WELSH HEALTH CIRCULAR

Transcription

1 WHC (2006) 74 WELSH HEALTH CIRCULAR Parc Cathays Caerdydd CF10 3NQ Cathays Park Cardiff CF10 3NQ Issue Date: 01 Nvember 2006 Status: ACTION Title: FIRE SAFETY POLICY FOR THE NHS ESTATE IN WALES Fr Actin by: NHS Trusts and Lcal Health Bards Actin required See paragraph(s) : 6 Fr Infrmatin t: See attached list Sender: Andrew Walker, Head f Capital, Estates & Facilities, Resurces ate, Department fr Health and Scial Services, Welsh Assembly Gvernment Natinal Assembly cntact(s) : Helen Field DHSS Telephne Enclsure(s): HTM05-01 Managing Healthcare Fire Safety (Welsh Editin) can be dwnladed frm the Infrmatin and Publicatins sectin f the WHE intranet site frm 1 st Nvember Tel: GTN: 1208 Llinell unin/direct line: Ffacs/Fax: Minicm:

2 FIRE SAFETY POLICY FOR THE NHS ESTATE IN WALES Dear clleague, Summary 1. The purpse f this circular is t advise NHS bdies f the Welsh Assembly Gvernments revised Fire Safety Plicy fr the NHS in Wales and t launch the Welsh Editin f Firecde HTM05-01 Managing Healthcare Fire Safety. Backgrund 2. The Regulatry Refrm (Fire Safety Order) came int frce n 1 st Octber This legislatin cnslidates and refrms ver a hundred pieces f fire related legislatin, including the Fire Precautins Act 1971 and the Fire Precautins (Wrkplace) Regulatins 1997 (as amended). 3. As a result f this refrm the Healthcare Firecde suite f dcuments is being revised. HTM05-01 Managing Healthcare Fire Safety (Welsh Editin) is the first dcument in the series t be published and replaces Firecde Plicy and Principles HTM05-01 cntains the Welsh Assembly Gvernment s fire safety plicy statement, addresses the mandatry requirements f the Assembly and prvides guidance n the effective fire safety management f healthcare premises. 5. This Fire Safety Plicy supersedes the previus plicy statement issued under cver f WHC(2003)101 and cntinues t underpin the Assembly s cmmitment t fire safety in the NHS, and strengthen the prcesses and prcedures already in place. Actin 6. The implementatin f this Fire Safety Plicy will require actins by all NHS bdies as detailed under Mandatry Requirements in sectin fur f the attached plicy at Annex A. 7. HTM05-01 Managing Healthcare Fire Safety (Welsh Editin) can be dwnladed frm the Infrmatin and Publicatins sectin f the WHE intranet site. 8. Any queries cncerning this circular shuld be directed t: Andrew Walker, Head f Capital, Estates & Facilities Resurces ate Department fr Health and Scial Services Welsh Assembly Gvernment Cathays Park Cardiff. CF10 3NQ Yurs Sincerely Andrew Walker Head f Capital, Estates & Facilities Resurces ate Department f Health and Scial Care 2

3 Distributin List s s HR s Chief Officer Dean Dean Pstgraduate Dean Pstgraduate Dean infrmatin services Secretary Reginal Head f Health Welsh Cuncil Representative Wales Secretary Wales Secretary Reginal Secretary Reginal Secretary Chair Chair General Secretary Assistant Officer fr Wales IR Officer Reginal Secretary Bard Secretary fr Wales Officer fr Wales Reginal Secretary Welsh Executive Health & Scial Care Plicy Officer Natinal Member fr Wales Business manager Deputy General Patch Managers Secretariat Reginal s NHS Trusts Lcal Health Bards Business Services Centres Welsh NHS Cnfederatin Bard f Cmmunity Health Cuncils in Wales Welsh Lcal Gvernment Assciatin University f Wales, Bangr Cmmissin fr Racial Equality NLIAH British Dental Assciatin (Wales) Cardiff University Dental Schl Cardiff University Dental Schl Cardiff University Medical Schl Cardiff University Medical Schl British Medical Assciatin (Wales) UNISON Ryal Cllege f Nursing (Wales) British Dietetic Assciatin British Orthptic Sciety AMICUS MSF The GMB Transprt & General Wrkers Unin Cmmunity Pharmacy Wales Ryal Cllege f General Practitiners Wales TUC Chartered Sciety f Physitherapists Sciety f Radigraphers Sciety f Chirpdists and Pdiatrists Unin f Cnstructin Allied Trades and Technicians Ryal Cllege f Midwives AMICUS Electrical & Engineering Staff Assciatin AMICUS Amalgamated Electrical and Engineering Unin Ryal Pharmaceutical Sciety f Great Britain Wales Cuncil fr Vluntary Actin AMICUS - Guild f Health Care Pharmacists Institute f Health Care Management Welsh Divisin Assciatin f Optmetrists British Cllege f Optmetrists Audit Cmmissin (Wales) Business Service Centres Business Service Centres acrss Wales (6 cpies each) Statutry Health Advisry Cmmittees Academy f Ryal Clleges Wales NHS Wales Reginal Offices Health Cmmissin Wales (Specialist Services) Natinal Public Health Service Welsh Language Bard / Bwrdd yr Iaith Gymraeg Health Prmtin Library Healthcare Inspectrate Wales Nrth Wales Fire and Rescue Service Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service Suth Wales Fire and Rescue Service 3

4 WELSH ASSEMBLY GOVERNMENT Annex A 1. Purpses and Cntext NHS WALES FIRE SAFETY POLICY 1.1 The Welsh Assembly Gvernment recgnises the gd fire safety recrd f the NHS in Wales, achieved thrugh the implementatin f fire safety guidance issued t the NHS ver many years. This Fire Safety Plicy is intended t prvide an unambiguus statement applicable t the NHS in Wales and premises where NHS patients receive treatment r care. 1.2 This plicy supersedes all previus fire plicy statements issued by the Welsh Assembly Gvernment. 2. Plicy Aims This fire safety plicy has the fllwing aims: t minimise the incidence f fire thrughut the NHS estate in Wales; t minimise the impact frm fire n life, safety, delivery f service, the envirnment and prperty. 3. Statements f Plicy 1 All NHS rganisatins in Wales fall within the scpe f this plicy. 2 All NHS rganisatins in Wales must cmply with legislatin relating t fire safety. 3 All NHS rganisatins in Wales cmmissining new buildings, leasing new buildings, r ccupying buildings under a PPP/PFI cntract must be satisfied that such buildings cmply with legislatin relating t fire safety. 4 The Assembly s Department fr Health and Scial Services will ensure that apprpriate advice and guidance n all matters related t fire safety will be available t NHS rganisatins in Wales thrugh the Firecde suite f guidance. 5 The Assembly expects that all cntracts fr health services placed by cmmissiners will cntain clauses t ensure that premises cmply with, and will cntinue t cmply with, all statutry fire safety prvisins and, where apprpriate, Firecde. 4. Mandatry Requirements fr the NHS in Wales All NHS rganisatins must: have a clearly defined fire safety plicy cvering all buildings they ccupy; nminate a bard level directr accuntable t the fr fire safety; nminate a Fire Safety Manager t take the lead n all fire safety activities; have an effective fire safety management strategy which enables: 4

5 the preparatin and upkeep f the rganisatin s fire safety plicy; adequate means fr quickly detecting and raising the alarm in case f fire; means fr ensuring emergency evacuatin prcedures fr all areas, at all times the premises are ccupied, withut reliance n external services; all staff t receive fire safety training apprpriate t the level f risk and duties they may be required t perfrm; reprting f all fire and unwanted fire signal incidents via the Fire & UwFS incident reprting system database ( the develpment f partnership initiatives with ther bdies and agencies invlved in prvisin f fire safety. 5