Fire safety
FS320007 (Published November 2024, replacing June 2020)
Managing Fire Safety
All non-domestic premises need to comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 or similar Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 in respect to making them safe from fire. This guidance is to help you find simple ways to achieve this. While this guidance is aimed at the users of buildings for Scout purposes, it can be applied to camping to reduce risk. The word “premises” can be taken to include tents and other structures intended for temporary occupation.
Who is responsible?
Whilst we all share a responsibility to be vigilant, those managers of the premises including the trustees must ensure that action is taken to comply.
Even if the premises you use is not your own, take a pro-active look at what safety precautions are there and what procedures you follow.
What is required?
- Carry out a fire-risk assessment to identify possible dangers and risks.
- Using this, remove or reduce (so far as is reasonably practicable) any risk identified and provide general fire precautions for dealing with those that are left.
- Produce a plan of how to deal with any emergency.
- Record what you find and Review this as necessary.
Who should do this?
The Trustee Board together with any management committee are responsible for ensuring this is carried out, but may arrange for a competent person to carry out this task.
That may be someone who is capable of identifying the risks, perhaps a parent who manages a building in the work place or similar.
What is a Fire Risk Assessment?
The Scout Association follows the HSE guidelines for a five-step approach to risk assessment and this works in just the same way. Full information on how to undertake a risk assessment can be found in Risk Assessment, here are some hints for putting this into a fire risk assessment:
- Sources of ignition
- Sources of fuel
- Sources of oxygen
- Those people in and near the premises
- Are there any people with additional needs or in a particularly high risk area
- Evaluate the risk of a fire starting and the risk to people in the premises from that fire.
- Remove or reduce any fire hazard or risk from fire to those in the premises.
- How easy can fire spread and what can be done to reduce that?
- Provide Fire Precautions to protect those at risk.
- How will people get out of the building?
- Record what you find and any action taken ensuring you keep any responsible persons informed.
- Prepare a written emergency plan, including a Fire Evacuation Plan.
- Train and instruct all relevant people and arrange for a regular fire drill (6 monthly) to include all adults and young people, including those with additional needs. Keep a written record of fire drills.
- Arrange to regularly review your assessment, particularly following any changes or incidents at the premises.
- Put it on the agenda for the Trustee Board and Volunteer team meetings
- Revise the plan as necessary.
The following have been provided to help you with this task.
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Download sample fire risk assessment management plan
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Download sample fire risk assessment action summary
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Download sample fire hazard check sheets
What are Fire Precautions?
These will vary, but may include a fire alarm system, a smoke alarm or simply a pre-arranged warning shouted out by volunteers or young people.
Have an agreed method of calling the fire service at the first opportunity.
It should include some sort of fire extinguisher provision, ideal for dealing with a small fire but still no substitute for calling the fire service.
An essential fire precaution is the identification of a safe means of escape for all premises used for Scouting. Escape exits should be clearly marked and, together with escape routes, kept clear of obstructions at all times. If you bolt a fire door for security when your building is vacant, make sure it is unlocked when used!
Particular Considerations
There should be extra consideration made to premises with sleeping accommodation, such as campsites. A range of guides are available from the Department for Communities and Local Government.
Extra consideration should be made to the need for a safe means of escape from premises by people who have additional needs, especially those with limited mobility, hearing and visual impairment. Where appropriate, a personal emergency evacuation plan [PEEP] should be agreed for users of the premises. In some circumstances it may be necessary for volunteers to designate in advance assistants to help people with additional needs escape from premises should a fire break out. The government has a guide for means of escape for disabled people.
Storage of gas and other flammable liquids needs to be done carefully.
Additional Information and support
- The HSE has fire safety guidance.
- The Department for Communities and Local Government have some excellent guides available to help.
- Guidance on safe means of escape for people with special needs is to be found in Fire Safety Risk Assessment: Means of Escape for Disabled People.