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FIRE SERVICE AND GENERAL FIRE SAFETY TOPICS => Fire Safety => Topic started by: Jon Barrett on March 23, 2007, 04:51:50 PM
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I have recently heard that the Fire Brigade are requiring ALL fire risk assessments to be submitted to them.
Can anyone confirm or deny this?
I understood that the FRA's were to be recorded, where applicable, for review by the authority when requested.
Thanks,
Jon
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no need to send one in,might get asked to send one in a specific instance, otherwise only asked for on inspection/audit.we have 150K + premises-where do you think we would put them and who would read them?I think you need to check with who told you-they seem to have got it wrong.
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Agree with Pip.
There is no legal basis for this and frankly the ones we would get sent are probably the one's we don't need to worry about.
Bit like the laughable 'e-fire' self assessments that we are meant to view following submission. Only the government could spend £7m on a web site that has no function other than a bit of advice.
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I remember seeing something whereby people can send us their RA for 'approval'. And unless something raises concerns I think our policy is we will inspect as and when the risk level warrants it. Funnily enough nobody has sent their RA in to us yet that I am aware of. Waste of time looking at an RA with no knowledge of the building, or what goes on in the building, but never mind.
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I can't speak for other brigades but we discourage people from sending us their risk assessments as we discovered in the early days of the WPRegs that we would be inundated. A rough estimate of premises required to record risk assessments in London is 600,000.
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The only situation where a Fire Authority can ask for the RA to be sent to them is where they have serves an alterations notice and specifically asked them to.
Even then there is no provison for the RA to be "Approved"
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I remember seeing something whereby people can send us their RA for 'approval'. And unless something raises concerns I think our policy is we will inspect as and when the risk level warrants it. Funnily enough nobody has sent their RA in to us yet that I am aware of. Waste of time looking at an RA with no knowledge of the building, or what goes on in the building, but never mind.
I guess if the responsible person sent their risk assesment to the fire authority and asked them to determine whether it was suitable and sufficient, the FA might have a duty to respond and advise, under Section 6 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004? All theoretical, of course, because it will happen once in a blue moon, if ever.
I can't bee any brigade demanding to see all RAs - most likely hearsay?
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The only situation where a Fire Authority can ask for the RA to be sent to them is where they have serves an alterations notice and specifically asked them to.
The FRS could require the production of any risk assessment if they wanted to regardless of wether an alterations notice has been served using there powers in article 27.
Why they would want to collect thousands and thousands is however beyond me.
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Agree with Pip.
Bit like the laughable 'e-fire' self assessments that we are meant to view following submission. Only the government could spend £7m on a web site that has no function other than a bit of advice.
We've received one with the following answers to a self assessment - which resulted in it being automatically calculated as 'MEDIUM' risk
Has a specific fire risk assessment been carried out ? - Don't know
Do you have a clear company policy on fire safety ? - No
Is the fire safety equipment maintained ? - Don't know
Do you record the testing and maintenance of fire safety equipment ? - No
Are the premises provided with adequate fire warning arrangments ? - Don't know
But my favourite is the reference to "Fire Safety - An Employers Guide" if you want to know more about IRMP .....!!
£7m ? Really ?
Sob Sob !! Pass the mogadon if there's any left.
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At least we're not the only ones getting the e-fire andrex. Is any other brigade receiving them automatically as well? I recently tested some of our auditted premises using the e-fire method. Guess what? From us - one of each of the RRO risk levels; from e-fire - 4 mediums and a very high (I had to wangle the very high for a change of scenery).
Seriously though, is anyone actually doing anything constructive with the e-fire results?
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Presumably they're planning for the defence: 'We sent it to the FRS and, as they didn't get back to us, we took it that it was OK'. A bit like submitting a planning application and going ahead with the work if you don't get a response within the set time period.
The local FRS were collecting FRAs from independent schools a little while ago - presumably on the basis that these represent emotive risk premises and might not be 'up to scratch' - or perhaps they didn't want to pick on the local authority schools too early?