to the welding equipment being used. But providing the house keeping is good and no combustible substances are present, then a fire is not likely to spread, so the consequence is low, therefore the risk can be considered to be normal or even low. Competency of fire risk assessors Regardless of who carries out the fire risk assessment the duty holder (usually the building occupier or owner) retains the responsibility for ensuring the adequacy of that assessment. Some high-risk organisations (such as chemical plants or oil refineries) have their own fire brigades which often contains individuals with the competence to carry out fire risk assessments. If outside specialists are to be used the organisation should carry out reasonable checks to verify their competence. Questions to ask might include: • Are they registered with a professional body (such as the Institution of Fire Engineers)? • Have they got experience of undertaking fire risk assessments for your kind of business and premises? • Can they provide references from previous clients in premises of your type? You might choose to ask these clients if they were satisfied.
E6.1 Summary In this section we have covered: Objectives of fire safety risk assessments
• Meaning of hazard and risk in relation to fire • The need to carry out a fire risk assessment • Objectives of fire risk assessments
6.2 Principles and practice of fire safety risk assessments Assessment criteria: 6.1-6.3: Explain the principles of the fire risk assessment process and be able to carry out a fire risk assessment of a workplace. A general approach to fire risk assessment The risk assessment may require referencing a substantial amount of information. Some assessments will require large amounts of information being obtained from several different sources; other assessments may require considerably less. Sources of information can be re-visited in Element 1 'Managing fire safety'. Sources of information that may be consulted include: Legislation: Any specific legislation, which is currently being used in that particular country, should be consulted . F or example in England and Wales , the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and Building Regulations 2010 can help to familiarise the requirements of fire safety . Fire Plan: Can be a good source of information and the drawings of the layout can give a detailed overview. Previous Risk Assessments: May give a basic understanding, some of the measures may still be in force and some may no longer be valid.
©SHEilds – All rights reserved FCV 3 JUN 2021
Page 3 of 12
Made with FlippingBook Digital Publishing Software