FIRE SAFETY
of the recommendations within the FRA, it is essential and vitally important that a level of priority and importance to these recommendations is afforded within the relevant management system. Action must be taken immediately if there is catastrophic risk, or if risks can be reduced by simple immediate action.
‘As low as reasonably practicable’ (‘ALARP’) Emphasis on the legal requirement to reduce the risk to ‘as low as reasonably practicable’, i.e. the point at which the benefits of risk reduction become grossly disproportionate to the cost. This will vary, as the risk varies, and includes not only financial cost, but equally cost in terms of reductions in the ability to provide treatment or care for patients.
Proportionality An area in which all persons can easily and quickly evacuate will have a different risk profile to one in which the act of moving very highly dependent patients may endanger their lives. In the case of the latter, the benefits are likely to be far higher than in the former, and thus the point at which the costs become ‘disproportionate to the risk’. It is this which the FSO differentiates at the start of many of the Articles by including e.g. “17.-(1): ‘Where necessary in order to safeguard the safety of relevant persons”. This means that there may be variations in, for example: a) The acceptable standard of fire doors. b) Maintenance regimes – both in frequency and applicable standards.
c) The provision of fire extinguishing media. d) The level of training. e) The frequency and type of evacuation exercise. f) Any such variation should be supported by, and
detailed in, a fire safety protocol (HTM 05-01 Appendix E) or training needs analysis (HTM 05-03 Part A).
Competence There are many reading this article who will be fire risk assessors. As is clear from the aforementioned bullet points, complex healthcare premises are very different from a typical factory, office, or shop, and more complex than even a high-risk residential building. FRAs may be undertaken by both (or either) internally
A patient-initiated ‘malicious’ fire.
April 2025 Health Estate Journal 45
Courtesy of Anthony Pitcher, NHS Wales
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