COMPLIANCE & RISK ASSESSMENT A COMPLEX ISSUE
A fire risk management system provides an organisation or business with the capability of effectively managing fire risk by documenting, implementing and maintaining policies, procedures and arrangements to maintain a sufficient level of fire safety. Whilst a fire risk assessment is a legislative requirement that is likely to document findings from the assessment that need to be acted upon and be kept up to date, the assessment itself does not have an impact on improving fire safety. The journey to improvement does in fact rely upon a suitable and sufficient fire risk management system that ensures passive, active and procedural fire safety systems are working properly at all times.
Complex buildings and estates are prevalent across the United Kingdom and indeed the world, often presented to the untrained eye as hospital sites, university campuses, large-scale accommodation providers and government facilities, to name but a few. The efficient and effective delivery of a fire risk management system can be challenging for any facilities management provider, whether this be an internal function or an outsourced element to a contracted third-party provider. Managers and directors are often asked by their senior team “Are we fire safety compliant?” and this is usually a question that is posed as part of writing the annual Board report. Whilst having an effective fire risk management system in place is essential, it is also extremely difficult to achieve and requires diligence, specialist skills, and resilience. But it is achievable.
WHAT IS A COMPLEX BUILDING OR ESTATE? Buildings or estates become more complex due to one or a combination of the following factors:
● Having multiple floors and/or being high-rise.
● Size and complexity of layout (including fire protection provisions and fire engineered solutions).
● Used for operational or manufacturing processes.
● Occupancy profile – used by specialist groups such as members of the public, students and young people.
● Prisons, detention centres and social care facilities used in support of the criminal justice system.
● Large property portfolios owned or leased by local councils, constabularies and the private sector such as housing providers.
● Hospital buildings and estates (such as NHS Trusts).
● University buildings and estates (such as university campuses).
● Accommodation (including student accommodation both within the private or university sectors).
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Stuart Kerr, Director of Tenos, and Deborah Bamber, Senior Consultant with Tenos, explore the challenge of effective fire risk management for complex estates.
● Private Finance Initiatives (PFI) – assets owned or funded by the private sector providing an essential service within the community or organisation.
WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES? It is widely accepted that to complete a fire risk assessment for complex buildings and estates a competent assessor needs to be appointed who has comprehensive training or experience in risk assessment. Implementing the recommendations and findings by developing SMART action plans is only one part of the jigsaw which also comprises:
● Statutory compliance maintenance regimes.
● Developing, implementing and monitoring or auditing fire safety management arrangements, policies and procedures.
● Pre-planned and reactive maintenance activities. ● Life cycle replacement projects. ● Refurbishment and change-of-use projects. ● Capital projects: new build and large-scale projects. ● IT installations and upgrades.
● Maintaining an operational and efficient facilities management helpdesk.
● Asset disposal, purchase and leasing.
Balancing the above means that effective fire risk management systems need to be simple but effective, and this is reliant upon knowing your assets and having up-to-date fire safety information and documentation.
WHAT FIRE SAFETY DOCUMENTATION AND
RECORDS SHOULD THERE BE? All buildings and estates should have a clear fire strategy with the design intent stated, in addition to fire plan drawings and documents reflecting as-built
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