Requirements for Fire Marshals

[bobbyross]

Hello all,

Need some advice on fire marshals throughout the workplace.

Where I work there are several workplace buildings (mostly offices converted from old flats) some connected some not, my question is should every area (even if there are only two/three persons working in a particular area, should one of these persons be a fire marshal) my own thoughts are they should be. Some of the office buildings are seperated by a stairwell so this could be an issue going across the stairwell into other offices to carryout fire marshal duties i.e. a sweep of the area etc.
Is it possible that in small office areas, person would only require fire awareness training?

We also have an area in which the public visit, this area is only manned by one or two persons, again my thoughts are they should be fire marshals also,
appreciate your comments before I go back to management and state my case,

Thanks,
Bobby

[kurnal]

You should appoint a limited number of fire marshalls who should sweep the area- it is not helpful to have too many. Say one plus a deputy to cover absences per floor. Training one per unit will dilute the standards and make it impossible to manage. Think of it as a jigsaw puzzle- the marshals will sweep search an area and put their search areas together outside like a jig saw puzzle- the less pieces the easier to confirm evacuation is complete.
Typically a figure of 1 marshall plus deputy  per 20 employees works well. Search areas need to be designed to ensure that the whole building can be searched and confirmed empty within 5 minutes maximum.  
A rule should be made and understood by all that an occupiers door is locked it is safe to assume the unit is empty and this rule should be written into the premises emergency plan.

The only other option is to book all users in and out- theres some useful IT solutions based on swipe cards that can be used to give a real time print out in an emergency and its pretty foolproof because you cannot enter or leave the building without swiping ( unless someone cheats and holds the door open for you!!)

[bobbyross]

thanks for that, makes sense what you said,
Bobby

[Davo]

bobbyross

Unless you are a smallish occupier I can tell you swipe cards will be abused. We have them at all our police stations and some of the larger ones you cannot tell to within 50 who is in as they let their buddies in and any visitors who can flash their police ID card!
Best to use the empty room/floor as per Kurnal's first para!

[afterburner]

Bobbyross

in complete agreement with Davo's comments. We only let staff / vistors into prisons after production of individual ID but we cannot at any time give a guaranteed figure on who is in and who is out, or, who is where within the complex.