IFEDA SURVEY: FIRE RISK ASSESSMENTS

A recent IFEDA Survey of North Buckinghamshire businesses with regards to Fire Risk Assessments and the role of the Responsible Person confirmed and supported an earlier statement from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) that, rather worryingly, over 40% businesses are still failing to comply with fire regulations some three years after the introduction of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order by not carrying out Fire Risk Assessments. Introduced in October 2006 the Fire Safety Order (2005), states that all business owners are obliged to conduct regular risk assessments and maintain a fire management plan that identifies possible fire hazards and advises on safety measures. Businesses are obliged to tell their staff about the plan and train them accordingly.

Business stake holders should be aware that fire authorities are increasingly clamping down on businesses who won’t comply with the law with more than 3,000 enforcement notices issued nationwide in the past year by the fire services. This resulted in some 60 firms being prosecuted - a 40 per cent increase in just twelve months.

Further research by IFEDA revealed typical breaches of fire safety law as blocking fire exits, propping open fire doors (especially with fire extinguishers), failure to keep adequate records, failure to make a written risk assessment with more than 5 employees, failure to test fire safety equipment, failure to have their fire extinguishers serviced annually, failure to nominate a Responsible Person, inadequate signage, fire exit routes compromised with combustible items, inadequate means of escape from sleeping accommodation and a failure to train staff in evacuation procedures.

The IFEDA newsletter, FireTalk, regularly carries examples of enforcement actions and prosecutions by the Fire Service so proving that this problem is not going unnoticed and, as in the recent case of High Street store, New Look can lead to a large and potentially business breaking fine. FireTalk can be found at www.ifeda.org/newsletter.htm

Many IFEDA members offer a Fire Risk Assessment survey and can advise on all aspects of portable fire extinguishers, alarms emergency lighting and educating staff in fire prevention. A list of 3rd party accredited members in your area can be found at www.ifeda.org/regions.htm

Extinguisher Refresher Course - Cornwall

There will be a one day (BAFE recognized) extinguisher refresher course on Thursday 13th May and also on Friday 14th May at Fire Crest, Pool in Cornwall. Please contact IFEDA for these or any of the other training courses advertised.

Please note that with today's bookings the Refresher course at Buckingham is now full.

Lakanal House: “Fire risk training was 'inadequate"

Sam Masters of the South London Press reported today (Monday, 18 January) that Fire Risk Assessment Training for council staff to check for fire risks in tower blocks was inadequate for “complex” buildings, it has emerged.
Before the fatal blaze at Lakanal House in Camberwell on July 3, a change in legislation shifted responsibility from London Fire Brigade to the town halls to check buildings were safe.
Many town halls paid specialist surveyors to carry out the fire risk assessments (FRAs) on high-rises after 2006 – including Labour-run Lewisham and Lambeth councils.
But Lib Dem/Tory-run Southwark council kept the inspections in-house, sending staff on fire brigade training courses in 2008.
This week, a leaked email from Steve Turek, the London Fire Brigade’s assistant commissioner for fire safety regulation, threw the training received by council staff into doubt.
He said those on the one-day course were given “basic” knowledge of the importance and methods of risk assessments.
He said: “Our course information clearly states that the course is designed to provide participants with the knowledge and understanding to undertake FRAs in simple premises such as offices, small retail and similar premises.
“The course is not designed to equip attendees to carry out FRAs in complex structures where a clear level of expertise is required.”
The South London Press revealed last week how a town hall officer had failed to spot fire risks in a block that shared a similar layout to Lakanal House.
The FRA for Perronet House at Elephant & Castle – conducted on April 27, five weeks before the Lakanal tragedy – found only “low” and “medium” fire risks.
But a later FRA, compiled by specialists Turner & Townsend on July 17, discovered “extreme” risks and demanded a raft of safety improvements.
Councillor Ian Wingfield, Southwark Labour opposition spokesman for housing, said: “In sending out undertrained staff to carry out the vital checks to make sure our tenants and leaseholders are safe, the administration has shown a callous lack of concern for their well-being.”
A Southwark spokesman said: “These intrusive inspections [by outside contractors] go beyond what is required in a fire risk assessment.
“After the Lakanal Fire we decided to review our approach to high-rise blocks.
“We carried out, on a risk assessed basis, more detailed intrusive and technical inspections carried out by independent experts, which involve looking at the fabric of the building, under ceilings and behind walls if necessary.”
Southwark has now pledged to carry out “intrusive” checks on its 175 high-rises this year.

Stop Press - Extra Extinguisher Refresher Course - Buckingham

There will be a extinguisher refresher course (open to members and non-members alike) on Thursday 28th Jan at the Buckingham Hotel, Buckingham, North Bucks. Details can be found in the usual places or please contact me direct for details via grahamferris@ifeda.org

Extinguisher Refresher Course North of England

Extra refresher course: As Stockport in April is full there will be an extra one day (BAFE approved) extinguisher refresher course at HE Woolley in Middlesbrough on Tuesday 27th April.

Lakanal House and Fire Risk assessments

The following takes about 25 minutes to listen to - it is well worth it. Shocking really!


For anyone who may be interested that missed the radio 4 article today (Thursday 7th Jan) on fire risk assessments in high rise tower blocks, here is the link;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00pky9h/Face_the_Facts_High_Rise_Low_Safety/
Regards to all,

Help for New and Non members

IFEDA’s New Member Assistance Programme

If your company is involved in the supply of fire protection equipment and specifically the commissioning and maintenance of Portable Fire Extinguishers and you would like the support and guidance of a Trade Association which is specifically for the independently owned business, then ask yourself:-

· Would you like to be a member of an independent Trade Association i.e. IFEDA where every member is equal, based on the democratic principle of one member one vote. An Association, whose total objectives are to help, assist and fight for the interests of independently owned businesses – just like yours?
· Are you looking at the quality route to take your business forward in 2010 with ISO/BAFE SP101 accreditation?
· Do you know where to start?
If your answer to the first two questions YES and you scratch your head at the third then IFEDA can help.


Following updates and modifications to our long established Member Assistance Programme we are delighted to announce the launch of IFEDA’s Quality Assistance Scheme (QAS). This scheme is designed to help companies obtain ISO/BAFE accreditation whilst also being part of IFEDA and receiving all the guidance and support that belonging to a nationally recognised trade association brings.
By signing up to QAS you will receive:
· A personal visit from the IFEDA General Manager to set you on the right road.
· All documentation pertaining to your business and ISO 9001: 2008 (written with BAFE SP101 in mind).
· Full membership of IFEDA for 12 months
· Help & Assistance in achieving full BAFE approval to SP101/ST104.
· Professional help in developing a quality policy manual which relates to the company's business operations
· An audit to certify your company to ISO 9001 by a UKAS accredited certification body.
The main benefits of this scheme are that:
· You take less time out of your business setting up the documentation etc
· You get personal one to one help.
· The cost to your company is greatly reduced (e.g. the membership element may be paid for over 10 months by direct debit)
· There will be a much faster timescale for completion than if you arranged it yourself.

If you are interested please contact Graham Ferris, General Manager
on 02380 513326 or via email to grahamferris@ifeda.org

IFEDA: The Trade Association where your voice is heard and your interests are ours

Latest IFEDA Newsletter

The latest newsletter with info about up and coming training, news from the AGM and fire safety breaches can be found at www.ifeda.org

For members there is an expanded version in the members section with a members competition.

Happy reading

Welcome New Members

We would like to extend a warm welcome to the following companies who have recently been granted full membership of IFEDA:-
· Direct Fire & Safety Ltd of St Helens, Merseyside
· The Walters Group of Milford Haven
· Guardian Security (SW) Ltd Exeter
· 3 Counties M&G Ltd of Haslemere Surrey
· Inferno Fire Safety & Security Solutions of Abertridwr, Caerphilly
· MDL Fireworks Ltd of Preston
· David Wright— Fire Protection Services of Beverley
· Fairhurst Ward Abbotts Ltd of Greenhithe Kent
· Fal Fire Protection Ltd of Penryn, Cornwall
· The Fire Company of Plymouth
We wish them all a long and fruitful association with IFEDA and as part of IFEDA’s services to members, in the New year we will have exciting news about assistance in attaining ISO/BAFE accreditation.
Details of, and the services offered by, new and established members can be found via the IFEDA website homepage www.ifeda.org and the ‘full members’ tab.

IFEDA AGM 2009

The latest IFEDA National conference took place at the Charlecote Hotel near in Stratford upon Avon and attending members all agreed it was a day full of interesting and informative workshops/presentations. On the 20th anniversary of IFEDA’s inception the Chairman, Colin Payne, highlighted our many achievements over the intervening years not least in being the first fire trade association to achieve ISO 9001 and in 2004 becoming the first association to embrace BAFE approval for its members. He went on to state that in a difficult trading year membership had continued to grow and through the many different committees that Officers attended IFEDA would be, as always, at the forefront fighting for member’s interests and just as importantly campaigning to bring improvements where it can. As pioneers of the commitment to 3rd party accreditation through BAFE, IFEDA members were delighted to greet BAFE General Manager Stephen Adams and catch up with all of BAFE’s latest news and future intentions. Members also picked up some useful tips re ‘marketing on a budget’ as well as catching up with the latest Asbestos regulations and learning about an extremely useful software package for fire risk assessments, before finally taking part in an interesting discussion led by John Judd, Chairman of the IFE on the future of the fire service. For the members who were able to stay and enjoy the evening’s entertainment comedian Mickey Pugh had everyone chuckling into their dinners before the calories were bopped away until the early hours.