickly congregate at the centre of the nightclub / and quickly usher people
towards the nearest available fire exit.
Other issues to consider are; Under no circumstances should the
fire alarm be silenced until the course of the alarm has been identified, a procedure determining whether there is a fire
in the building must be established as Essex Fire Service no longer automatically turnout to Automatic Fire Alarms. They now
only respond to actual fires in buildings other than those with a sleeping risk or schools.
Do fire extinguishers need to conform to any standards?
This was another question that was asked at a recent fire training course held recently at a company's premises
in the north of Essex.
Fire extinguishers must conform with the European directive on Health and Safety and Environmental
standards. You may have seen a CE marking (Communaute Europeenne), this means that the manufacturer has complied with the
European directive.
Fire extinguishers do not have to conform with British Standards (BS EN3). BS EN3 are recommendations,
but it does assure the purchaser that it complies with variuous minimum requirements. On such extinguishers you see that the
both have a BS EN3 kitemark and a CE marking.
Readers are reminded that fire extinguisher training is a requirement
under the Fire Safety Order and the details of the type and content of the training is described in the various government
guidance booklets available to responsible persons and persons with responsibilities in fire safety management and fire safety
training.
How often should we train our staff? A recent question from an Essex
fire training course.
This is one of the common questions our fire training instructors are asked!
How often do I train my staff?
How often do I train fire marshals? Do all staff need to be trained about fire
extinguishers?... are other examples of common questions. The answer is it will depend on your fire risk assessment! A responsible
person must take a risk based approach when deciding the frequency of fire training. If staff have been with an organisation
for a considerable period and have received regular training, there is an argument that there could be greatrer gaps between
fire training. If there is a high turnover of staff then more frequent fire safety training should take place.
Government
guidance talks about annual fire training and of course fire drills need to carried out as well! There is no specific timeframe
for fire marshal training, but 2 yearly seems to be a common consensus amongst many fire trainers, fire service officers and
fire risk assessors.
Whatever you decide in terms of fire training frequency, this information should be documented
in the organisations fire emergency plan. The fire training, when carried out, should be entered into the organisational log
book.
For details of Fire Training Essex fire safety training, why not give us a call or send us an email for our
next courses.
Fire drill highlights best practice advice issued by Fire
Service
Our instructors recently held a fire marsahl training course in Colchester for a first aid provider.
Prior to the course we were informed by the building managers that there would be a fire drill at 10 a.m.
The fire
alarm sounded promptly at 10 am and the fire drill was carried out. The whole building was evacuated in 90 secons which was
very commendable!!
The timing of the drill though, recommended me of the advice given by Fire Service Safety Partnership
instructors. The advice is a) always inform staff that there will be a fire drill, vary the times of the drills to test the
efficacy of the fire procedures, make some fire exits unusable to make persons use alternate escaperoutes that they may not
have used before, use observers to take notes about the drill - these can be used in post drill debrief.
The drill
did highlight one or two issues! One of our delegates arrived late for the course and turned up as we were leaving the building!
The person would not have shown up on a roll call had we used this method of accounting for persons; the organisation did
not have door marshals to prevent people entering the building while staff were at the assembly point!
Other than
that it was a text book fire drill!!!! Why not run a fire drill yourselves this week or come on a fire marshal course provided
by Fire Training Essesx or the Fire Service Safety Partnership. Contact us via or contact page.
Enforcement notice for Essex motel
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service fire safety officers
issued an enforcement notice to the Rivenhall Motel in London Road, Rivenhall, Witham. The notice included contraventions
including no suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment, inadequate fire safety arrangements, inadequate arrangements for
fire fighting equipment and fire detection and inadequate fire safety training arrangements.
Date of notice 15th
February 2011
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