Assessment of Fire Risk under the Requirements of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

Transcription

1 ROWANS Fire Ltd Assessment of Fire Risk under the Requirements of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 For the Site overall and the individual buildings of Report prepared for: Mrs Nikki Slowey Bursar Wood Hall Park Watton-at-Stone Hertford Hertfordshire SG14 3NG Report prepared by: Judith Evans BEng (HONS) CMIOSH DipFD Chartered Safety and Health Practitioner ROWANS Fire Ltd Mrs Judith Evans is registered as a Fire Risk Assessor (Life Safety Stream) with the Institution of Fire Engineers. Date of assessment: 28 th July 2016 ROWANS Fire Ltd 27 Gringley Road, Misterton, Notts DN10 4AP Phone: web:

2 FIRE RISK ASSESSMENT This report summarises the findings of an assessment of the risk to life from fire in the property listed below. Recommendations have been made to ensure compliance with current fire safety legislation and to reduce the risks to a reasonable level. This report does not address the risk to business continuity from fire. Company: Address of property: Employer or nominated responsible person: Person(s) consulted: Assessor: Heath Mount School Wood Hall Park, Watton-at-Stone, Hertford, Hertfordshire SG14 3NG Headmaster Chris Gillam Board of governors Linda Haysey / Juliette Hodson Bursar Nikki Slowey Premises Manager Carlton Ferret Judith Evans Date of fire risk assessment: 25 th 27 th July 2016 Date of previous fire risk assessment: Suggested date of review (see note): Full assessment - February 2013, last review May 2015 Three years for a full re-assessment of the risk of fire, yearly reviews to see if identified items have improved, and actions and recommendations carried out. Full reassessments should be carried out if major building works are undertaken. Note: This fire risk assessment should be reviewed if there is reason to suspect that it is no longer valid or there have been significant changes to the work practices or at least by the date indicated above. It should be reviewed by a competent person. The assessment must also be reviewed if major changes happen to the structure and fabric of the building or major personnel changes occur. The submission of this report does not constitute a warranty of future results nor an assurance against risk. The report only represents the best judgement of the consultant involved in the assessment and is based in part on information provided by others. The assessment is based upon information provided by the client or observations made on the day of the assessment. No liability whatsoever is accepted for the accuracy of such information. Page 2 of 31

3 1.0 Fire Risk Assessment summary The following risk level estimator is based on the risk level estimator contained in BS 18004:2008 Guide to achieving effective occupational health and safety performance. Likelihood of fire Taking into account the fire prevention measures observed at the time of this risk assessment, it is considered that the likelihood of fire at this property is: Low Medium High Severity of fire Taking into account the nature of the building and the occupants, as well as the fire protection and procedural arrangements observed at the time of this risk assessment, it is considered that the consequences for fire safety in the event of fire would be: Slight harm Moderate harm Extreme harm 1.1 Definition of the above terms: Slight harm - The outbreak of fire is unlikely to result in serious injury or death of any occupant. Moderate harm - The outbreak of fire could result in injury of one or more occupants, but it is unlikely to involve multiple fatalities. Extreme harm - There is significant potential for serious injury or death of one or more occupants. Severity of fire Slight harm Moderate harm Extreme harm Likelihood of fire Low Trivial risk Tolerable risk Moderate risk Medium Tolerable risk Moderate risk Substantial risk High Moderate risk Substantial risk Intolerable risk 1.2 Calculated risk from fire Accordingly it is considered that the risk to life from fire at this property is: Trivial Tolerable Moderate Substantial Intolerable A suitable risk-based control plan should involve effort and urgency that is proportional to risk. The following risk-based control plan is based on one advocated by BS18004:2008 for general health and safety risks. Page 3 of 31

4 Risk Level Trivial Tolerable Moderate Substantial Intolerable Action and timescale These risks are considered acceptable. No further action is necessary other than to ensure that the controls are maintained. No additional controls are required unless they can be implemented at very low cost (in terms of time, money and effort). Actions to further reduce these risks are assigned low priority. Arrangements should be made to ensure that the controls are maintained. Consideration should be given as to whether risks can be lowered, but the costs of additional risk reduction measures should be taken into account. The risk reduction measures should be taken into account. Arrangements should be made to ensure that the controls are maintained, particularly if the risk levels are associated with harmful consequences. Substantial efforts should be made to reduce the risk. Risk reduction measures should be implemented urgently within a defined time period and it might be necessary to consider suspending or restricting the activity, or to apply interim risk controls, until this has been completed. Considerable resources might have to be allocated to additional controls. Arrangements should be made to ensure that the controls are maintained, particularly if the risk levels are associated with extremely harmful or very harmful consequences. These risks are unacceptable. Substantial improvements in risk controls are necessary, so that the risk is reduced to an acceptable level. The work activity should be halted until risk controls are implemented that reduce the risk so that it is no longer very high. If it is not possible to reduce the risk, the work should remain prohibited. Note that, although the purpose of this section is to place the fire risk in context, the above approach to fire risk assessment is subjective and for guidance only. All hazards and deficiencies identified in this report should be addressed by implementing all recommendations contained in the report. The risk assessment should be reviewed periodically. An action plan is included in this report, to address the fire risks identified during the assessment. These have been prioritised according to the level of risk considered by the assessor at the time of the visit. Page 4 of 31

5 2.0 Recommendations and action plan. It is recommended that the following actions should be implemented in order to reduce fire risk to a tolerable level: Definition of priorities: Denotes high priority (to reduce high risk activity, and/or need to comply with legal requirement). Denotes medium priority (to eliminate or control medium risks identified and/or need to meet HSE standards). Denotes low priority (to further reduce fire risk). Ser High Priority Action By whom Signed off Main House The server room inside the IT support office on the first floor should have a 30 minute fire door assembly installed, and all gaps and voids within the server room must be filled with intumescent sealant to prevent hot gases and cold smoke from spreading either from the room, or into the room. This includes the old door leading into what will be new offices. The door to the server room can be seen in figure 05. Main House A full compartmentation survey should take place to ensure that high risk areas such as the Print Room, Boilers, cleaners and other storage cupboards, and rooms containing servers, are appropriately protected. There are concerns where the roof voids lead, and also the void above the Print Room, currently being used for storage, where internal rooms have been installed over the years and gaps are present. Examples can be seen in figures 06 to 09 Main House The smoke detector in the basement art storage area must be moved to on the false ceiling, rather than above it, as this will reduce the early warning effectiveness of the automatic fire detection within the building. This can be seen in figure 10. Site wide All members of staff must take all evacuations seriously and assemble in the correct place to be checked off the register. This not only makes the pupils understand that it is a serious thing, but makes the job the Marshals and Officers are doing to ensure everyone is out of the building and safe, easier. Staff should also be reminded that there should not be a lot of talking during evacuations, as this gives a bad example to pupils, who are told to be silent Page 5 of 31

6 Main House The Lightning Conductor must be repaired or replaced to ensure it complies with the appropriate standards to protect the Main House in the event of an electrical storm River House The extension lead plugged into another extension lead in the Graduate room in River House must be removed and either the equipment moved, a longer extension lead used, or additional sockets installed. This can be seen in figure 15. Pre Prep All the fire door closers in the Pre Prep have been removed from the doors leading to the central atrium main hall. Although all rooms have direct access out of the building which would allow all pupils and staff to evacuate safely, it would mean that unless the doors had physically been closed, they would allow free travel for the cold smoke and hot gases and it is likely the entire building could be lost. If access is what is required, door hold open devices must be installed in conjunction with the door closer, to allow free access to the doors, but ensuring they will close if the fire alarm were to sound. An example of one of the doors where the closer has been removed can be seen in figures 17 and 18. Ensure when the fire hydrants are installed in the grounds, that appropriate signage and fixings are installed, and the Fire Service attend shortly after installation for familiarisation. It should also be marked on all fire plans Ensure all House Parents are aware of all fire procedures, equipment, and fire alarm apparatus in their area of responsibility. This may require additional training given to the House Parents in the Main House by the Premises Manager. It would also be worthwhile having written instructions in case other staff take over the responsibilities for any length of time The contractor policy in the H&S policy must be amended to have a section regarding fire safety included Ser Medium Priority Action By whom Signed off All new classrooms and offices must had smoke detection installed, connected to the main fire alarm system. This also includes in the sick bay areas. The business continuity plans must be updated to include fire and smoke damage, including the potential need for temporary buildings and the replacement of books and paperwork Thorough PEEPs for specific pupils must be written so everyone is aware of what they should be doing in the event of evacuation, and generic ones should be written for situations such as skiing accidents Page 6 of 31

7 Certain areas of the school appear to always be missed in the Portable Appliance Testing schedule. Reminders must be sent out earlier to staff to leave areas open, or remove electrical equipment from those areas to ensure equipment is tested. Examples include, the rear room in the laundry (commonly known as the sewing room), various buildings in the Premises compound, the House Parents and Matrons flats. Examples of equipment missed can be seen in figures 11 and 12. If the Kiln is to be used, it must be serviced on an annual basis, as guidance from the HSE website advises. It was last serviced 10 th February 2015, as can be seen in figure 13. Emergency foil blankets should be bought for the evacuation of pupils from areas such as the pool or sports hall. They are also useful for at night if pupils have forgotten to put on dressing gowns, or even shoes. All electrical equipment should be switched off during the holidays, as not only is powered electrical equipment a major cause of fires starting, it is a waste of energy. A dividing wall in the storage cupboard of S1 should be installed, to separate the main electrical fuse panel with the large amounts of combustible material being stored. This can be seen in figure 14 All external foliage around final fire exit doors must be kept clear to ensure that the doors can be used easily at any time. An example from River House can be seen in figure 16. The Main House plans must be redrawn to show the new rooms created and the new evacuation routes around the building. These plans must then be installed in the appropriate rooms The evacuation signage in the Watson room must be moved so that it no longer points towards the Monkey Puzzle room, but leads through the Chapel and out the fire exit by the Music building, to avoid using the relocated library as a primary evacuation route. This also applies to the two new rooms created at the front of the ground floor of the Main Building The area currently classed as storage, above the Print Room, should really not be used for the storage of any combustible material, including items in combustible packaging. All old and obsolete electrical items currently being stored in the building must be disposed of to ensure employees don t attempt to use them. This is especially pertinent regarding electrical heaters currently stored in the Print Room roof void, as none of them have current PAT certification, and many were seen with broken feet and legs, as can be seen in figure 07 Page 7 of 31

8 Ensure when the Portable Appliance Testing is carried out that all House Parents are made aware so they can ensure all equipment they have is tested. Amend the Fire Policy so it specifically states that all electrical equipment in the buildings must be tested, including staff and pupils equipment Carry out practice fire evacuation drills in all parts of the day, including the afternoon, to ensure all employees attend at least one evacuation a year. Create a fire box for the house parents with the same basic items in as the one stored at reception, but include things like Emergency Foil Blankets, energy food bars, and spare batteries for the torches Consideration must be given to connect the fire alarm systems in all buildings, so that in the event of an activation all buildings are alerted to the fact there is an incident. A written procedure must be put in place in how people in the different buildings are going to alert each other of an incident, such as contacting the swimming pool, messages between the sports hall / main school, and the pre prep and new prep building. This can be through dedicated phones or two way radios. Ensure the extraction system is serviced in River House to keep it clean and free from dust All gaps and holes in the fabric of the building must be filled with appropriate fire stopping material to prevent the spread of cold smoke and hot gases in the event of a fire Ser Low Priority Action By whom Signed off No low priority actions were identified during the assessment. The By Whom section has not been filled out by the assessor as she feels the client has a better knowledge of who should be carrying out these tasks. Page 8 of 31

9 3.0 Site Information 3.1 General Site The site is located on the Woodhall Estate and all buildings are leased from the Estate. The agreement has been in place since The site is accessed by an estate road from the A602 and has an electronic gate operated by a numerical code. This gate is left open between 7.30 am and 9am to allow parents to drop pupils off to school and left open at various other times of the day to facilitate access. It is closed on a night time; however the Premises Manager lives on the estate in Watton Lodge, next to the gate, and should access be required he can open the gate using a code on his mobile phone. The local Fire and Rescue Service have been given all access codes to the school, including the main gate, and are given a list of updated codes every time they are changed. There are two fire hydrants currently being installed in the grounds to provide an adequate supply of water. Previously the plan was to use the river, but this would require a large number of Fire Tenders, and the river is much lower than in previous years due to Environment Agency diversion after flooding. The site comprises of five main areas: The Pre Prep and Nursery where children from the ages of 3 to 7 are taught; The Main House where most of the teaching of pupils aged 7 to 13 is carried out and houses the boys lodging; The Sports Hall which has additional classrooms and offices; The River House which is solely for Girls Boarding and is located away from the other buildings; and the outdoor covered pool area and Pavilion. There is an additional prep building currently under construction which is not covered in this assessment, but will be covered in an addendum once construction has completed and the handover has occurred. The whole site, including grounds, has Grade I listing from English Heritage. There is also a facilities compound which has been included in the building assessment for the Main House. The outdoor covered pool area does not have a separate assessment for the building, but is covered in the overall assessment. Specific building characteristics have been included in the appendices for the individual assessment areas. 3.2 Documentation There are site plans for all buildings, including specific fire exit routing plans in every room to aid evacuation. An example can be seen in figure 01. Other documentation seen included: Fire safety policy dated February 2016; previous risk assessment; full school evacuation plans, including boarding; specific room evacuation plans; evacuation drill records including boarding drill records; Main House building plans including fire extinguisher locations, alarm locations, fire doors; fire extinguisher monthly checks; Fire extinguisher service certificates; fire alarm check records from the alarm testing company; training records; fire alarm call point test records; chimney sweeping records; routine maintenance schedule and service contract PPM; weekly fire alarm testing records; monthly emergency lighting check lists; monthly fire extinguisher check lists; monthly fire door check lists. Examples of some of these checks can be seen in figures Page 9 of 31

10 3.3 Fire alarm systems There are three fire alarm systems in use across the school, and none of them are connected. The main school and sports hall, the Pre-Prep and nursery, and River House. When the new prep building is constructed it will also have a stand-alone fire alarm system. The main school and sports hall has an L2 fire alarm system, meaning that there is detection in all areas, including roof voids and rooms leading from means of escape corridors and stairwells. The main panel is in the centre of the ground floor at the base of the middle staircase, and there is a repeater panel in the House Parents flat on the first floor, as well as one in the sports hall entrance. It is an appropriate fire alarm system for the type of premises, including the fact that there are pupils sleeping on site Monday to Thursday, and employees living on site all year round. The Pre-prep and nursery mainly have a manual call point fire alarm system, with smoke detectors installed in areas identified by assessment by the fire alarm installation company. The main fire alarm panels are at the entrance in both the Pre-prep and the nursery. River house has a simple L2 alarm with sounders and call points throughout. The fire alarm panel is at the entrance to the house. The fire alarm system is maintained on a termly basis by CAMS Fire and Security, and records of the testing were seen. The Premises Manager Carlton Ferret tests all the fire alarms on a weekly rotational basis across the three systems. 3.4 Evacuation drills There are full evacuation procedures and plans for all areas of the school. There are also evacuation procedures written for visitors, kept by the visitor register in reception. There are specific notices and procedures for various members of nominated staff, such as evacuation coordinator and the fire marshals. The school carries out evacuations termly for all school areas, which are recorded and a report written, and later discussed in the H&S committee meetings. The first evacuation of the school year is carried out in the first week of the term to get the pupils to understand the procedure. Boarding houses carry out a full week of practice evacuations termly, due to some of the pupils only staying for one or two nights a week. When pupils stay overnight who have not attended a practice evacuation, the house parents go through the procedures with the pupils. 3.5 Signage The signage seen was appropriate in content, visibility, and clarity for the type of premises, including the reasoning that it is a listed building, and generally used by people who know the routes very well. All equipment had signage next to or in close proximity to the location expected. All rooms had a building specific evacuation routing plan and the text expected on a standard fire action notice. 3.6 Emergency lighting The emergency lighting is currently undergoing a full upgrade across all buildings of the school from the bulkhead style of lighting to LED style, which not only has a greater spread of light, but Page 10 of 31

11 is more energy efficient, drawing less power from the system. It is tested monthly by the Premises Manager, and the three hour drain test by the contracted electrician who regularly works on site 3.7 Fire extinguishers The fire extinguishers across the different buildings all appeared to be the appropriate types for the hazards identified, and were all the correct colour for the current British Standard. They were mainly installed on hooks or on stands, and some had protective covers on them. 3.8 Fire doors and final exit doors As many of the doors are part of the Grade I listing of the building, it is often challenging to ensure that appropriate protection is put in place, especially in the boarding quarters. Most of the individual dormitory room doors, and doors to staff flats, have been replaced with appropriate 30 minute fire doors. Some have been upgraded or have had additional fixings installed to attempt to get them to the same level of protection. The issue with that type of work is the fire door assemblies have not been tested at an approved establishment and so cannot be guaranteed to hold back the cold smoke and hot gases as long as an approved fire door would. The fire doors in the school are checked monthly by the Premises Manager to ensure they close properly and no gaps are left where the doors may have dropped or the intumescent seals come off. This also includes final fire exit doors from all buildings. 3.9 Electrical Hazards Portable Appliance testing of electrical equipment is one of the best ways of ensuring that fires won t start from those items. The school has an electrician attend several times a year, during different holidays, to test the different items in different buildings. Due to the onerous nature of the task it can take a long time to carry out, and where members of staff have locked areas, or not left equipment out to be tested, things can get missed. This is where good communication of the testing schedule works really well. The mains electrical test of the buildings takes place every five years, and, in the older buildings, all of the fuse boards seen had been tested in The nursery was constructed within the last five years and is still covered by the build testing. There is currently minimal protection regarding lightning protection within the main building, where it is most needed Mechanical hazards All the school boilers are on maintenance contracts, along with most of the other large plant within the school such as the facilities equipment. Other plant is serviced at appropriate intervals on an ad hoc basis, such as the art Kiln People at risk The pupils attendance age ranges from 3 to 13, and pupils can board from the age of 7 or 8 depending on whether older siblings are in attendance and the date of the pupils birthday. Familiarisation walk arounds and other guidance are given to pupils staying on site to ensure they Page 11 of 31

12 are fully aware of the evacuation routes, both primary and secondary, and none of them will have attended less than six months at the school. Employees at the school include teaching staff, cleaning and catering staff, facilities and gardening staff, and people in administrative or other non-teaching roles. All employees have a very basic induction including being given the policy documents, and a walk through of the evacuation routes and assembly points. The school operates on a standard three year cycle for fire safety training, with additional training for fire marshals. Visitors are generally escorted throughout the school, unless they are a regular visitor or a parent. All people have to sign in at the main reception in the visitor book and are given a visitor badge with H&S information on the rear. They are encouraged by the reception staff to read the fire procedure by the visitor book. Contractors are managed via the contractor policy in the H&S policy, and have a separate induction which includes fire safety. 4.0 Conclusion Several of the high priority actions identified relate to the compartmentation of the building, and what passive measures are in place to protect the people evacuating in the event of a fire, and reducing the spread of the fire, hot gases, and cold smoke should an event occur. These actions relate to Article 8 of the Fire Safety Order, which is the Duty to take general fire precautions. This gives instruction to the Responsible Person that they must: (a) take such general fire precautions as will ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety of any of his employees; and (b) in relation to relevant persons who are not his employees, take such general fire precautions as may reasonably be required in the circumstances of the case to ensure that the premises are safe. Part (b) relates to pupils, visitors, contractors etc. not employed by the Responsible Person. The general fire precautions mentioned in paragraph (a) are listed in Article 4 and include the precaution measures to reduce the risk of fire on the premises and the risk of the spread of fire on the premises; The high priority action relating to the automatic fire alarm falls under Article 13 Fire Fighting and Fire Detection. This identifies that there must be an appropriate fire alarm system for the premises, which in turn is identified using the British Standard BS 5839 part 1. The evacuation action relates to Article 15 - Procedures for serious and imminent danger and for danger areas. Under section 1 (a) within the Article it states The responsible person must (a) establish and, where necessary, give effect to appropriate procedures, including safety drills, to be followed in the event of serious and imminent danger to relevant persons; These drills must be taken seriously and the instructions followed correctly. The above actions all relate to breaches from the Fire Safety Order that could be identified in a compliance audit from the local Fire and Rescue Service. Once the control measures have been put in place to correct the actions identified, the likelihood of a fire starting, or affecting the people within or the building will be greatly reduced. Page 12 of 31

13 There were some good areas of fire safety during the assessment. The fire plans in every room with the primary fire route out is good practice, and has been well thought out. The evacuation procedure is robust and, due to the regularity of practice for all buildings, works well for the school, and everyone appears to know what to do. Most of the staff have had some form of fire training over the last few years, and the regular maintenance and inspections of items relating to fire safety is at a very high level. Although it is likely that some of the actions identified will have a cost to them, a planned timescale programme created from the action list will show any visiting Compliance Fire Officer that the actions on the list have been assessed for practicality and fire safety is being taken seriously within the school. This assessment was based on a snap shot taken on the day visited. Housekeeping matters will change, but major issues like extension leads plugged into extension leads will not and further action will be required. This report was written and prepared by: Judith Evans B.Eng.(HONS) CMIOSH DipFD Fire Safety Consultant, ROWANS Fire Ltd 04 th August 2016 Page 13 of 31

14 Appendix 1 The overview assessment checklist for the entire school 1. FIRE RISK ASSESSMENT Have all areas including unoccupied areas been assessed for fire hazards? Has the risk of fire hazards developing into real fires been assessed? Have out of normal working hours also been fire assessed? Have other uses of the building been fire assessed? Has the fire assessment revealed all potential fire hazards (combustibles too close to ignition sources and deficiencies of existing fire precautions)? Have those people at risk from the fire hazards been identified and provided for? Have those people at greatest risk been identified? Have people at greater risk been adequately provided for? Are the existing fire precautions adequate to There are voids in the roof protect against the hazards that cannot be space of the main house, removed or reduced and are they functioning and in other areas that could correctly? affect the spread of fire Have the findings of the fire risk assessment been documented and are they retrievable? Has everyone in the workplace been informed of the significant findings of the fire assessment? If required, has remedial action, provision, upgrade or maintenance been initiated? Has a person been designated to ensure completion of the remedial control measures? Has a completion date been set for the remedial control measures? Has a review of the assessment been done within the last year and is the next review scheduled? Is the fire assessment reviewed whenever significant changes occur in the workplace? Is the threat of arson specifically covered in the fire assessment? This will be done once the report is received The Bursar will arrange the works upon consultation with the Board This will be the Bursar This will depend on the Estate who own the building, and the board This will be scheduled for next year Trivial Tolerable Moderate Substantial Intolerable 2. FIRE ALARM What type of fire alarm system is installed in the L2 in most of the buildings, not premises? connected between all areas Page 14 of 31

15 Does everyone know how to operate the fire alarms? Does everyone know what the fire alarm sounds like? Is the fire alarm audible throughout the building? Is the fire alarm tested by operation every week by a designated member of staff and while the building is occupied? Is the fire alarm tested from a different location within the building each week? Is the fire alarm serviced quarterly, six monthly and annually by a qualified engineer or in accordance with its design specification? Is the fire alarm provided with any unique features and do all staff know these features exist? Do all staff know what they are expected to do if they hear the alarm sound? Are visitors informed of what they are expected to do if they hear the fire alarm sound? Are fire alarm tests recorded in a fire precautions log book? Covered in induction on first day, and fire training Through tests and practice evacuations Checked regularly The Premises Manager Carlton Ferret tests it weekly and records it in the log book with the Bursar On rotation in each building CAM Fire and Security maintain the alarm termly The building alarm are not connected and the system is not connected to an alarm monitoring centre Covered in induction and fire training Notice by the visitor register in reception Kept in the Bursar s office Trivial Tolerable Moderate Substantial Intolerable 3. INTERNAL FIRE DOORS Are staff aware of the purpose of fire doors and None were seen that were propped why they should be kept closed? open Are staff aware of how they can identify a fire Through training and by the door door? signage Is the function of fire doors covered in staff training sessions? Is appropriate action taken to prevent the Staff and pupils instructed not to misuse of fire doors? prop doors open Are staff instructed to close all doors they pass Covered in training and in the fire through during an evacuation? policy evacuation instructions Are fire marshals aware of the safest method of Covered in training opening a door during a sweep of their area? Trivial Tolerable Moderate Substantial Intolerable 4. ESCAPE ROUTES Are staff instructed not to place combustible storage or other articles in corridors which have Written in fire safety policy escape in one direction only? Are staff instructed not to place any storage or other articles in a corridor with escape in more than one direction, where this would reduce the corridor width to less than 1000mm? Written in fire safety policy Page 15 of 31

16 Are very long corridors subdivided into equal parts by doors that are capable of preventing the passage of smoke? Is every opportunity taken to provide more than one direction of escape from every floor level or large occupied area of the premises? Where only one direction of escape is achievable is that escape route suitably protected with fire resisting construction, fire doors and smoke detection? Where there is more than one direction of escape are these escape routes separated from each other by fire resisting construction, and or fire doors? Do all escape routes lead to a place of safety at least 50m away from the building and, in the event that this is not possible, not closer than 18m from the building? Where it would be reasonable to expect escape routes to be used by disabled people using wheelchairs, are the associated corridors on the route not less than 1200mm wide and door openings not less than 800mm wide? Do the escape routes for the premises lead as direct as possible to a place of safety? Where escape routes are provided for the escape of up to 40 people per minute, are associated doorway openings not less than 750mm, and not less than 1000mm where escape is provided for >40 but <80 people per minute? Are escape route widths provided for more than 80 people per minute calculated on the basis 1000mm plus 75mm for every 15 people over 80? Do routine housekeeping measures ensure that there are no obstructions on the escape route internally or externally? Are staff instructed not to place combustible storage or other articles in staircase enclosures? Where an escape route from an inner room passes through an access room, is an early warning of fire provided by means of vision panels or smoke detection? Some of the doors are likely to not prevent all smoke from passing through There are at least 2 directions of escape from every part of all buildings There are external escape routes for those areas less protected, such as the top floor of the main house Many of the routes are external, but the internal ones are protected by upgraded fire doors and distance within the building Different assembly points for the different areas - front of lawn for Main House and Sports Hall, rear lawn for Pre Prep, front of the Pre Prep for the Nursery, courtyard for River House Where reasonable As far as possible, some are complex routes but are practiced and the employees and pupils know the buildings very well Cleaners in regularly and check the internal routes as part of the work; the Premises department check the external routes monthly This is instructed but some under stair areas in the main house are used to store deliveries when they arrive this practice is being discouraged Most areas that are classed as rooms within rooms have additional smoke detection as the doors cannot be upgraded to have vision panels as they are listed Trivial Tolerable Moderate Substantial Intolerable Page 16 of 31

17 5. FINAL FIRE EIT DOORS Are staff aware of the difference between fire doors and exit doors? From plans, signage, and training Do fire doors and exit doors open in the Where appropriate for the number direction of escape? of people expected in the area Do exits have signs indicating their location? Where necessary to aid the evacuation Do exits have sufficient lighting? Full emergency lighting across the site, and good general lighting in place Do exits remain unobstructed inside and out? Checked monthly by the Premises team to ensure appropriate operation, and kept clear when problems arise Are exits opened regularly to check their serviceability? As above Are all staff aware of the location of all the exits in their workplace? Are staff aware of the method of operation of all emergency fastenings fitted to exits? Is there one (single) simple emergency fastening on each fire exit? Walked through on first day as part of induction All simple push bar except in Nursery where keys are kept in the doors as a security measure Once all the doors are unlocked in the Nursery and Main house, there is a single emergency fastening on each door Trivial Tolerable Moderate Substantial Intolerable 6. FIRE EIT SIGNS Do all fire exit signs conform to current British and European Standards and display a running person? As far as was necessary and seen Can exit signs indicating the way out be seen As far as is necessary in complex from all locations within the workplace? areas Are exit signs illuminated sufficiently where Full emergency lighting across the ambient light levels are low? site Do exit signs include directional arrows where appropriate? Where appropriate Trivial Tolerable Moderate Substantial Intolerable 7. FIRE ACTION NOTICES Are fire action notices displayed adjacent to fire alarm call points? Are fire action notices displayed on notice boards and in common areas? Where appropriate Are fire action notices displayed in employee The fire safety policy is also areas? available on the staff room wall Page 17 of 31

18 Do fire action notices include instruction on what to do when discovering a fire? Do fire action notices include instruction on what to do when hearing the fire alarm sound? Does the fire routine notice include instruction on calling the fire service? Does the fire routine notice include information regarding the location of the assembly point? Does the fire routine notice include specific instruction regarding actions not permitted during an evacuation? Have specific fire routine notices been considered for key staff? All fire plans in every room have a highlighted red route which is the quickest way out Within the fire policy house parents, TA s etc Trivial Tolerable Moderate Substantial Intolerable 8. FIRE RESISTANCE Are areas of high risk enclosed in fire resisting construction? Where only a single staircase exists in a building, it is enclosed in fire resisting construction? Where more than one staircase exists, are they separated from each other by fire resisting construction? Are service openings in floors and walls stopped with fire resisting material, including openings that may be above false ceilings and below false floors? There are many areas within the main house where the compartmentation between rooms and high risk areas, including listed high risk areas such as the Print Room, has been breached and affected within the historical changes of the building. The boilers in the basement are enclosed fairly well, mainly due to the original structure of the building. The boarding areas are fairly well compartmentalised with appropriate protection for the sleeping pupils and house parents, but some of the other areas of the main house, especially in the roof voids, give concern All buildings with staircases, have at least two, even if one is outside There is good separation and protection between the various staircases There are many gaps and voids in the fabric of the building, especially in areas such as cleaners cupboards, and server cupboards Trivial Tolerable Moderate Substantial Intolerable Page 18 of 31

19 9. TRAVEL DISTANCE Is the travel distance from a dead end to an exit from within an area of high risk, less than 12 N/A no dead end areas metres? Is the travel distance from a dead end to an exit, from within an area of normal fire risk and where sleeping accommodation is provided, less than N/A 16 metres? Is the travel distance from a dead end to an exit, from within an area of normal fire risk and not forming a production area of a factory, less than N/A 18 metres? Is the travel distance from a dead end to an exit, from within an area of normal fire risk, including N/A factory production areas, less than 25 metres? Is the travel distance from a dead end to an exit, from within an area of low fire risk, less than 45 N/A metres? Is the travel distance from an area with more than one escape route to an exit and with high fire risk present, less than 25 metres? Is the travel distance from an area with more than one escape route to an exit, providing sleeping accommodation, and with normal fire risk present, less than 32 metres? Is the travel distance from an area with more than one escape route to an exit and with normal fire risk present, less than 45 metres? Is the travel distance from an area with more than one escape route to an exit and with low fire risk present, less than 60 metres? Most high risk areas are in the basements which has good compartmentation fire doors and structure All accommodation can access protected vertical evacuation within the distance Trivial Tolerable Moderate Substantial Intolerable 10. EMERGENCY LIGHTING Is there adequate light to enable the escape routes to be used safely at all times when the building is occupied, including during winter months, evenings, nights and in the event of Good lighting throughout the site power failure? Is there provision of emergency lighting in areas within the workplace that has no natural light or borrowed light, and from which staff may be expected to escape from or pass through in the event of fire evacuation? Is there adequate light outside the workplace that will illuminate the escape routes leading to assembly points? Full emergency lighting throughout all buildings, currently being upgraded as an ongoing project All House Parents have torches to light the way externally where needed, and there are torches at the entrance to every dormitory Page 19 of 31

20 Is the emergency lighting system tested by operation every month by a designated member of staff? Does a qualified engineer test the emergency lighting system annually, or as appropriate, in accordance with the system design specification? Are emergency lighting tests recorded in a fire precautions log book? The Premises Manager tests all emergency lighting monthly Annual drain down tests are carried out by the electrical contractor Kept in the Bursars office Trivial Tolerable Moderate Substantial Intolerable 11. ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT Is portable electrical equipment maintained in a satisfactory condition? Is it regularly tested to prove electrical safety? Is there a policy regarding employees bringing their own electrical equipment to work Is the use of extension leads and multi-point adaptors kept to a minimum? Are cables and flexes run in safe positions where they will not be damaged Is electrical installation wiring inspected periodically by a competent person Is there lightning protection and if so is it maintained to BS EN yearly? All electrical equipment seen was satisfactory, although old equipment was being stored in various locations which must be disposed of Different buildings are tested at different holidays throughout the year many items in different areas were seen that had been missed in the last round, but the tester is attending in August and can test them during this time. All employees living within any of the buildings should have their equipment tested They are not supposed to bring in equipment but do this is rarely tested for electrical safety as it may not be on site during the test At least one extension lead daisychaining from another lead was seen, as was a multi-point block adaptor, neither of which should be used, especially not for long periods of time, like for a fridge As far as was seen, although some areas would benefit from additional sockets Five yearly tests are carried out on all buildings, most were last carried out in 2015 and the electrician is currently working through the identified issues on the systems The current lightning protection is not compliant with the standard and there are currently discussions being had with the Estate owners regarding the way forward Trivial Tolerable Moderate Substantial Intolerable Page 20 of 31

21 12. FIRE ETINGUISHERS Are the fire extinguishers the correct type for All types of extinguisher appear to the fire hazards present in the workplace? be correct for the hazards identified Are there sufficient number of fire extinguishers in the workplace in relation to its size and the nature of the fire hazards present? An appropriate number were seen as calculated from the British Standard Are fire extinguishers in safe and conspicuous In locations expected, or near to locations in the workplace? Are fire extinguisher locations clearly identified with appropriate signs? Are fire extinguishers mounted correctly at their locations (wall hooks or floor stands)? Are fire extinguishers colour-coded in accordance with current British and European Standards? Are staff aware that they are not to put themselves at risk when using a fire extinguisher? Are staff aware that they must raise the fire alarm first before they attempt to use a fire extinguisher? Do staff regularly familiarise themselves with the fire extinguishers provided in their workplace to check their basic operating instructions and serviceability? Does a competent person annually service all fire extinguishers in the workplace? Who and when? Where fire suppression and extinguishing systems other than fire extinguishers are installed in the building, are these systems regularly serviced and maintained and are staff familiar with their operation? hazards A programme is in place to ensure all have correct signage Most are appropriately mounted All extinguishers seen are now red in accordance with the standard Stated in the Fire Policy, and covered in training Stated in the Fire Policy and on all fire plans in every room Discussed in training and covered in induction Fireguard Services annually service all equipment in the October half term holiday N/A none installed Trivial Tolerable Moderate Substantial Intolerable 13. FIRE TRAINING Do staff receive regular fire training? Does staff fire training include instruction on what to do if a fire is discovered and how to raise the alarm? Does staff fire training include instruction on what to do if the fire alarm sounds? Does staff fire training include instruction on the selection and use of fire extinguishers? Does staff fire training include instruction on the location and safe use of assembly points? Does staff fire training include instruction on the purpose of fire doors and their correct use? Policy states three year cycle for training but all staff have induction Page 21 of 31

22 Does staff training include instruction on the means of escape from the building and maintenance of the escape routes? Does staff fire training include instruction on their specific role within the fire procedure? Does staff fire training include instruction on how staff and visitors will be accounted for? Does staff fire training include instruction on the emergency provision for disabled persons and how they will be assisted during a fire evacuation? Does the fire training include instruction for staff with a specialist role within the fire procedure? Does staff training include instruction on how the fire service will be called and by whom? Does staff training include instruction on the significant findings of the fire risk assessment? Does staff training include instruction on good housekeeping and fire prevention? PEEPs currently being written and implemented Marshalls, wardens, and officers Also covered in the Fire Policy Not always Trivial Tolerable Moderate Substantial Intolerable 14. FIRE DRILLS Are fire drills conducted termly? Termly for all buildings Where night work is undertaken, do members of night staff receive fire drills in the hours of darkness? Where shift work is undertaken, do shift workers on every shift receive fire drills? Are staff informed what day and what time the fire drills will take place? Are fire drills conducted based on the assumption that one of the exits may be unusable due to a fire, and is this assumption simulated in the fire drills by prohibiting the use of an exit (different exit for every drill conducted, in rotation)? Boarders have termly evacuations as well, every night for a week as different pupils stay on different nights Morning and afternoon drills take place for staff who only work one or the other Only in the first week of the first term so they can ensure all the pupils know where to go This is practiced in the various school buildings, but also in the boarding houses to ensure all pupils staying know the various routes out Trivial Tolerable Moderate Substantial Intolerable 15. FIRE MARSHALLS AND ACCOUNTING FOR PERSONNEL Are fire marshals designated to clear personnel Teachers and support staff are all from the building during an evacuation? trained to check, but most will be Is there a sufficient number of fire marshals designated to cover the whole building? with the pupils evacuating Only sweep the building if someone missing once the building has been evacuated Page 22 of 31

23 Are the areas that fire marshals are allocated restricted in size so that they will take no longer than 60 seconds to clear (sweep)? Are fire marshals provided with a distinctive means of identification (armband, coloured bib, reflective clothing or bump-hat etc.)? Are fire marshals aware that they should report their sweep status to their incident controller/coordinator? Are fire marshals instructed that they should avoid smoky areas? Are fire marshals instructed that they should exercise caution when passing through doors when they are unable to see whether the area they are accessing is clear of fire and smoke? Are fire marshals aware that they should report the presence of disabled visitors that enter their allocated area and, where appropriate, take action in accordance with their workplace disabled persons evacuation procedure? Is there a deputy fire marshal designated for every fire marshal to ensure that the role is covered during absences? Are fire marshals aware of the vital role they play within the workplace in a non-emergency capacity (fire prevention, staff training and fire drills)? Are the limitations of using a roll call as a sole means of accounting for people understood? Are the benefits of using a physical check (sweep) to clear the building understood? Are fire marshals aware that they should pass on all relevant information regarding missing persons and potential hazards to fire-fighters? Would only be one pair realistically searching But all aware of who are the fire marshals Covered in the training Covered in training Stated in Fire Policy Very accurate records are kept of which pupils are on site and where they are due to the type of establishment, this is the same for the staff, visitors and contractors Trivial Tolerable Moderate Substantial Intolerable 16. VISITORS Are visitors required to register their attendance Must wear a badge, also for upon arrival at the workplace? safeguarding purposes Are visitors issued with a pass that includes There is also a written procedure details of the fire procedure? by the visitor register the receptionist asks visitors to read, and checks they understand Are visitors asked to confirm their understanding of the fire procedure? Is a host allocated to visitors in order that their whereabouts within the workplace may be tracked and confirmed in the event of an evacuation? Page 23 of 31

24 In the event of a fire evacuation, are visitors accounted for by means of a physical check of the building, in addition to a check of the visitor register? Do visitors have their access restricted to specific, designated areas of the workplace? Also for safeguarding Is evacuation of, and accounting for, visitors specifically detailed in the fire procedure? Is the evacuation of visitors practiced during the fire drills? Written in the evacuation procedure in the Fire Policy Trivial Tolerable Moderate Substantial Intolerable 17. CONTRACTORS Are contractors adequately managed in the workplace? Does a defined policy relating to contractor fire safety exist in the workplace? Is there a mechanism for the exchange of fire safety information and procedures between contractors and site occupiers/employers? Where appropriate, is a hot working permit system in operation? When it is safe to do so, are staff encouraged to check work areas for fire safety, after contractors have left? Are contracted works carried out in the workplace assessed in relation to their impact on the existing fire safety arrangements? Are contractors specifically covered in the workplace fire risk assessment? There is a contractor policy within the main H&S policy, that references fire safety, but only in a roundabout way. More specific instruction should be included Not one with a written schedule, but would come under other instruction within the contractors policy Trivial Tolerable Moderate Substantial Intolerable 18. DISABLED PERSONS Can people with all types of disability be adequately warned of fire in the workplace? With alarms and flashing beacons Can people with all types of disability be Specific evacuations have been adequately evacuated in the event of fire? practiced but not with any written description or instruction such as a PEEP Can people with all types of disability be adequately accounted for in the event of fire? Does a clearly defined policy relating to fire safety for disabled persons exist? Within the Fire Policy there is a section covering this Page 24 of 31

25 Are disabled staff and visitors specifically covered in the fire risk assessment? Are staff aware of the fire procedure relating to disabled people and their role in it? Where special arrangements and/or equipment have been provided, are staff adequately trained in their use? Although no written instruction for evacuation such as a PEEP Trivial Tolerable Moderate Substantial Intolerable N/A 19. CALLING THE FIRE SERVICE Are the fire service called immediately the fire alarm is sounded and a fire confirmed? Is a delay calling the fire service to allow for an investigation of the alarm activation been formally agreed with the fire service and has this course of action been covered in the fire risk assessment? Are there facilities, either inside or outside the workplace, for calling the fire service? Is there a specifically designated person who will call the fire service in the event of a fire and is a deputy designated to cover in the event of their absence? Where an automatic means of calling the fire service is used, has a person been designated to make a manual call as a back-up in case of malfunction? Is the location from which an emergency call will be made, relatively safe or protected with fire resisting construction? If the alarms sound and it is not a test, the instruction is for the reception staff to call the Fire Service straight away out of hours the house parents will do this Either from the main phone in reception if safe to do so, or by mobile phone Receptionist or house parent N/A Either in reception if safe to do so, or externally Trivial Tolerable Moderate Substantial Intolerable 20. ASSEMBLY POINTS Is the fire assembly point located in a safe All assembly points are in safe place? places Are the routes to the assembly point safe? All routes are safe, although some will be complex Is the assembly point provided with sufficient Some areas have better lighting lighting? than others, but if dark, torches are provided, such as for boarders at Has the provision of shelter at the assembly point been considered? Is the assembly point at least 50m from the building (where not 50m not closer 18 m)? night Depending on which building is on fire, once all accounted for, would move to the opposite building such as the sports hall, or the Pre Prep hall All assembly points are appropriate distances away from buildings Page 25 of 31

26 Has an alternative assembly point been designated as a contingency in case a fire event escalates? Are staff familiar with the location of and route to the assembly point? Is there provision for visitors to be informed of the location and route to the assembly point? This would be identified at the time, but would likely be one of the other buildings assembly points On all fire plans in every room, as well as in the Fire Policy, and practiced regularly On the visitors badge, on all fire plans, on the visitors fire guide by the visitor register in reception, also told by the receptionist Trivial Tolerable Moderate Substantial Intolerable 21. HIGHLY FLAMMABLE OR EPLOSIVE MATERIALS Are large quantities of highly flammable or explosive materials stored in the premises? 2120 litres propane gas tank for kitchen and science in workshop area; oil is kept in tank by garages and swimming pool for main building heating River House has Are large quantities of highly flammable or explosive materials used in the premises? Are there flammable materials that are volatile at normal ambient temperatures stored or used in the premises? Do highly flammable liquids stored or used in the premises have low flash points? Are highly flammable or explosive materials stored or used in the premises reactive? Do materials stored or used in the premises have oxidising properties? oil tank also; some science gases Small amounts used in Premises area for grounds maintenance equipment Minimal amounts held in science prep room in the basement Minimal amounts held in science prep room in the basement Trivial Tolerable Moderate Substantial Intolerable 22. HIGHLY FLAMMABLE OR EPLOSIVE MATERIALS, OTHER ISSUES Are quantities of highly flammable or explosive material introduced into the premises from bulk storage at any given time sufficient to enable only a single day s work to take place? Has consultation with specialists and Enforcing Authorities been undertaken regarding the storage and use of highly flammable or explosive materials? Have both general and fire risk assessments been undertaken in respect of the storage and use of highly flammable or explosive materials? Fire Service make regular visits to the school to ensure knowledge for all watches of the building, the layout and where the pupils sleep Science risk assessments using CLEAPSS Trivial Tolerable Moderate Substantial Intolerable Page 26 of 31

27 23. HAZARDS TO FIRE FIGHTERS Are there hazardous substances in the workplace that would be a danger to firefighters attending an incident? Are there hazardous processes or machinery in your workplace that would be a danger to firefighters attending an incident? Are there hazardous features in relation to the structure of your workplace that would be a danger to fire-fighters attending an incident? Are there circumstances relating to the use of your workplace that could constitute a hazard to fire-fighters attending an incident? Propane tanks and fuel near the Premises workshop area; minimal asbestos in the main house Minimal machinery that could cause harm Complex building, some large void expanses that could spread fire to unexpected areas Trivial Tolerable Moderate Substantial Intolerable 24. INFORMATION FOR THE FIRE SERVICE Are details relating to the location and isolation of the mains electricity supply available to the fire service? Are details relating to the location and isolation of the mains gas supply available to the fire service? Are details relating to the location, operation and isolation of the heating ventilation and air conditioning systems available to the fire service? Are details relating to the fire alarm control panel location, operation and isolation, available to the fire service? Are details relating to the location, operation and isolation of hazardous processes available to the fire service? Is the personnel accounting method used capable of providing accurate information to the fire service in relation to persons that may still be in the building upon their arrival? Are details relating to the location of emergency facilities available to the fire service upon their arrival (on-site hydrants, dry riser inlet, foam inlet, over-ride switches, fire-fighting lifts, sprinkler stop valves, emergency water tanks or reservoirs etc.)? Are details relating to the fire procedure and specialist roles within it available to the fire service? Is a line drawing of the building available to the fire service, detailing the location of all the fire precautions, access and egress points, including any hazards relating to the structure, its contents and its use? Premises Manager lives on site and would attend any incident full access to all areas of the building N/A no mains gas to the site, gas tank can be shut off externally Fire Service also attend regularly for familiarisation visits are aware of hazard areas Full records kept of pupil attendances day and night This will happen once the fire hydrants are installed in the grounds Plans in the receptions fire bag for during school hours, Trivial Tolerable Moderate Substantial Intolerable Page 27 of 31

28 25. POST FIRE CONTINGENCY Has the formulation of a post fire recovery plan been considered? Not specifically for fire, but there is a robust business continuity plan for the school Has a salvage hierarchy of the building contents been considered? Not as such Is there an inventory and valuation of the building contents? Is the building provided with a fire safe or other fire resisting facility for the protection of Vault in the basement important documents? Have alternative or temporary premises been sourced and have arrangements for the transfer of your business activities to these premises in the event of a fire, been made? Have suitable alternative or temporary IT and telephone facilities been sourced in the event of disruption by a fire? Have post fire security, boarding-up and dryingout arrangements been considered? Have emergency contact telephone numbers been compiled (gas, electricity, water, telephone, key holders, heating ventilation, security, IT, fire prevention officer, insurance, removal services and process maintenance services)? Is there a thorough internal incident investigation regime that is capable of establishing cause and future prevention? Server for each building backed up in the other buildings As part of the business continuity plans Trivial Tolerable Moderate Substantial Intolerable Page 28 of 31

29 Appendix 2 Photographic evidence Figure 01 An example of the plans in every room of the building, showing the instructions to be taken in the event of a fire, and the evacuation route from the room Figure 02 The monthly fire door check sheet, covering all fire doors and final exit doors Figure 03 The monthly fire extinguishing equipment check list, checking the location and that they are still fully charged Figure 04 The fire alarm test records Figure 05 The door to the server room from the IT support room that must be a fire door assembly Figure 06 An example of the limited compartmentation in the ceiling of a cleaners cupboard Page 29 of 31

30 Figure 07 The roof void of the Print Room, with inappropriate equipment being stored and minimal compartmentation to other areas Figure 08 A close up example where there are holes and breaches in the compartmentation of the building Figure 09 The area above a server, located in an electrical fuse cupboard, also being used as a cleaners cupboard, with no enclosure above into the roof void space, as access is needed Figure 10 The smoke detector that wasn t moved from the ceiling when the false ceiling was installed in the art storage area full of a large quantity of combustible material Figure 11 The sewing room at the rear of the laundry where most of the electrical equipment was either out of PAT date, or had never been tested Figure 12 - The last PAT test date clearly shown on the equipment Page 30 of 31

31 Figure 13 The kiln, clearly showing the last test date on the front label Figure 14 The storage cupboard with the electrical fuse board in that should be divided into two spaces to keep the electrics clear, in S1 Figure 15 The extension lead plugged into and extension lead, connecting to a fridge in the graduates room in River House Figure 16 An example of one of the final fire exit doors that has ivy growing into the door frame Figure 17 An example of one of the doors in the Pre Prep building where the closer has been removed Figure 18 Another angle of the fire door with the door closer removed Page 31 of 31