FIRE, SECURITY & SAFETY
Responsibility for fire risk – where should it lie?
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Paul Le Mare, founder of the Fire Safety Building Regulations Group and associate manager at Assent Building Control, looks at the various bodies responsible for the safety of a building and aims to unpick common misconceptions
ince the Grenfell disaster, fire risk and fire safety has been a leading conversation within the industry. In the aftermath, and with new legislation on the horizon, many building owners and occupiers
are still in the dark as to who the ultimate responsibility should rest with.
Designing for fire safety
During the design phase of any building fire risk and fire safety considerations fall to the architect. It is their responsibility to design a building that meets with the required standards and preparing a fire safety strategy is actually a requirement of the Building Regulations. For an architect, any design assumptions that have an impact on fire safety and all fire safety measures incorporated into a building, either active or passive, should be clearly documented. One of the challenges for architects is that at the point at which their design is taken over by a contractor or client, changes can be made to the design that compromise quality and can have life-threatening consequences. At this point an architect should provide a handover document for when another party takes over the project, setting out the fire safety measures that have been incorporated into the design up to that stage and any further measures that will be required.
Signing off fire safety
For a building control officer (BCO) or approved inspector (AI) a building must satisfy Regulation 38 before a completion certificate can be issued. This regulation regards the handover of fire safety information at the completion of a project that requires: ‘The person carrying out the work shall give
fire safety information to the responsible person no later than the date of completion of the work or the date of occupation…. whichever is earlier.’ A BCO or AI is responsible for ensuring that
all regulations relating to fire risk and fire safety have been adhered to. A completion certificate will not be issued without a building meeting these crucial regulations and this means that the building cannot be occupied. If a new building is occupied without a completion certificate, action can be taken by the local authority and fines can be issued which accrue on a daily basis for every day that the offence continues.
Assessing fire safety
Once a building is completed and a certificate has been issued by either a BCO or AI, a fire risk assessment inspection is required by a ‘competent individual’. This does not always mean that a qualified fire risk assessor has to be used but the individual needs to be comfortable with assessing the building or premises against a variety of different factors (including layout, occupancy, protection against fires and on- going testing procedures for fire safety systems) and record these findings in detail. This has been a requirement on all non-domestic premises since October 2006. Although the regulatory reform order does not state a precise frequency for these inspections, an annual inspection is advised or more regularly if there has been a significant change to the environment such as building works. For properties over three stories, fire risk assessments are recommended to be reviewed out on an annual basis and redone by a professional fire risk assessor every three years as these constructions are at a higher risk than other commercial properties. Failing to complete a fire risk assessment, or to have the proper precautions in place can result in severe fines. One of the most important aspects of the assessment is the competency of the individual themselves. The onus is on the owner of the building to source someone who is fit for purpose when it comes to fire risk assessments. Too often the references that are taken from these individuals are given a cursory inspection but, in light of the new responsibilities of the building owner, this task should be taken seriously and a full investigation done on the individual and their qualifications before appointing them to carry our vital safety inspections on a building. The result of their inspection could result in life of death situations for your building’s residents which is why this decision should be taken seriously.
16 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER JUNE 2022
A good quality fire risk assessment should follow a five-step plan:
1. Identify the fire hazards - this covers potential fuel sources, potential ignition sources, potential sources of oxygen
2. Identify who may be at risk – answering the questions ‘who is at risk and why?’
3. Evaluate, remove or reduce the risks – ensuring fire safety measures are adequate, that there are means for detecting a fire and that there are fire extinguishers, escape routes, escape route lighting, and signage and carrying out tests and maintenance.
4. Record your findings, prepare an emergency plan and provide training – make your records available for inspection by the enforcing authority.
5. Review and update the fire risk assessment regularly – ask yourself if your measures still adequate.
The buck stops here
At various points in the construction of a new building the responsibility for fire safety passes from person to person. Each part of the construction process has a role to play in ensuring that the final building is safe for its occupants in terms of fire safety. Building owners need to know what questions they should be asking of what professional organisation or individual to ensure that the final building and its occupants are kept as safe from fire as possible. But in real terms, once the building is finalised and handed over, the responsibility for the safety of the structure and its occupants lies with the building owner. This organisation or individual needs to ensure that the correct processes are in place to regularly review the fire safety of the structure and update plans accordingly.
Read the latest at:
www.bsee.co.uk
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