Fire Safety Policy
The issue of Fire Safety is taken extremely seriously at DHI Excavations, and we will strive to ensure the Company and its employees comply with the Regulatory reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
More importantly we will strive to ensure the safety of all persons who have a legitimate right to be in, on or in the vicinity of the premises from fire and its effects.
These include residents, visitors, staff, and contractors but exclude fire fighters in pursuance of firefighting.
Staff should be aware it is a criminal offence not to consider theirs and others fire safety whilst at work and breaches will be dealt with in a robust manner by management.
Fire Safety Management
DHI Excavations will:
- Minimise risks from fire through risk assessments and implement recommendations from the Fire Risk Assessment
- Ensure that all staff receive sufficient training to undertake their fire safety dutiesand fully understand what to do in the event of a fire
- Ensure Fire Drills are completed at least once a year, with them recorded in the Fire Safety Logbook.
- Ensure all staff involved in the drill will receive immediate feedback on the success of the evacuation.
- Ensure all staff know how to use the telephone system to call for the fire service so,in the event of a fire the area can be evacuated as quickly, safely and efficiently as possible.
- Produce an emergency plan and put-up fire notices.
- Check adequacy of firefighting apparatus and fire detection/protection systems are maintained and tested with records kept
- Ensure fire escape routes and fire exit doors/passageways are unobstructed anddoors operate correctly
- Notices displaying the fire procedures are displayed at each fire alarm call point
- All portable electrical equipment that is less than 1 year old will be placed on a PAT test register; all other portable electrical equipment will be PAT tested in line with HSE guidance for the testing of portable electrical equipment
- All employees, visitors and contractors as part of their site induction will receive appropriate instruction on what to do if a fire was to occur
- Ensure that Fire safety is regularly reviewed as part of the normal management of H&S.
- Mobile Phone chargers to be removed overnight
- Ensure that contractors working in the building do not compromise fire safety arrangements
Daily Checks (usually at close of day)
- Carry out Fire Precaution checks – Establish a routine for closing up
- Mobile phone chargers to be removed from electrical sockets over night
- Fire doors are closed
- Fire exits, Stairways, and Means of escape routes are free of clutter.
- Individual rooms do not contain obvious fire hazards such as overfull waste bins
- Emergency lighting visual inspection of indicators to ensure system is in ready condition
- Visual check that each fire extinguisher is in place and is clearly visible with label facing outwards
Weekly checks
A weekly fire alarm test will be carried out to confirm system is activated and that the sounders can be heard across the building and will be rotated across all call points
Stocks of flammable materials are kept to an absolute minimum and are stored safely away
All goods and boxes are safely stored away to minimise clutter, reduce the fuel available to a fire and to enable people to exit the building safely in the event of an emergency
Monthly checks
All fire-fighting equipment is in good repair and are in place Emergency Lights – Function test
Inspection of fire doors and fire escape routes
6 monthly checks
A fire drill will be carried out every 6 months and times recorded, and any non-compliances will be discussed with staff as and when required following the evacuation drill
Emergency lights will have a 6 monthly periodic test carried out
Annually
Buildings Fire Risk Assessments – Smoke detectors – Service contract by–
Emergency light discharge test – In House (Lights run down for minimum of three hours)Service contract by –
Fire-fighting equipment – Service contract by –
Five yearly checks
Electrical Wiring check –In accordance with the National Standard for the Safety of Electrical Installation BS.7671 – completed by –
Administrative Guidelines
Full records of fire precautions should be kept in the Fire Logbook: Identify any weaknesses in the evacuation strategy:
- Test the procedures following any recent alterations or changes to working practices
- Test the procedure with minimum staff levels
- Familiarise new members of staff with procedures
- If an employee is considered to have a disability or impairment that will compromise their evacuation a personal evacuation plan will be created (PEEP) to support that evacuation need and will be practised during the 6 monthly evacuation drill
Fire Records – (Fire alarm tests, Automatic Fire detection, Keypads, Electronic magnetic devices, Fire- fighting equipment, Emergency lighting, Sprinkler valve record, Fire doors/Escape routes)
Building Plans & Zone List Fire Service Certificates
Buildings Fire Risk Assessments Induction/Training records
Full records of these measures will be kept and made available for audit as required.
