67. A management commitment to fire safety is essential to assist with achieving suitable fire safety standards in premises and in the maintenance of a staff culture of fire safety. This chapter covers management standards that should be achieved within all premises, in respect of:

• Fire safety policy;
• Emergency fire action plan;
• Fire safety information and training;
• Fire drills;
• Maintenance of fire safety measures; and
• Recording information and keeping records.

Fire Safety Policy

68. There should be a clearly defined fire safety policy for the protection of all persons using the premises including staff, residents, tenants, guests and visitors. Factors to consider include:

• Planning, organisation and control of all matters relating to fire safety;
• Monitoring and review of the fire safety policy;
• There should be one named individual with overall management responsibility for fire safety within the premises, whether the premises are, or are not, usually staffed;
• The arrangements for carrying out and reviewing fire safety risk assessments;
• In staffed premises, there should be an adequate number of trained persons responsible for supervising and implementing the emergency fire action plan;
• In premises which are not usually staffed, such as HMOs, it is particularly important that individual owners, landlords/managing agents or other persons with fire safety responsibilities ensure that policies clearly address the needs, potential actions and where appropriate any fire safety responsibilities imposed on residents/tenants. The policy must ensure that residents/tenants and others in premises which are not usually staffed are in no doubt of the action to be taken in the event of fire and of the measures necessary to prevent an outbreak of fire;
• Preparation of an emergency fire action plan;
• All means of escape should be maintained to ensure that they can be safely used at all times;
• Maintenance and testing of all other fire safety measures;
• Training for staff or other relevant persons (such as long-term tenants), where appropriate, on fire safety and the arrangements for ensuring that this training is given;
• The need for contingency plans for when life safety systems such as fire-detection and alarm systems or sprinklers are out of order; and
• Arrangements for notifying information on risks and fire safety measures to:
  • workers from outside agencies or undertakings who are working in the premises and their employers; and
  • the parents of any child who may be employed to work on the premises.

Emergency Fire Action Plan

69. It is a management responsibility to have in place both an emergency fire action plan and arrangements to implement the plan. In premises where staff are not usually present, the owner or landlord/managing agent should ensure that an emergency fire action plan is in place and that arrangements have been made to implement the plan and make guests/residents/tenants aware of these arrangements. The evacuation of all persons, including disabled persons, is a responsibility of the employer, owner or landlord/managing agent, whether the premises are usually staffed or not, and is one which cannot be delegated to the Fire and Rescue Service. For further information in respect of unstaffed premises, see paragraph 83.

70. There should be a written emergency fire action plan which sets out the action that staff/guests/residents/tenants and any other people in the premises should take in the event of a fire. It should be kept on the premises, be available in a format understood by all, as well as being known by staff/guests/residents/tenants and forming the basis of any training and instruction provided. The extent of training and instruction necessary for members of staff will potentially be more detailed than that necessary for a long-term resident or tenant and may be relatively minimal for an overnight guest. It may only be necessary to ensure that any overnight guest is made aware of the fire procedure detailed in a written fire action plan within their bedroom. The plan should also be available for inspection by the enforcing authority.

71. The purpose of the plan is:

• To ensure that the people on the premises know what to do if there is a fire; and
• To ensure that appropriate action is taken in the event of fire and that the premises can be safely evacuated.

72. In drawing up the emergency fire action plan, the results of the fire safety risk assessments should be considered along with the need for procedures for all occupants of the premises including disabled people.

73. The plan should set out details of the procedures to be followed by staff/guests/residents/tenants (and any other persons present on the premises) in the event of fire. It should be specific to the premises and should include:

• How people will be warned if there is a fire;
• What staff/guests/residents/tenants should do if they discover a fire;
• What staff/guests/residents/tenants should do in the event of a fire;
• The arrangements for calling the Fire and Rescue Service;
• The specific action to be taken by the person in charge (if one has been appointed for the premises or building) when the fire alarm activates or a fire is discovered;
• The procedure to be followed to evacuate the premises, taking into account any personal emergency egress plans;
• Where persons should assemble or be taken after they have left the premises and procedures for checking whether the premises have been evacuated;
• Arrangements for fighting fire by staff or other relevant persons (such as tenants, where appropriate);
• Any equipment, including cooking equipment, or power supplies that need to be stopped or isolated if there is a fire; and
• Procedures for meeting the Fire and Rescue Service on its arrival and notifying it of the circumstances of the incident and whether all persons are accounted for.

74. The needs or assistance required by any disabled staff member or disabled person who uses the premises should be discussed with the individual. An individual personal emergency egress plan (PEEP) for each of these persons should be established. A PEEP should contain details of special evacuation arrangements. More information about the use of PEEPs is available in Practical fire safety guidance: the evacuation of disabled persons from buildings.

75. In general, lifts should not be used for evacuation though some lifts may be designed for evacuation of disabled persons. If lifts are to be used for evacuation, this should be agreed and co-ordinated with the Fire and Rescue Service.

Fire Safety Information And Training

76. It is essential that staff or other relevant persons, such as tenants, know what they have to do to safeguard themselves and others on the premises and to have an awareness of the importance of their actions. This includes risk reduction, maintenance of fire safety measures and action if there is a fire.

77. All staff (including volunteers and temporary staff) or other relevant persons, such as tenants, should be given an appropriate level of information and instruction on the fire safety measures to be taken or observed on the premises. Where necessary, appropriate information and training should be tailored to the needs of each category of occupier. The specific fire safety training needs of any young persons employed should be considered. Training or instruction should be provided as soon as possible after each relevant person takes up appointment or residence and regularly, at predetermined intervals after that, to ensure that they remain familiar with procedures. Information should be given to staff, or other relevant persons, whenever there is a change in the risk from fire, where changes have been made to the emergency fire action plan or other fire safety measures, or where working practices or people’s responsibilities have changed.

78. Staff or other relevant persons, such as tenants, who have a supervisory role should be given details of the findings of the fire safety risk assessments and should receive training which will enable them to discharge their specific responsibility.

79. Where staff or any other relevant person, such as a tenant, may require to physically move or assist persons during an evacuation, they should receive training on the method of achieving this and should be familiar with the use of any evacuation aids or equipment provided for this purpose.

80. Written instructions should be concise, comprehensible and relevant and should be reviewed and updated as new working practices and changes are introduced. Inclusive employment policies mean that staff with differing levels of capability may be present in premises and the fire safety risk assessments should consider whether further instruction or guidance is necessary for those staff, to ensure that the evacuation strategy is appropriate and understood by everyone. Instructions will need to be given to people delegated to carry out particular tasks, such as daily or weekly fire equipment checks.

81. Instruction and training for staff should take place during working hours. The information and instruction should be in a form that can be understood, taking account of those with differing abilities such as hearing or sight impairment, those with learning difficulties and those who do not use English as their first language. Suitable arrangements for the provision of instruction and training for any relevant person with fire safety duties who is not a staff member, such as a tenant, should also be devised and implemented as necessary.

82. All training should support the fire safety strategy and emergency fire action plan, be verifiable and be supported by management records as evidence that adequate training has been given. Fire safety training should be specific to the premises and should include the following:

• The action to take on discovering a fire;
• How to raise the alarm and what happens then;
• The action to take upon hearing the fire alarm;
• The significant findings of the fire safety risk assessments;
• The measures that have been put in place to reduce the risk from fire;
• The identity of people nominated with responsibilities for fire safety;
• Any special arrangements for serious and imminent danger to persons from fire;
• The procedures for alerting guests/residents/tenants and others;
• The arrangements for calling the Fire and Rescue Service;
• The measures in place to ensure a safe escape from the building and how they will operate;
• The personal emergency egress plans for disabled persons;
• The evacuation procedures for everyone in the building to reach an assembly point at a safe place;
• The fire prevention and fire safety measures and procedures in the premises and where they impact on staff/guests/residents/tenants and others in the building;
• The location and, where appropriate, the use of fire-fighting equipment;
• The location of the escape routes, especially those not in regular use;
• How to open all doors on escape routes, including the use of any emergency fastenings (and locks where appropriate );
• The importance of keeping fire doors closed to prevent the spread of fire, heat and smoke;
• The importance of good housekeeping;
• The risks from flammable materials used or stored on the premises;
• The precautions to be taken to minimise and control the risks, with particular attention to their role in reducing and controlling fuel and ignition sources; and
• How to stop any equipment or isolate power supplies where necessary in the event of a fire.

83. Where premises are not usually staffed the dutyholder (such as the owner or landlord/managing agent) has a responsibility to ensure that guests/residents/tenants know how to evacuate the building in the event of fire. This may be achieved by providing the guests/residents/tenants with verbal and/or written information on arrival about the layout of the premises, the fire safety measures in place and the duties of any others with responsibility for fire safety on the premises. It may be beneficial to re-iterate this information to guests/residents/tenants as necessary, regardless of whether the premises are staffed or not.

Fire Drills

84. The extent of fire drills will, depending on individual circumstances found in the range of premises covered by this guide, vary in terms of their complexity. However, in the majority of premises which fall within the scope of this guide, it is anticipated that any fire drill / procedure would be relatively straightforward in terms of its content and implementation. Drills should be tailored to suit the needs of different occupancies and should be aimed at ensuring all of those persons with responsibilities relating to fire know exactly what is required of them before any fire occurs.

85. Fire drills should be carried out to check that staff and other relevant persons, understand the emergency fire action plan (including all relevant personal emergency egress plans), to ensure that they are familiar with operation of the emergency fire action plan, to evaluate effectiveness of the plan and to identify any weaknesses in the evacuation strategy.

86. The frequency of drills for each building will be different and should reflect the level of risk but generally fire drills should take place at least once a year. Where there is more than one escape route, the drills should assume conditions in which one or more of these are obstructed by smoke. The fire routine should be rehearsed as fully as circumstances allow.

87. In some premises, such as small bed and breakfast establishments, which provide limited sleeping accommodation for guests with only family members/single member of staff operating the business, it may be impractical to carry out a full evacuation of premises, particularly where guests are likely to move on after a one night stay. Nonetheless, it is essential that :

• Family/staff members with duties to perform following discovery of a fire or actuation of a fire alarm are aware of their duties; and
• Family/staff members carry out their own modified “fire drill” periodically to ensure that their role in any emergency fire procedure is tested in practice. In addition, a discussion of fire safety issues, including guest evacuation, should be considered.

88. For leased holiday home accommodation where staff are not usually present, a fire drill may not always be necessary or practical, particularly where such accommodation has a simple layout and is only used for that purpose for short periods on a self-catering basis. That notwithstanding, all relevant fire safety measures, such as the fire escape plan, should be highlighted to the resident as part of the arrangements for hire and there should be a system in place to ensure that the fire alarm system is tested regularly for as long as the premises are used for that purpose.

89. Where premises have residents or tenants staying for longer periods, such as in some small hotels/boarding houses or HMOs, the residents or tenants should be made fully aware of emergency procedures which should be tested by a fire drill involving a full evacuation of the premises concerned.

90. Where there is the possibility that someone may misinterpret the fire drill and call the Fire and Rescue Service, it may be appropriate to inform the Fire and Rescue Service prior to the commencement and on conclusion of a drill in order to alert it to the exercise and so prevent its unnecessary attendance.

91. When carrying out the fire drill it may be helpful to:

• Circulate details concerning the fire drill and inform all staff and others (where necessary) of their duty to participate;
• Ensure that any equipment which is in use, such as cookers, can be made safe by isolating or turning off controls, where appropriate;
• Inform visitors if they are present; and
• On occasion, have a fire drill when staffing levels are at their minimum.

92. The pre-planned procedure for checking that all persons have evacuated, should be carried out. In some cases this will involve a roll call being carried out, for example by using a guest register, as soon as possible at the designated assembly point(s), noting any persons who are unaccounted for. In a fire evacuation this information would need to be passed to the Fire and Rescue Service on arrival. The results of the fire drill should be recorded.

93. Throughout the fire drill, the person in charge and any nominated observers should pay particular attention to:

• Inappropriate actions such as stopping to collect personal items etc;
• Difficulties experienced by people with disabilities;
• Communication difficulties with regard to the rollcall and establishing that everyone is accounted for;
• The use of frequently used routes instead of the nearest available escape routes;
• Difficulties with the opening of doors; and
• Doors not being closed as people leave rooms.

Maintenance Of Fire Safety Measures

94. In all premises, including those not usually staffed, emergency routes and exits, fire-fighting equipment, fire alarm, escape route lighting, Fire and Rescue Service facilities and other fire safety measures should be kept in efficient working order and be covered by a suitable system of maintenance. There should be regular checks, periodic servicing and maintenance and any defects put right as quickly as possible. Some systems and equipment will be the subject of a British Standard which will likely contain recommendations in respect of maintenance and testing. Experience in individual premises, especially premises which are not usually staffed, may show that there is a need to vary the suggested frequencies. Additionally, residents/tenants in such premises, which could include HMOs or leased holiday home accommodation, may have some responsibilities as a result of their tenancy agreement or lease. It may be appropriate for residents/tenants to carry out some basic tests and checks, in the absence of the owner or landlord/managing agent, subject to them being proficient to do so. However, responsibilities are likely to be restricted to some daily and/or weekly tests and checks only. Residents/tenants should be encouraged to notify the landlords/managing agents of any deficiencies in fire safety measures, such as inoperative smoke detectors or broken door closers, as soon as possible. Landlords/managing agents should have a system to resolve deficiencies identified by individual tenants or by their normal routine inspection programme. The examples of testing and maintenance are not intended to be prescriptive and other testing regimes may be appropriate where this can be justified. Six monthly and annual tests will normally be carried out by a person with specialist knowledge, possibly by entering into a service contract. The following are examples of checks and tests that should be carried out:

95. Daily:

• Walk through premises and check escape routes to ensure they are clear of obstructions and combustible materials and that self-closing doors are not wedged open; and
• Where provided, check any fire alarm control panel and indicating equipment to ensure the system is active and fully operational.

96. Weekly:

• Where a BS 5839: Part 6 Grade A or D fire alarm system has been installed, then test the system by activating the test facility. Where manual call points are fitted, then test the system by activating a manual call point, usually by inserting a dedicated test key. This will check that the control equipment is capable of receiving a signal and in turn, activating the warning alarms. It is good practice to test the alarm at the same time each week. During a test, the alarm should not operate for too long so that there can be a ready distinction between a test and an unplanned actuation. Where the system is connected to an alarm receiving centre, the centre should be notified prior to testing and on completion of the test;
• Where appropriate, a check should be made to determine that the testing of the fire alarm also results in the operation or disabling of any linked features;
• Check that all safety signs and notices are legible;
• Check escape routes, and test exit locking mechanisms such as panic bars and push pads; and
• Ensure that fire door self-closing devices operate effectively.

97. Monthly:

• Functional tests of all escape route lighting systems should be at an appropriate time when, following the test, they will not be immediately required. However, some modern systems have self-testing facilities that reduce routine checks to a minimum. Depending on the type of installation certain routine checks and routine maintenance work may be able to be done in house. Test methods will vary. Further maintenance may need to be carried out by a service engineer;
• Carry out brief visual check of fire extinguishers to ensure there are no obvious faults; and
• Fire doors should be checked to ensure they are in good working order as follows:
  • Inspect doors for any warping or distortion that will prevent the door from closing flush into the frame;
  • Check any fire-resisting glazed panels are in good condition and secure in their frame; and
  • Check that intumescent strips and smoke seals are in good condition.

98. Six monthly:

• A person with specialist knowledge of fire-warning and automatic detection systems should carry out six-monthly servicing and preventive maintenance on the fire alarm.

99. Annual:

• Maintenance of portable fire extinguishers;
• Annual discharge test of escape route lighting; and
• Annual checks, inspection and test of sprinkler system (where fitted).

Recording Information And Keeping Records

100. Information and records as necessary to comply with the legislation should be kept and made available for inspection. The information recorded should in itself offer proof that a suitable fire safety risk assessment has been carried out. Information should be recorded in respect of:

• The significant findings from the fire safety risk assessment;
• The resulting fire safety measures and action to be taken;
• Persons who are especially at risk; and
• Fire safety arrangements for the effective planning, organisation, control, monitoring and review of the fire safety measures.

101. Records of the maintenance and testing recommended in paragraphs 94 to 99 above, should be made and retained. It is for management/landlord/the managing agent to determine how long they wish to retain this type of record, but for the purposes of audit by the enforcing authority, records for a minimum period of three years should be available. Records can be kept in either an electronic or paper based format.