Fire & Emergency Evacuation

Fire is a potential hazard in all workplaces, more of a risk in some than in others.
Further, there may be a number of other reasons why workers may have to
evacuate. Has the employer done everything possible to reduce the risk of a
fire occurring? Is there an emergency evacuation plan in place? The information
provided here includes an Action Plan for reps, and a Fire Safety Assessment Form.

The Problem

Legal Standards

Action Plan for HSRs

The Problem
Fires in the work environment have significant potential to cause losses. These losses may be in the form of:

Loss of life

Injury to employees

Property damage

Product damage

Equipment damage

Loss of information

Community damage; and

Environmental damage

Fire causation factors

Many fires can be attributed to malfunctions in electrical equipment through component failure. The following can cause component
failure:

Defective components or manufacture;

Overworking

Inappropriate use

Inadequate ventilation and overheating

Ageing

Lack of maintenance or neglect

Mistreatment or damage

Housekeeping
Flammable materials or substances stored or used incorrectly pose a potential fire risk. Poor housekeeping, for example, where waste
material is stored or allowed to accumulate in inappropriate locations, such as exit routes, increases the likelihood of a fire occurring.
Some dusts (such as flour dust, coal dust, even dust from fabrics) have the potential to explode when coming into contact with an ignition
source.

Legal Standards
Under Section 21 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 the employer has a duty to provide and maintain a healthy and safe
working environment. This includes providing a safe system of work, information, training, supervision, and where appropriate personal
protective equipment. Under Section 26, persons who manage or control workplaces must ensure that the workplace and the means of
entering and leaving it are safe and without risks to health. (see summary of Duties of Employers )
In addition to the Act, the following Acts, Regulations and Australian Standards, may be relevant to this hazard in your workplace:

Compliance Code - Workplace amenities and work environment, in particular the

sectionResponding to emergencies;

The Dangerous Goods Act and Regulations (see the hazard page on the site, or
the WorkSafe Topic information page on Dangerous Goods);

WorkSafe Guidance Note - Emergency management - Developing a plan for a

small organisation

The National Construction Code of Australia. This is a national code and applies to
all commercial buildings in Australia. In May of 2015 it was given regulatory status
by the states and territories. The Code calls up a number of Australian Standards
and specifies what is required in terms of number of exits required, dimensions of
exits and paths of travel to exits, emergency exit signs, other equipment, fire
resistance and more. (The Code can now be accessed online free - upon
registration at the NCC website);

Part 4.1 Hazardous Substances of the OHS Regulations (2007) and (old) Code of
Practice 1999.

Australian Standards:
These are not regulations per se, unless called up in other regulations - however they provide advice which should be complied with.
There are hundreds of Australian Standards on fire and fire control. The following are some specific Standards (some of them are a series
of Standards):

AS 3745 Planning for emergencies in facilities

AS 4083 Planning for emergencies - Health care facilities

AS 4485.2 Security for health care facilities - Procedure guide

AS MP 24 Use of lifts in emergencies

AS 1841 Maintenance of fire protection equipment

AS 1940 Rules for the storage and handling of flammable and combustible liquids

AS 2220 Rules for emergency warning and intercommunication systems for

buildings

AS 2441 Installation of fire hose reels

AS 2444 Portable fire extinguishers - selection and location

AS 1221 Fire hose reels

AS 1603 Automatic fire detection and alarm systems

AS 1851 Portable fire extinguishers (series)

AS 3760 In-service safety inspection and testing of electrical equipment

 AS 3504 Fire blankets

The above list is not exhaustive - just a sample. A full catalogue of all Australian/New Zealand Standards can be found at the SAI Global
website , which is Standards Australia's online shopsite. Please check that these are up to date
Advice and assistance on fire prevention and emergency procedures may be sought from the following sources including:

Metropolitan Fire Brigade - Community Education Department 9665 4464

Fire protection consultants (yellow pages)

Standard Association of Australia 03 9693 3555

Action Plan for Health and Safety Representatives

As with all workplace hazards, fire should be dealt with in this
way:

1. Identification of the hazard

2. Assessment of the risk

3. Control: Elimination or reduction of the risk

4. Review and evaluation of any control strategies.

1 - Identification of Fire Hazards

Ensure you look for fire hazards as part of your regular workplace inspections. Use
checklists to identify fire hazards and to check the effectiveness of warning
systems and emergency procedures.

Develop specific checklists to enable the process of identification to be carried

out. These checklists should be developed either with other OHS reps or the OHS
Committee. You can download a brief checklist here - you will need to adapt it for
your workplace.

Ensure that the employer has provided you with all relevant information to
identify and assess any hazards. This includes Material Safety Data Sheets for all
substances used and stored at the workplace, properties of building materials, etc

Discuss the issue of fire hazards with members of your designated work group.

Ensure that all incidents are recorded.

2 - Assessment of the risk

Check all MSDS to ensure that flammable substances are used and stored
correctly.

Check any past incidents.

3 - Control: Elimination/reduction of risk

As with other hazards, the preferred order of control should be followed - start by trying to eliminate the hazard at the design stage.
Sometimes a combination of control methods should be used.
Consider the following:
Design
 Has the rep/OHS Committee been given access to all relevant publications such as
Codes of Practice, Acts, Regulations, and Australian Standards?

Has the workplace been designed to eliminate or minimise the risk of fire?

Can ignition sources (sparks, flames, and heat sources) be eliminated from the
workplace?

Can inflammable materials be eliminated from the workplace?

Have work practices been designed to eliminate or minimise the risks associated
with fire?

Can workplace practices be changed to eliminate fire risks?

Has the workplace been designed to facilitate fire fighting and emergency
procedures in the case of fire?

Has the Employer/HSR/OHS Committee contacted the Fire Brigade for advice on
fire prevention?

Has the HSR/OHS Committee surveyed employees for suggestions and

recommendations for improvements in the area of fire safety?

Have arrangements been made so that all new employees receive induction
training? This must include fire procedure training.

Substitution

Can fire resistant furnishings and furniture minimise fire risks?

Can less flammable materials be used in the workplace?

Can the quantities be reduced and/or the form be changed?

Engineering

Can inflammable materials and ignition sources be isolated from each other and
from workers? Isolation may mean isolation by distance, or by barriers.

Can ventilation/exhaust fans etc, prevent the build up of inflammable or explosive

gases?

What warning systems can be installed to signal hazardous pre-fire situations or

actual outbreaks in the early stages?

Can the workplace layout be changed to facilitate fire fighting and emergency
procedures?

Can heat-producing equipment be kept away from the walls to enable air
circulation?

Can fire doors, fire windows and shutters be installed to delay the spread of fire?

Can additional storage facilities be installed to reduce the fire risk?

 Are the means of access and exit adequately sign-posted and readily accessible?

Administrative measures

Has a housekeeping program been implemented to minimise the fire risk? Is it being practised?

Is there a maintenance system to prevent fires? (eg maintenance of electrical equipment, removal of refuse, etc.)

Is there a maintenance system to ensure that warning systems and fire fighting equipment are in working order?

Are extinguishers appropriate for the type of fire risk?

Is there a system to ensure emergency procedures will work? (eg to ensure that exits are not blocked or locked?)

Are signs adequate for fire prevention and for emergency procedures?

Is all staff suitably trained in fire prevention and emergency procedures? In some cases the training may need to be in different
languages.

Are all emergency response teams trained in the case of a fire situation?

Personal protective clothing

Will the protective clothing and equipment issued minimise burns or other harm
such as smoke inhalation suffered by a worker in the event of fire?

Is breathing apparatus required/supplied/available?

Are fire blankets provided?

Fire and Emergency Evacuation Plan

It is important that your workplace have a simple plan to respond to emergencies.
This will reduce the potential for injury and illness and avoid panic.
The health and safety rep/OHS Committee should develop the plan in consultation
with all employees. All employees should receive a copy of the plan, which should
also be posted on notice boards. It is vital that all employees are trained in the
emergency procedures outlined in the plan.
The emergency plan should cover:

Immediate action to stop or minimise the hazard (eg use of fire extinguishers if
trained);

the need to stay calm;

who to call to raise the alarm;

how to notify emergency personnel (ambulance, fire brigade, SES, electricity, gas,
police);

how, when and where to evacuate;

names of the key leaders responsible for making decisions during the emergency
(and their duties eg, a warden);

how to establish and use a fail-safe communications system.

Plans work best when they are reviewed and updated.

A Guidance Note for Preparing for Emergency Evacuations at the Workplace has been
issued by the Western Australian Commission for Occupational Safety and Health to
provide guidance on preparing for emergency evacuations at the workplace and
some of the legislative requirements under that state's OHS Act. It provides useful
advice adaptable to all workplaces.
The Community Education Department of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade and a number
of private companies can provide assistance (for a fee) with the preparation of
emergency plans. The contact phone number for the MFB Community Education
Department is 03) 9665 4464. Look the Yellow Pages, under 'Fire Protection
Equipment and Consultants' to find private companies.
Ensure the employer organises a few test runs to check on the key components of
the communication systems and evacuation procedures. These should be repeated
these regularly.
See Also:

Fire Escapes - What are the rules?

Workplaces have a variety of potential fire risks depending on their type and
location. This section includes information for a wide range of workplace
environments. The Victorian Country Fire Authority (CFA) has a range
of resources on its website.

Last amended June 2015

FIRE SAFETY www.ohs.co.uk | 0871 384 3119 A full review of existing Fire Safety
Management System (FSMS) including policies, organisation, procedures,
monitoring and audit process to contribute to a gap analysis. Carry out either a
new Fire Risk Assessment or a re-inspection to meet the requirements of the Fire
Safety Order (FSO) 2005, which is a statutory obligation for the Responsible
Person (RP) under the FSO. This will include both management systems and
premises. As a result of the FRA we will provide the RP with a comprehensive
action plan based on a Risk Prioritisation System to ensure the safety of users of
the premise/ venue and compliance is achieved. In order to ensure the action
plan is successfully implemented, OHS can provide on-going support and
consultancy through training, periodic reviews, 1-2-1 coaching. Where actions
require physical improvements, OHS is able to provide basic remedial works and
assist you in obtaining best value from any contracted services you may need.
All risk assessments require periodic monitoring and review and fi re safety is no
exception. As a guide the FRA must be reviewed at least annually or as often as
is required (when for example there are changes in working practice, occupancy
or building use). As part of our process we are committed to providing all the
support and advice required. By following steps 1-5, and working in partnership
with OHS, we are confi dent that we will be able to provide you with the level of
compliance required for your business and more importantly a safe working
environment. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Fire Management Policy Research (Investigation) Fire
Risk Assessment Management Aspects Premises FRA Fire Management Plan
Implement Procedures and Training of Specifi c Findings Monitor Compliance 1 2
3456