Fire Risk Assessment

[kurnal]

Kurnal, I think you will find that the HSE are the enforcers of the RR(FS)O onnew construction sites whilst the FRS enforce for construction in existing buildings.

Yes thanks Jokar my last posting was rather garbled, If anyone wants I will dig out the actual definitions of who enforces  what and when from the Fire Safety Order and for the ACOP to the CDM Regs.

As I say in practice the HSE know nothing about the Fire Safety Order and they just enforce the prescriptive fire related regulations of the CDM Regs, and the Fire Service tend not to be aware of their duties to enforce the fire related regualtions of the CDM Regs in addition to the Fire Safety Order on some sites.

Why is it important - In particular its important to make sense of the definitions of Responsible person / Principal Contractor, and whose collar to feel.

[kurnal]

Thanks for your answers fellas...continuing on a bit...lets say its a hotel being completely refurbished or even extended

If you are asked to do a FRA during the refurb/construction stage, would you recommend say fire alarm system, E/L etc at that stage to save them having to do it all again when it is up and running and after the second FRA?

Depends who the relevant persons are. Building sites usually are provided with temporary means of escape  taking into account the lack of fire compartments inherent in buildings under construction, temporary self contained manual fire alarms, emergency lighting and fire fighting equipment.

If there are other relevant persons at risk, then it gets much more complicated and such basic temproary arrangements will not suffice.

[Mushy]

Thanks Kurnal...

I can understand that you would advise all the temporary stuff during construction...I was just wondering while you were doing this first FRA if you would recommend all the requirements for a permanent fire safety solution while you were at it...to save the occupier having to do it once it is up and running after the second FRA...or is that the job of building control

[The Colonel]

With a refurb/extension you would also need to see any building control plans to see what has been included in the application which could include fire alarm, E/L etc. You should not then need a second bite of the cherry when work has finished.

[Mushy]

Thanks The Colonel

[afterburner]

Mushy,

I comment on the situation as it is applied in Scotland, (and make the presumption that similar arrangements apply in E&W). Applying fire safety provisions in compliance with the Building Standards usually follows the Technical Handbook explaining how to achieve the needed compliance. In the Introduction to the Technical Handbook, Part 2 Fire Safety is the caution " Persons with obligations under the Act (the Fire (Scotland) Act)require to carry out a fire safety risk assessment which may require additional fire safety precautions to reduce the risk to life in case of fire. For example, measures to reduce the risk and spread of fire, means of escape, fire-fighting equipment, fire detection and warning, instruction and training. Other measures are prescribed by regulation. The risk assessment should be kept under review."

Once the building or refurb is completed, the building may comply with Building Control approval (by whatever approval route is applied) but the FR Assessor may actually find the situation after occupancy requires some additional fire safety provisions. (the difference between the 'paper design' and the reality of a working environment).

As our colleagues have stated earlier, some fire safety elements rightly derive from the BC approval such as fire alarm systems and emergency lighting etc., and normally by following guidance from elsewhere, such as ACoP's, CoP's or British Standards these systems will be right, even after occupancy.

[Mushy]

Thanks afterburner