St Helen s School September 2016
1. Introduction 1.1 St. Helen s School Northwood (the School) is required to have a fire policy under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. 1.2 The School s priority is to minimise the risk to life and to reduce injury by maintaining the physical fire safety of the School, in ensuring that staff, pupils and visitors do not add to the fire risk and through safe evacuation of our buildings if a fire breaks out. The fire safety policy, procedures and risk assessments at St Helen s School and the EYFS setting are designed to minimise the likelihood of a fire on site and to help its community to respond calmly and effectively in the event that fire breaks out in one of its buildings. 2. Responsibilities 2.1 Headmistress: The Headmistress is responsible, where appropriate, for ensuring that current fire legislation is met. Appropriate fire safety policies and programmes of work are to be in place to maintain adequate fire precautions within the premises. 2.2 Governing Council: Council is to ensure that it has appropriate assurance that the requirements of current fire safety legislation are being met. 2.3 Estates Manager: The Estates Manager is responsible for day to day implementation of the fire safety arrangements at St. Helen s School and is responsible for ensuring that: The fire policy is kept under regular review by Governors and the Senior Leadership. The fire policy is promulgated to the entire School community. Everyone in the School (including visitors and contractors) are given clear written instructions on where they should go in the event of fire. Records are kept of the fire induction training given to new staff and pupils. Procedures and arrangements for emergency evacuation are regularly tested and lessons absorbed. Fire risk assessments are regularly reviewed and updated. Fire prevention measures are meticulously followed. Fire procedures and risk assessments are reviewed on each occasion that a building is altered, extended or rebuilt, or when new buildings are acquired. Records are kept of all fire practices. Certificates for the installation and maintenance of fire-fighting systems and equipment are kept. Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) are in place for disabled staff, pupils and visitors. The Estates Manager will liaise with the H&S Manager and the Deputy Heads as required. 2.4 Individual members of staff: All staff have duties and responsibilities in respect of fire safety under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. This is made clear to them during induction training and at annual refresher training. Page 2 of 14
2.5 Contractors: Contractors working in the premises will be informed of the Fire Policy and Procedures prior to work commencing, in accordance with the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992. See the School s Health & Safety for Contractors Policy. 2.6 The School recognises the importance of liaising with the local authority fire and rescue service in respect of fire precautions and possible firefighting in the premises. 2.7 Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 the local authority fire and rescue service has the authority to enter the School premises for the purpose of carrying out inspections to ensure compliance with the Order. 3. Fire Procedures 3.1 The Fire Procedure, as set out at Appendix 1, is to be followed by all staff, pupils and visitors in the event of fire and fire alarm activations. 3.2 The principal objective of the procedure is to achieve a rapid and effective response to all fire alarms and fire emergencies, consistent with the safeguarding of life and property. 3.3 Unless specifically trained to do so, staff will not use fire extinguishers, the priority being to evacuate the building. 3.4 Specific staff are designated as members of the School Fire and Security Team as set out in Appendix 2. They have detailed responsibilities set out in Appendix 1. 3.5 Fire notices will be displayed throughout the School s buildings in accordance with the standard template at Appendix 3. 4 Fire Precautions Log Book And Other Records 4.1 A fire precautions log book for each building will be maintained by the caretakers and maintenance staff. 4.2 Details of the following will be recorded within each log book; Testing and maintenance of the premises fire alarm systems; Testing and maintenance of emergency lighting systems; Testing and maintenance of firefighting equipment; Testing and maintenance of final exit doors and door hardware; Maintenance of the premises heating systems; Maintenance of the premises mains electrical installations; Maintenance of portable electrical appliances; Maintenance and cleaning of stage lighting where appropriate; Maintenance, cleaning and testing of kitchen equipment, including ducts and extraction systems where appropriate; Fire drills; Fires and false alarms; Visits / inspections by fire and rescue service officers; 4.3 A separate record of all staff fire training will be maintained by the HR Manager. 4.4 Comprehensive list and test sheets of all secondary lighting are maintained by the School s electrician. Page 3 of 14
4.5 Incident report sheets on alarm callouts since zoned evacuation was introduced are held in the School office. 4.6 An inventory of fire extinguishers and their positions, fire detection equipment, break glass call points, sounders and their positions, and annual test certificates for the above are maintained in the Estates Manager s office. 5 Fire Risk Assessment 5.1 The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires St Helen s School to carry out a fire risk assessment. The fire risk assessment will identify fire hazards and appropriate action to remove or reduce the hazards will be taken. The detailed risk assessment files are kept in the Estates Manager s office. 5.2 St Helen s School recognises the following as potential risks; Electrical appliances; Arson; Portable heaters and heating installations; Cooking; Poor housekeeping; and Contractors Suitable control measures will be employed where necessary to reduce the risk from these sources. 5.3 The fire risk assessment will be reviewed at regular intervals not exceeding 12 months. 6 Disabled Staff, Pupils And Visitors 6.1 Staff and pupils may need arrangements in place to help them in emergencies which must be described and communicated to the fire team through Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs). Arrangements for the emergency evacuation of disabled visitors should be reflected in more generic event risk assessments. 7 Electrical Equipment 7.1 In accordance with the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, all appliances connected to the School s electrical installations will be controlled though a routine checking system known as Portable Appliance Testing (PAT). The School will use guidance given by the Health and Safety Executive to decide frequency of this testing and records of testing will be made available for inspection. See Appendix 4 for the School s Electrical Equipment procedures and specifications. 7.2 Anyone bringing a personal electrical appliance into the School must register it by completing the registration form available from the Domestic Bursar s office. 8 Staff Fire Training 8.1 All staff will receive basic instructions in fire safety and fire training appropriate to the specific needs of their place of work. A record will be maintained of all staff fire training by the HR Manager. Page 4 of 14
8.2 It is essential that all staff: Understand the character and hazards of fire, smoke and toxic fumes; Understand the importance of fire doors in preventing the rapid spread of smoke and fire Know the fire hazards involved in their working environment; Practice and promote fire prevention e.g. by eliminating electrical hazards (as above); Are familiar with escape route options in all areas of the School in which they work. Know and follow the procedures in which they were trained. 8.3. Fire drills will be carried out at regular intervals. The Estates Manager will arrange these; drills will not be allowed to prejudice the health and safety of staff and pupils. 8.4 Fire drills will be monitored and all details recorded to enable the Senior Management Team to assess the effectiveness of fire procedures and the adequacy of staff fire training. 9 Annual Inspections 9.1 The Estates Manager will arrange a fire safety audit of the premises annually to include physical precautions, staffing arrangements and management systems. The auditor will produce a report to verify existing fire safety arrangements and where appropriate recommend action. 10 Reporting Fire Outbreak 10.1 All outbreaks of fire should be reported to the fire and rescue service immediately. 10.2. All outbreaks of fire within the premises will be investigated by the Estates Manager and reported as soon as practicable to the Headmistress. 10.3 Fires which result in a loss of life or injury must be reported to the HSE under RIDDOR 2013. 11. False Alarms 11.1 All false alarms are investigated and recorded in the fire precautions log book for the appropriate building. 12. Policy Review 12.1 This policy will be reviewed and updated by the Business Director annually to take account of changes in legislation or working practices. Policy author Authorised by Business Director Executive Committee Date September 2016 Effective date of the policy 1 st September 2016 Date of Next Review June 2017 Page 5 of 14
Associated Documents: Fire risk assessments Fire precautions log books Health and Safety Policy Health and Safety for Contractors Policy Page 6 of 14
Appendix 1 - Fire Emergency Procedures Fire Emergency Procedures 1. General action in the event of fire 2. Specific emergency control duties in the event of a fire call during normal hours 3. Specific emergency control duties in the event of a fire call outside normal hours 4. Assembly points 1. General action in the event of a fire Any member of staff or student discovering a fire should set off the alarm at the nearest available fire alarm point and exit the building. They should then call the Fire Brigade. When the alarm sounds, all staff and students should evacuate the building along the nearest fire escape route as quickly as possible, without stopping to take equipment or possessions. Through training and via regular reminders (at least once a term) staff and students are instructed that they must not re-enter any room once the alarm sounds. When the fire alarm sounds, a member of the fire team, usually the caretaker, will go to the fire panel to discover in which area of the building the alarm has been triggered. If safe to do so, the caretaker and another member of the fire team will investigate the source of the fire or alarm activation. At this point, and while evacuation is taking place, the Fire Control Assistants phone the fire brigade (unless the alarm activation is a planned drill). If the alarm sounds during lesson time, all members of the class should line up in their classrooms in preparation for the evacuation. At the assembly point the students need to line up in the class group they were in when the alarm sounded. If the alarm sounds during break or lunch time, students and staff within the building should evacuate to the assembly point and line up in their respective form groups. Staff should, where practicable, liaise to ensure that a sweep of the designated fire zone in which they are working is carried out. When satisfied that he / she has fully swept a zone, the person carrying out the sweep should, if safe to do so, collect the tally for the zone before proceeding to the assembly point by the nearest safe route closing fire doors behind them. The tally should be handed to the Fire Control Assistants at the Percy Broadbent Pavilion on arrival at the assembly point. Lifts must not be used. Since each building has a separate fire alarm system, only the building in which the fire alarm is sounding will be evacuated. Evacuation of other buildings will be authorised, if necessary, by the Fire Control Co-ordinator or Forward Control Co-ordinator. As a rule, all firefighting should be left to the fire service. An attempt to fight a fire with the firefighting equipment available would only be appropriate for trained staff, where the fire was very Page 7 of 14
small or where it was encroaching on an exit route. The first priority is to raise the alarm and evacuate. All occupants should proceed to the designated fire assembly point. Assembly points are indicated on fire action notices throughout the buildings. It is important that staff and students do not remain near the entrances of the buildings which have been evacuated; this can restrict the evacuation and hinder access for fire brigade personnel. At all times during the emergency, staff and students should comply with all instructions given to them by the fire management team, led by the Fire Control Co-ordinator, or by a member of the emergency services. Do not re-enter the building until advised to do so by the Fire Control Co-ordinator. 2. Specific Emergency Control Duties in the event of a fire call during normal hours 2.1 Headmistress Establish and maintain close contact with the Fire Control Co-ordinator about the evacuation status of the building. Receive regular updates from the Fire Control Co-ordinator about the control of any emergency operations. Receive notification from the Fire Control Co-ordinator that the Emergency Fire Procedures are stood down and the situation is regularised. 2.2 Fire Control Co-ordinator (Business Director) Report to Percy Broadbent pavilion and collate and manage information relating to the emergency, and to pass relevant information to the Headmistress and other agencies. Liaise with the Forward Control Co-ordinator and establish the status of the fire call. Confirm with the Fire Control Assistants that the Fire Brigade has been called. Liaise with the Teacher Admin Co-ordinator and Fire Control Assistants about the status of evacuation. Provide status reports to Headmistress. Report to the Senior Fire Officer present on the evacuation status of the building. Direct as appropriate, the Forward Control Co-ordinator, Teacher/Admin Co-ordinator and Fire Control Assistants. Await instructions from the Senior Fire Officer present that the building may be re-entered. The Fire Control Co-ordinator will keep evacuated personnel informed of the situation, as appropriate, during the evacuation period and let staff and students know when they may re-enter the building. Page 8 of 14
The Fire Control co-ordinator will convene incident debriefing meetings and arrange distribution of findings. 2.3 Forward Control Co-ordinator (Estates Manager) To go to the affected building and oversee the evacuation. To control access to the building by using the Forward Control Team: o to establish a cordon around the building; o to prevent unauthorised access; o to isolate services where necessary, and o to create access for emergency vehicles. To keep the Fire Control Co-ordinator advised on the evacuation progress and to maintain close contact with the Fire Control Co-ordinator. 2.4 Fire Control Assistants (Front Office Staff) To operate the system in The Percy Broadbent Pavilion under the direction of The Fire Control Coordinator. Their role includes: Receiving tallies collected from the evacuated building; Recording relevant information for passing on to other agencies; Post incident, arranging for fire zone tallies to be returned to their appropriate location. 2.5 Teacher/Admin Co-ordinator (Deputy Head) To establish a pool of available teachers / staff at the tennis court nearest to the Percy Broadbent Pavilion to use for additional tasks. To gather information from those arriving at the assembly point from the affected building and pass it on to the Fire Control Coordinator. To consider provision of suitable alternative temporary accommodation for staff and students evacuated from the affected building / buildings. 2.6 Forward Control Team (Caretakers, Maintenance team, Grounds staff and porters) To work to the orders of the Forward Control Co-ordinator in order to: o establish a cordon around the building; o prevent unauthorised access; o isolate services where necessary; o create access for emergency vehicles and o provide any additional assistance that may be appropriate bearing in mind their knowledge of the buildings and services. 2.7 Teaching Staff Staff in charge of students are responsible for the safety and well-being of the students and so should ensure that all are aware of the available fire exit routes from their classrooms, and the location of the assembly point. In the event of an alarm activation, the member of staff should take all Page 9 of 14
reasonable steps to ensure that the students evacuate the area promptly and should re-assemble with them at the designated assembly point. If it is safe to do so, staff should sweep their fire zone and collect the tally. 3. Specific Emergency Control Duties in the event of a fire call outside normal hours 3.1 Introduction The following procedures are designed to provide guidance in the event of a fire alarm at St Helen s School between 1800 hrs and 08.30 hrs on weekdays, at weekends and at any other holiday period when the School is open. 3.2 Caretakers In the event of fire alarm activation, the duty caretaker /caretakers on site will assume overall responsibility until such time as the emergency services arrive on site. The caretaker will call the fire and rescue service if required. 3.3 Action To Be Taken In Case of Fire Anyone discovering or suspecting a fire should set off the alarm at the nearest available fire alarm point (break glass call point). Thereafter, that person should call the fire and rescue service and give details of the location of the fire: building, floor and room numbers. On hearing the alarm, all persons must evacuate the building promptly. 3.4 Building Evacuation Anyone on site alone should make their way immediately to the nearest fire exit, following the normal evacuation procedures. Staff in charge of students are responsible for the safety and well-being of the students and so should ensure that all are aware of the fire exit route to be taken from their classroom, and the assembly point, should evacuation be necessary. In the event of the alarm sounding, the member of staff should take all reasonable steps to ensure that the students evacuate the area promptly and should re-assemble with them at the designated assembly point. Similar responsibilities apply to activities led by non-school staff (e.g. commercial lets, School lets, guest lecturers, etc) Commercial Lets All hirers using the Sports Centre are given a copy of the Sports Centre s emergency procedures which are communicated at the time of agreeing the let and the hirer agrees to abide by these. Hirers using other School facilities have their own evacuation plans which are given to St. Helen s Enterprises when the letting is agreed. At the start of any such let, the hirer must ensure that a safety briefing is given to persons attending and this must include familiarisation with appropriate fire escape routes and the designated assembly point. Hirers should take all reasonable precautions to ensure the safe evacuation of all persons attending and should rendezvous with the group at the assembly point. School/department-arranged use of facilities The Department concerned is responsible for ensuring that there is a designated person at the event responsible for the safety and well-being of the persons attending and that they are advised of the evacuation procedures, nearest fire exit, and designated assembly point. The designated person should take all reasonable precautions to ensure Page 10 of 14
the safe evacuation of all persons attending and should rendezvous with the group at the assembly point. 4. Assembly Points The School has a number of Fire Assembly Points which are marked as follows: Assembly Points are in the following location Gables playground - Gables Little Gables playground - Little Gables Upper Lacrosse Pitch - Science Block / Main Senior School Building / RBH / June Leader / The Centre / Fitz Longworthe Rear Lawn - Longworthe / Gwyer/ Junior School Upper Lacrosse Pitch - Sports Centre use during School hours Central Car Park (Drop off zone) - Sports Centre use out of School hours Page 11 of 14
Appendix 2 Fire Team Role Staff Member Deputy Headmistress Fire Control Co-ordinator Forward Control Co-ordinator Teacher/Admin Co-ordinator Fire Control Assistants Forward Control Team Caretakers Headmistress MS Business Director MMC Estates Manager AS Deputy Head PT Front Office Staff SP, SM Maintenance staff Grounds Staff Caretakers, Porters Caretakers MC; JC Deputy Heads PT; JP; PA Estates Manager AS Caretaker MC/JC Deputy Head JP Page 12 of 14
Appendix 3 Fire Notices Page 13 of 14
Appendix 4 Electrical Appliances Procedures and Specifications With the exception of School tenants personal electrical appliances should not be brought into the School. Electrical equipment purchases through the School must be registered by completing the registration form available from the Domestic Bursar s office. Appliances used in the UK must carry the appropriate British Standard number, Kite mark, and/or CE European mark. The plug must be the safety sleeve type and carry BS number 1363. Plugs must be fitted with a maximum 13 amp fuse. Low power appliances below 750 watts (such as radios, lamps and stereos) must be fitted with a 3 amp fuse. Manufacturers instructions regarding fuse size should be adhered to. Outer sheaths of cables must be securely fixed into plugs. Electrical equipment, fittings, plugs and cables must not be interfered with by unqualified staff. It is forbidden to connect any appliance to a lighting circuit, or use 2 or 3 way adaptors. Fused short or multiplug sockets may be used. Tenants living on the School site must cooperate with PAT testing arrangements regarding their personal electrical appliances. Extension leads must not be overloaded with heavy current items such as electric kettles. Cable reels must be fully extended when in use. Electrical equipment must be unplugged and switched off when not in use. Page 14 of 14