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Common fire precautions

On this page, we have included some typical fire precautions that have not been covered elsewhere in this Fire Risk Assessment section.

Fire assembly point

This is a designated place of safety away from the building that is available for people to gather in an emergency.  In some situations, there could be a roll call to ensure that everyone who was present can be accounted for (note that this method is not likely to be suitable for Sunday worship but it may be useful for smaller groups).

Exit signs

Exit signs mark the safe routes out of the premises, and allow people to find their way out with ease.  Despite their importance, these essential precautions are often absent in Churches and Places of Worship.

In the public parts of the building, it should be possible to see at least one marked exit route from any location.  All exit signs must have an internationally recognised symbol (the 'moving person' or 'running man') and be of a green background with white symbols, and arrow or text where applicable.

Internally illuminated exit signs include a lamp which will light the sign from inside.  To ensure that the sign is visible, it is a good idea for these to be lit at all times (which should be considered mandatory for premises where the main lights are dimmed during a service).  These include the functionality of an emergency light, but by themselves are not adequate as the sole means of emergency lighting for a premises.

Fire doors

Internal fire doors are designed to hold back smoke and fire for a period of time to ensure that people can make their safe exit out of the building.  They are used to allow people to pass through from one fire compartment to another. 

Fire doors will only prevent fire and smoke spreading if they are closed and properly seated in the frame.  Inspection is necessary to ensure that the door will operate as intended.

Fire stopping

When a building is split into 'compartments' (which limit the spread of a fire), it is important to make sure that anything that passes through compartment walls, such as cables and ducts, are properly fire-stopped.  Special materials, known as intumescents, are used because these expand when subject to the heat of the fire to fill all gaps, sealing around the cables and pipes.

Fire alarms

A method should be available for any person who discovers a fire to inform others who are in the building that there is a fire. In some smaller premises, a shout of "Fire!" is enough but a whistle, horn or an electrical system may be required. In any case, the method adopted must be clearly audible throughout the premises.

Fire detectors may be included on the system to provide an automatic alarm.

Any fire warning should be audible and its meaning understood by all.  As many Churches are occupied by the Public, it may be appropriate to have a system that uses a voice message to notify occupants of the need to evacuate the premises.

Fire detectors

Smoke detectors are used to detect the early stages of a fire, and are often fitted to detect a fire that could affect people's safe exit from the building or cause them to be trapped in a room due to a fire. 

Further detection can be installed in areas of higher fire risk, and heat detectors used where smoke detectors are not suitable due to the risk of false activation.  Note that domestic smoke alarms that include only a battery (and no mains power supply) are not suitable for Places of Worship.

Fire detection may also be installed to protect the property at times when it is not occupied, by detecting fire and reporting the outbreak to an Alarm Receiving Centre.  This is not within the scope of the Fire Risk Assessment but may be worth considering if the property, or fitting-and-fixtures, are of historic significance.

Fire extinguishers

Extinguishers are designed to allow a trained person to extinguish a small fire, and may be used to allow people to make their safe escape from a fire if they are trapped.  Different types of extinguisher are suitable for different types of fire so the type of extinguisher needs to match the risk in the area.  For many Churches and Places of Worship, the choice of Water Mist together with Carbon Dioxide would be a good choice, both of which may be obtained from our sponsor, Safelincs.

Fire blankets allow a person to smother some kinds of fire and are commonly found in kitchens.

Fire hose reels may also be installed in some premises.  In these cases, care is needed because the hose reel may give a person attempting to fight the fire a false sense of safety - they may attempt to tackle a fire that is too big or stay too long when a fire shows no signs of going out.  In any case, portable fire extinguishers still need to be made available.

Fire suppression

Sprinklers are not common in Churches and Places of Worship, but can be installed to suppress fires and limit fire damage in some premises.  Other systems, which discharge extinguishing gasses into a protected room or space, are available to protect against certain fire risks, such as those found in electrical switchgear rooms which may be present in larger Places of Worship, such as cathedrals.  Likewise, many commercial catering kitchens will have fire fixed extinguishing systems covering higher-risk areas such as deep-fat-fryers.

Dry and Wet Risers and Fire Hydrants

To aid firefighting, there may be a need to have a system of pipes installed to allow water to be brought close to the location of the fire.  These systems may be classed as a dry riser (a system of pipes which is normally drained of water) or a wet riser (a system of pipes which is charged with water in readiness).

Many larger sites will have private fire hydrants installed.  It is important that the pipes serving these hydrants is large enough to allow sufficient water to flow for fire fighting operations, and devices such as water meters or pressure reducing valves may need to be bypassed using a special valve which can be accessed by fire-fighters.

Smoke Vents

Smoke vent systems are used to allow smoke and hot gases to be removed from a room or area.  They are often installed to aid firefighting, and are common in areas such as basements (where the smoke will rise upwards, potentially blocking any fire exit route).

Emergency lighting

Emergency lighting is designed to illuminate if there is a failure of the normal lighting, which may be caused by a fire attacking the wiring.  It is usually designed to light exit routes and essential fire safety equipment, although it should also be installed in larger rooms (over 60 sq.m) to prevent panic and allow people to make their escape in relative safety.

Emergency lighting for Place of Worship is usually designed to last three hours.

Note that additional emergency lighting may be present due to the hazards that may be associated with a specific area in a power failure, such as a bell-ringing chamber or tower.  This is in addition to any emergency lighting required for fire safety reasons, but is usually included in the same system of lighting.

Structural fire protection

Structural failure can cause the early collapse of the building,  leading to significant damage and put people at risk from falling debris.  Vulnerable structural elements, such as structural steel, can be protected to prevent heat affecting the integrity of the structure for a period of time.

Further Guidance

The Department for Communities and Local Government has provided a series of fire safety guides.  Of interest to most Churches and Places of Worship will be the guide covering Small and Medium Places of Assembly and the guide covering Large Places of Assembly.  There is also a guide on Means of Escape for Disabled People.

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