Fire Safety Policy – QE2 Activity Centre

Statement of Intent

This fire safety policy has been prepared to ensure that the risk from fire will be managed in compliance with The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. This policy aims to prevent fire incidents occurring, to initiate prompt and effective action in the event of an incident and to ensure that employees, contractors, visitors and others who may be affected by the activities of the organisation can be safely and quickly evacuated.

The purpose of this policy is to ensure the safety from fire of all relevant persons on, in or in the vicinity of the premises by effective planning, organisation, control, monitoring and review of the preventive and protective measures.

This policy will be used to ensure the provision of suitable and sufficient general fire precautions, assessment of risk and management of necessary fire safety arrangements.

Organisation (People and Their Duties)

The Responsible Person (RP) is the Chair of the Management Committee of QE2 Activity Centre.

It will be the responsibility of the RP to see that a Fire risk assessment is carried out; consider who may be especially at risk; get rid of, or reduce the risk from fire as far as is reasonably possible and provide general fire precautions to deal with any remaining risk; to take other measures to make sure there is protection if flammable or explosive materials are created or stored; create a plan to deal with any emergency and keep a record of findings; and to review findings when necessary.

It will be the responsibility of the Centre Manager to

∙ provide the RP with information necessary to carry out his duties; ∙ to appoint a Fire Risk Assessor to carry out an assessment;

∙ to provide FRA with information required to carry out RA;

∙ to monitor management of risk and general fire precautions;

∙ maintain emergency plan;

∙ monitor training and

∙ monitor maintenance of fire fighting equipment.

It will be the responsibility of the Operations Manager to assist in the drawing up of policy, procedures and emergency plans; identify training needs; carry out maintenance checks.

Where appropriate equipment checks will be carried out in-house; in addition Main Centre fire alarm servicing will be carried out; extinguishers & fire blankets will be checked annually. Fire Risk Assessment carried out by John Weston, NEBOSH National Certificate in Fire Risk Management, Southern Fire Protection

Arrangements

A suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment has been prepared, will be regularly reviewed (annually, or following material changes in buildings or working practices), and any significant findings acted upon.

Smoke detection systems are fitted in the Main Centre building, all cabins, Gold and GreenHouse buildings and staff room.

Fire fighting equipment is provided in the Main Centre building, all cabins, day service buildings, staff room and stable area.

All necessary systems required as part of the general fire precautions (or other general systems or appliances required to be satisfactorily maintained to prevent the likelihood of fire) will be tested and maintained in accordance with the relevant code of practice (see Appendix 1)

An emergency information folder will be maintained and kept in the main Centre office containing information on keyholders, utility shut offs, etc will be made available to emergency services (Appendix 2)

A ‘No Smoking’ policy is in place throughout the site.

A suitable and sufficient fire emergency plan has been prepared and will be regularly reviewed (Appendix 3). The plan will be practiced by the regular carrying out of fire drills.

QE2 Activity Centre will have a nominated person responsible for the coordination of evacuation procedures. Manager, if unavailable, most senior member of staff on site.

All permanent full time staff will be trained to satisfactorily carry out:

∙ The fire emergency plan;

∙ Regular fire drills;

∙ Any other necessary actions to comply with the Fire Safety Order.

Employees and groups of participants will be provided with comprehensible and relevant information regarding:

The significant findings identified from the risk assessment;

Any other notification of risk by other employees;

The preventative and protective measures;

The fire emergency plan;

The identities of persons nominated to carry out the duties of the responsible person.

The employer of any other employees, or any other person working on the premises, will be provided with the same information as the responsible person’s employees.

When outside contractors are engaged to work within the premises, Contractors will be made aware of the fire safety procedure and what they are to do in the event of a fire (Appendix 4). Where the means of escape is likely to be affected by the works, a specific fire risk assessment will be carried out to assess any compensatory features necessary.

Full records of these measures will be kept and made available for audit by the Fire & Rescue Service as required.