|
In the event of fire, people need to know exactly what they need to do. The person discovering the fire in the first place might need to raise the alarm, call the fire brigade and inform someone in charge. People who hear an alarm might need to be given instructions on how to evacuate the building.
Fire Procedure Document
The Fire Procedure document is a bit like the Health and Safety Policy in that it is a "rule book" for fire safety in the building. It is in addition to the Fire Action poster which needs to be on display throughput the building, but is a bit more detailed. The document needs to relate to your Church or Place of Worship.
The following sections should normally be included:
- Responsibility for fire safety, including Risk Assessment, testing fire alarms, checking fire extinguishers and ensuring exits are kept clear. Also list where the fire log book is kept.
- Actions on discovering (or suspecting) fire. This would usually be more detailed than the fire action poster on display throughout the building. There might be some situations where additional actions are needed (for example, someone on a welcome desk), and these should be detailed too.
- Evacuation procedure. This section would inform people how to evacuate the building, with the roles of staff and stewards clearly marked. Again, this needs to be more detailed that the fire action poster.
- Measures taken to check the building has been evacuated and liaison with the fire brigade. A person who is in charge needs to ensure the building has been evacuated and then talk to the fire brigade when they arrive on site.
- Fire prevention measures. Detail any specific requirements needed in the building to prevent fire and allow people to evacuate the building quickly. This might cover, for example, the safe use of candles and instructions to keep fire exits clear.
It is important to realise that the people in the building might not recognise a fire alarm or respond to it. This must be considered in the fire evacuation section along with special requirements for evacuating groups of children and disabled or elderly persons as these people might need assistance out of the building. A fire drill can be useful to determine how people would respond to a fire alarm.
As part of the evacuation plan for the building, you need to decide what exit routes people should use to evacuate the building promptly. It is usual to have two exit routes for each area - the normal exit route and a secondary one used if the main one is blocked by smoke or fire. In smaller Churches or Places of Worship, this is simple as there are only a small number of exits. In larger buildings, a plan should be drawn up to identify which parts of the building should use which exits. Exit signs should match this plan.
It can be useful to include a plan of the building showing where fire safety equipment is located, including alarms and extinguishers. In a larger building, this might be too large, and it is recommended that there is one available for staff, stewards and group leaders to view. A plan like this needs to be on display by any fire alarm controller, especially if the system uses more than one "zone", for the benefit of the Fire Brigade.
Fire Action Poster
The Fire Action Poster is a simplified version of the Fire Procedure document (and in a number of very small premises it might be adequate on its own). Posters should be on display throughout the building to remind people exactly what the need to do if they discover a fire. The exact format you use is up to you, but you need to be aware that there must not be any confusion about what needs to be done.
Many sign suppliers stock a range of fire action posters, but it is important to check that the instructions fit in with the Fire Procedures. It is possible to create your own poster, in which case the font should be clear and easy to read and it is recommended to laminate the poster to make it durable. We have some examples on this Website.
Finally, any person directly affected by the procedures, such as staff, stewards and group leaders, would need to be instructed and trained as to their responsibilities. Practice fire drills are useful to make sure that everyone who has a specific responsibility knows how to put the procedure into practice.
|
