LYHA Fire Safety Policy Introduction This Fire Safety Policy shows our approach to Fire Safety in the work place and in our homes. It identifies our approach to Fire Safety in: The workplace Flats with an internal communal area Flats without an internal communal area and in single occupancy homes Sheltered Housing Schemes Policy Statement: our commitment to Fire Safety It is our policy to ensure that all reasonable steps are taken: To meet all our statutory and regulatory requirements to prevent fires from starting in the first place by having good standards of housekeeping, implement appropriate detection and warning systems, to ensure that all employees and visitors to our main office are made aware of the fire procedures to carry out regular checks and fire drills (where necessary) so that customers can easily access information online about fire safety and the evacuation policy for their block of flats Background This policy provides staff and customers with an overview of our approach fire safety. As the Responsible Person (landlord), under the requirements of The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, LYHA must carry our regular fire risk assessments (FRA) for both the work place and blocks of flats with internal communal areas, and take reasonable steps to remove or reduce any risks it highlights. Why do we need a Fire Safety Policy? We need a Fire Safety policy as part of our approach to risk mitigation to ensure that we are we are compliant with legislation, regulation/guidance and other internal LYHA requirements and to provide customers with assurance about their safety. These include: Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 Housing Act 2004 (Housing Health and Safety Rating System) HHSRS The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 Building Regulations Part B: Fire Safety Gas Safety (Installation and use) Regulations 1998 Electrical Equipment (Safety and Use) Regulations 1994 LACORS guidance Housing- Fire safety (for converted flats and single household properties) Building Regulations (at the time of scheme construction) HCA Home Standard LYHA Health and Safety Management System (policy) 1
Scope of the policy This policy applies to all LYHA offices and homes, and to properties where we offer our services as managing agents. Who is responsible for Fire Safety The Organisation and Compliance Director has the lead responsibility and accountability across the Executive Team for Health and Safety but the Executive Team will have collective responsibility for Health and Safety matters overall. The Assurance and Compliance Manager is appointed as the H&S responsible person for the LYHA head office (Shire Oak Road). The Property Services Manager is responsible for Health and Safety / Fire Safety in our homes. Delivering fire safety It is the policy of LYHA to ensure compliance with all legislative, regulatory and organisational requirements relating to fire safety. We will maintain and deliver fire safety by: having a Health and Safety Management plan (policy) having a Fire Safety policy having a Responsible Person with responsibility for Fire Safety- (Organisation and Compliance Director) having an emergency plan- (fire evacuation information) for Shire Oak Road Offices providing staff information, fire safety instruction and training nominating a Competent Person to carry out suitable and sufficient fire risk assessments commissioning regular Fire Risk Assessments displaying appropriate fire safety signage in common areas carrying out annual gas safety checks / servicing in communal areas and individual flats (where appropriate) Undertaking the annual gas safety certification and maintenance check providing existing customers with a copy of their annual gas safety certificate within 28 days of the checking being done providing new customers (tenants) with a copy if the current gas safety certificate before they move in inspecting and testing the fixed electrical installations in common parts every 5 years (Landlord supply in blocks of flats) inspecting and testing the fixed electrical installations at the start of each tenancy carrying out Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) of LYHA equipment in our main office and at our sheltered housing schemes every 3 years maintaining a no smoking policy in ALL shared entrances and internal communal areas 2
installing, testing and maintaining communal smoke detection systems (where required) installing, testing and maintaining communal fire detection and alarm systems (where required) installing, testing and maintaining communal firefighting equipment i.e. fire extinguishers (where required) installing, testing and maintaining fire doors and adequate compartmentalisation (where required) installing, testing and maintaining emergency lighting (where required) installing and maintaining communal automatic smoke ventilation (where required) delivering a program of regular checks and testing of all fire safety detection and prevention equipment. informing staff and customers what to do in the case of a fire (fire evacuation plan) carrying out regular fire evacuation drills (where required) implementing remedial actions identified through a Fire Risk Assessment implementing recommendations made by a partner Fire and Rescue Service working in cooperation with local Fire and Rescue Services having a specialist health and safety / fire safety specialist (Practical Solutions) Record keeping For each block of flats (requiring a Fire Risk Assessment) and our main office, we will maintain the following records: Fire Risk Assessment Fire precautions log book- or electronic equivalent (for the relevant Fire and Rescue Service) Records of staff training and fire drills (where applicable) Records of testing and maintenance of firefighting equipment (extinguishers) Records of testing and maintenance of all fire safety systems including (where installed) fire alarms, emergency lighting, sprinkler system and smoke ventilation system Fire Risk Assessments Under the requirements of The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 LYHA (as a landlord / the Responsible Person) must carry out regular fire risk assessments for our main office and for blocks of flats (with internal communal areas). We will do this annually, or when a significant change takes place that affects the fire safety of the location or in regulation or legislation. We will maintain a hard copy of fire risk assessments at our main office and an electronic copy in SharePoint in the Health and Safety folder. 3
Delivering Fire Safety We will deliver fire safety as follows: Work Place Fire safety will be delivered though LYHA s Health and Safety Management System (policy) Section 2 Health and Safety procedures: Fire precautions- general Fire Evacuation drills (minimum of 2 a year) We will: carry out regular Fire Risk Assessments (FRA s) on our office premises carry out regular checks of the building for fire and health and safety risks carry out regular Fire Evacuation drills (2 a year) carry out regular testing / checks of fire alarms, emergency lighting, smoke and heat detectors and automatic door closures carry out regular testing / checks of firefighting equipment carry out training of staff/ regular contractors in fire precautions and actions in the event of a fire regularly review our emergency plan- (fire evacuation information) for Shire Oak Road offices display fire safety information for visitors to the office having a no smoking policy in the building and provide a designated smoking area The Assurance and Compliance Manager is responsible for health and safety / fire safety at the main office. Flats with internal communal areas We will deliver fire safety through: regular risk based Fire Risk Assessments (FRA s) on all our blocks of flats with internal communal areas (that have been assessed as requiring a Fire Risk Assessment by a competent person) o These will be carried out for us by competent and experienced fire consultants regular checks of the building for repairs, fire and health and safety risks regular testing / checks of fire alarms, emergency lighting, smoke and heat detectors and automatic door closures (common areas) regular testing / checks of firefighting equipment having a no smoking policy in the common areas having a zero-tolerance approach to combustible materials / trip hazards in internal communal areas (sterile zones) We will provide customers with: general fire safety guidance and a Fire Action Notice (evacuation plan) when they first move in specific information on the type of evacuation scheme in place for their block; either a stay put or full evacuation (get out and stay out); a Fire Action Notice 4
on-line access to fire safety guidance and the Fire Action Notice (evacuation plan) in force, at a specific block of flats (with common areas like corridors and stairways www.lyha.co.uk Evacuation plans- (Flats with internal common areas) We will inform customers which evacuation plan applies to their home. This could be: Stay put policy A stay put policy is supported by an appropriate Fire Risk Assessment. This approach is used mainly for purpose built blocks of flats, and not usually for older buildings that have been converted into flats. Flats with a stay put policy will not normally have a fire detection and warning system (fire alarm) fitted in the common area of the block. Individual flats will have a smoke detector fitted internally. Full evacuation policy A full evacuation (get out and say out) policy is supported by an appropriate Fire Risk Assessment. This approach typically used for blocks of flats that do not, or cannot follow a stay put policy. These are normally not custom built (more modern) blocks of flats, but are older properties that have been converted into flats. Flats with a full evacuation policy will normally have a fire detection and warning system (fire alarm) fitted in the common area of the block with a fire warning sounder fitted internally in the flat. Individual flats will have a smoke detector fitted internally. Flats without internal common areas / shared entrances and homes Homes, and blocks of flats that have been assessed as not needing a fire risk assessment, will not normally have regular Fire Risk Assessments (FRA s) carried out. We will provide customers with: general fire safety guidance, and a Fire Action Notice (evacuation plan), flats only when they first move in specific information on the type of evacuation scheme in place for their block; either a stay put or full evacuation (get out and stay out); a Fire Action Notice on-line access to fire safety guidance and the Fire Action Notice (evacuation plan) in force, at a specific block of flats (with common areas like corridors and stairways www.lyha.co.uk Mobility Scooters See separate staff guidance note of mobility scooters; link 5
Fire Protection Smoke and Heat Detection (within flats) Our approach to providing and maintaining smoke and or heat detectors in flats is to comply with the building regulation, legislation or regulatory requirements in place at the time of construction (new build) or at the date of conversion. Combustible materials policy (corridors and cupboards) It is our policy to have a clear (sterile) corridor policy. We will inform customers about our sterile corridor policy. To allow for safe evacuation in blocks of flats, escape routes (protected corridors and staircases) and internal common areas in flats and sheltered housing schemes corridors and shared cupboards must be kept free of any sources of ignition or combustible materials and always kept obstruction free (trip hazards) - sterile areas. This means: no dumping of rubbish in bins store areas all corridors, walkways and stairwells to be kept clear of all items electrical and other service cupboards must not be used for storage of any personal items Fire extinguisher appliances It is not normally necessary for LYHA to provide fire extinguishers at purpose built blocks of flats. Vulnerable Customers: sheltered housing schemes In each sheltered housing scheme with a full evacuation policy customers with support needs i.e. mobility problems should have a personal emergency evacuation plan completed (P.E.E.P). These should be updated regularly and stored in the fire box is situated near the main entrance. The fire box contains details of customers with support needs i.e. mobility problems to assist the emergency services evacuate them. (Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans). Performance Monitoring LYHA has a range of legislative, regulatory, and organisational requirements which we must comply with. Performance on Health and Safety / Fire Safety is reported monthly to EMT and quarterly to Audit and Risk Committee. 6
Links to other documents This policy links to the following: Other related policies and procedures Related policies Health and Safety Management Plan 2016-20 Corporate Plan Compliance Policy Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 Review processes Policy review frequency: This policy will be reviewed on a: basis 3-yearly Responsibility for review: This policy will be reviewed by: The Assurance and Compliance Manager Version control Policy name: Fire Safety version date approved next review comments Author number date Version 1 12/10/2017 October 2020 New policy Assurance and Compliance Manager 7