Office and Home: Keep Safe this Christmas
The addition of Christmas decorations (though temporary) alters your fire risk assessment and potential fire hazards. To help you enjoy a happy and SAFE Christmas IFEDA has produced the following tip sheet: it could save your life.
Check that your smoke alarms are in perfect working order - can you remember the last time you changed the battery?
Have your portable fire extinguishers been serviced within the last twelve months WILL THEY WORK WHEN YOU NEED THEM and are your staff trained in their use?
Never remove batteries from smoke alarm to use in office equipment or children’s toys
Christmas Trees
* Place real Christmas trees securely in a sturdy base filled with water and check water level daily – metal/clamp stands cause trees to dry out and become flammable
* Keep tree away from candles, heaters, fireplaces or other heat sources
* Dispose of tree properly – never burn a real Christmas tree in the fireplace – due to highly
flammable resin/sap.
* Ensure artificial trees have been pre-treated (look for the British standard) to increase flame resistance
Christmas Lights
* Only buy Christmas lights marked with a British safety standard
* If using last years lights, make sure a competent person checks all connections and examines the wires for fraying - If in doubt, throw them out.
* Don’t overload sockets
* Unplug all Christmas lights and electrical appliances before leaving your home or going to bed.
* Ensure outdoor lights are suitable for outdoor use and are marked with a British standard
* Check all wiring and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
* Fasten the bulbs securely and point the sockets down to avoid moisture building up.
* Never use indoor extension leads outside and keep outdoor electrical connections above ground and out of puddles and snow.
* Ensure outside trees hung with Christmas lights are not touching power/phone lines.
Candles/ T Lights
* Keep them out of reach of children and pets
* If necessary, trim the wick to each time before burning
* Always use an appropriate candleholder placed on a stable, heat-resistant surface
* Keep burning candles away from drafts, vents and air currents
* Extinguish a candle if it smokes or flickers repeatedly or if the flame becomes too high
* Keep the wax pool free of wick trimmings, matches and debris at all times
* Do not burn a candle for longer than manufacturer recommends
* Extinguish the flame if it comes too close to the holder or container
* Never place a candle on top of a TV set and keep well away from curtains and decorations.
* Always extinguish candles before leaving the office/house or going to bed
* Remember hot wax burns!
If you have any questions or concerns about your Fire Safety (at work or home) including Fire alarms – Portable Fire Equipment and/or your workplace Risk-Assessment please check out www.ifeda.org/regions.htm for a list of companies near you who can help.
Friday 18 December 2009
New Extinguisher Staff?
For those of you taking on staff in the New Year, I have two places left on our 3 day (BAFE approved) initial fire extinguisher technician training course commencing 19th Jan in Fareham.
For course info and syllabus please see www.ifeda.org/training
For course info and syllabus please see www.ifeda.org/training
Extra training date - refresher course
Please note I have added another one day extinguisher technician (BAFE approved) training course on Tuesday 23rd Feb at our Stockport training centre. Course details and syllabus can be found at www.ifeda.org/training
Fire inspection leads to £7,500 fine - Ignorance is no excuse!
ATS Euromaster, in Southampton, has been fined £7,500 after pleading guilty to charges relating to inadequate fire safety standards under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
Proceedings were brought following a visit to the Southampton premises by Hampshire Fire and Rescue Services Fire Safety Officers, who found significant contraventions of fire safety measures within the building. These included:
Obstruction of a fire exit (£2,000 fine);
Failure to provide lighting in an escape route (£2,000 fine);
Insufficient fire safety training for the manager (£1,500 fine);
Failure to provide adequate means of giving warning in case of fire (£1,000 fine); and
Not having carried out a suitable fire risk assessment (£1,000 fine).
Speaking after the case, Assistant Chief Officer Steve Hamm, Head of Community Safety for Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, said:
“We would like this case to act as a timely reminder to business owners and landlords that the Fire Safety Order is in place. The safety of the public is our primary concern.
The Service believes that this prosecution, together with the scale of the fine, gives a clear message to members of the business community of the need to understand their responsibilities and to comply with fire safety law.”
The company pleaded guilty to the five charges at Southampton Magistrates’ Court on 2 November. Sentencing took place on Monday, 14 December before District Judge Callaway.
A spokesman for ATS Euromaster said:
“We have a strong health and safety record and are clearly disappointed with this isolated incident which occurred over two years ago. We treat matters such as this very seriously and took immediate steps to address the issues raised.”
Proceedings were brought following a visit to the Southampton premises by Hampshire Fire and Rescue Services Fire Safety Officers, who found significant contraventions of fire safety measures within the building. These included:
Obstruction of a fire exit (£2,000 fine);
Failure to provide lighting in an escape route (£2,000 fine);
Insufficient fire safety training for the manager (£1,500 fine);
Failure to provide adequate means of giving warning in case of fire (£1,000 fine); and
Not having carried out a suitable fire risk assessment (£1,000 fine).
Speaking after the case, Assistant Chief Officer Steve Hamm, Head of Community Safety for Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, said:
“We would like this case to act as a timely reminder to business owners and landlords that the Fire Safety Order is in place. The safety of the public is our primary concern.
The Service believes that this prosecution, together with the scale of the fine, gives a clear message to members of the business community of the need to understand their responsibilities and to comply with fire safety law.”
The company pleaded guilty to the five charges at Southampton Magistrates’ Court on 2 November. Sentencing took place on Monday, 14 December before District Judge Callaway.
A spokesman for ATS Euromaster said:
“We have a strong health and safety record and are clearly disappointed with this isolated incident which occurred over two years ago. We treat matters such as this very seriously and took immediate steps to address the issues raised.”
Thursday 17 December 2009
High street retailer receives record fine following blaze
The high street retailer New Look has been fined £400,000 and ordered to pay £136,052 in costs after pleading guilty to serious breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (the “RRO”).
It is the largest fine to date under the RRO.
London Fire Brigade prosecuted New Look following a serious fire at their Oxford Street store on 26 April 2007. Thirty fire engines and around 150 firefighters were needed to tackle the blaze and crews remained at the scene for the next three days. The first call to the Brigade was from an office worker in an adjacent building. This delay meant that when crews arrived the fire had already developed and had broken through the second floor windows. Despite the building’s fire alarm sounding, it was reset on at least one occasion.
Over 450 people evacuated from the store and surrounding premises. A significant amount of Oxford Street was closed to traffic and the public which resulted in businesses being closed for a further two days after the blaze.
Following the fire, the Brigade carried out several fire safety inspections at the premises and found a substantial number of breaches of fire legislation. The most serious of these was an inadequate fire risk assessment which was found to have a number of failures, including no record of appropriate fire procedures such as the correct one to adopt when the fire alarm is activated.
The RRO requires the responsible person (in a workplace, the employer) to carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment and act on its findings.
Another significant breach was the insufficient training of staff which led to a delayed evacuation of the premises and staff being ill-prepared to respond to a fire or fire alarm signal. Staff did not use the appropriate fire exits to evacuate the public which meant that approximately 150 people were evacuated through the main entrance which was directly underneath the fire on the second floor
Other serious deficiencies included all of the basement fire exits being unavailable to members of staff and the public due to the failure of an interface between the swipe card system and the fire alarm. The swipe card system should have been connected to the fire alarm system and have deactivated the doors. The building was also found to have significant storage in escape routes on all floors.
Councilor Brian Coleman, Chairman of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, said: “Good business management includes taking responsibility for fire safety, knowing the law and acting on it. This conviction shows that large companies are not exempt from prosecution and that London Fire Brigade will take action when businesses do not take their fire safety responsibilities seriously. Failure to comply with the law can, as this case has shown, result in a substantial fine.”
Sentencing of New Look took place at Southwark Crown Court on 25 November 2009 after they pleaded guilty to two breaches of the RRO.
It is the largest fine to date under the RRO.
London Fire Brigade prosecuted New Look following a serious fire at their Oxford Street store on 26 April 2007. Thirty fire engines and around 150 firefighters were needed to tackle the blaze and crews remained at the scene for the next three days. The first call to the Brigade was from an office worker in an adjacent building. This delay meant that when crews arrived the fire had already developed and had broken through the second floor windows. Despite the building’s fire alarm sounding, it was reset on at least one occasion.
Over 450 people evacuated from the store and surrounding premises. A significant amount of Oxford Street was closed to traffic and the public which resulted in businesses being closed for a further two days after the blaze.
Following the fire, the Brigade carried out several fire safety inspections at the premises and found a substantial number of breaches of fire legislation. The most serious of these was an inadequate fire risk assessment which was found to have a number of failures, including no record of appropriate fire procedures such as the correct one to adopt when the fire alarm is activated.
The RRO requires the responsible person (in a workplace, the employer) to carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment and act on its findings.
Another significant breach was the insufficient training of staff which led to a delayed evacuation of the premises and staff being ill-prepared to respond to a fire or fire alarm signal. Staff did not use the appropriate fire exits to evacuate the public which meant that approximately 150 people were evacuated through the main entrance which was directly underneath the fire on the second floor
Other serious deficiencies included all of the basement fire exits being unavailable to members of staff and the public due to the failure of an interface between the swipe card system and the fire alarm. The swipe card system should have been connected to the fire alarm system and have deactivated the doors. The building was also found to have significant storage in escape routes on all floors.
Councilor Brian Coleman, Chairman of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, said: “Good business management includes taking responsibility for fire safety, knowing the law and acting on it. This conviction shows that large companies are not exempt from prosecution and that London Fire Brigade will take action when businesses do not take their fire safety responsibilities seriously. Failure to comply with the law can, as this case has shown, result in a substantial fine.”
Sentencing of New Look took place at Southwark Crown Court on 25 November 2009 after they pleaded guilty to two breaches of the RRO.
Monday 14 December 2009
Another IFEDA First for the Fire Industry
Not only is the new edition of the IFEDA Service Manual now available on CD-Rom, as another IFEDA first for the fire industry it is now possible for IFEDA members' technicians (whilst on the road) to access the manual and all the servicing information it contains via IFEDA’s brand new INTRANET.
As long as your technicians have a suitable device to access the web and you have signed them up for a password, they can now call up the manual without having to phone in and find someone to load up the office cd version PLUS they can also access relevant technical memos and other equally useful documents such as the IFEDA guide to contract maintenance recently rewritten to take into account BS5306-3 : 2009 PLUS there is also a technicians forum available where they can discuss various topics or find the answers to those ‘burning’ questions saving you time and money with less down time —help is just a web enabled phone away.
IFEDA: concentrating on quality and delivering - we leave price gimmicks to others
As long as your technicians have a suitable device to access the web and you have signed them up for a password, they can now call up the manual without having to phone in and find someone to load up the office cd version PLUS they can also access relevant technical memos and other equally useful documents such as the IFEDA guide to contract maintenance recently rewritten to take into account BS5306-3 : 2009 PLUS there is also a technicians forum available where they can discuss various topics or find the answers to those ‘burning’ questions saving you time and money with less down time —help is just a web enabled phone away.
IFEDA: concentrating on quality and delivering - we leave price gimmicks to others
IFEDA Training 2010
IFEDA's training diary for 2010 re (BAFE recognized) fire extinguisher initial and refresher training as well as hose reels is now available via www.ifeda.org/training
Not shown there are extra refresher courses in Cornwall 13th 14th May and Middlesborough DTBC
Please contact info@ifeda.org for details etc
Not shown there are extra refresher courses in Cornwall 13th 14th May and Middlesborough DTBC
Please contact info@ifeda.org for details etc
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