Fire Wardens - Background Brief

A document provided by College to clarify the role of 'Fire Warden' to the JCR

• General Health & Safety legislation creates a 'duty of care' on everyone in a working environment.
• New Fire legislation (the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005) consolidated over 80 earlier pieces of legislation, and introduced significant change. As well as simplifying current legislation, it introduces the need for employers, building owners and occupiers to have a greater understanding of fire safety and nominate a 'responsible person' to ensure compliance.
• The Domus Bursar is the 'responsible person' on behalf of Downing College, aided by the Head Porter.
• The Order applies to virtually all premises and covers nearly every type of building, structure and open space, only excluding purely domestic premises occupied by a single family group.
• The responsible person (the Domus Bursar) is required to:
  • Carry out or nominate someone to carry out a fire risk assessment identifying the risks and hazards; this was undertaken by Total Protection Services (TPS).
  • Consider who may be especially at risk; such individuals have Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEP) raised.
  • Eliminate or reduce the risk from fire as far as is reasonably practical and provide general fire precautions to deal with any residual risk. This includes changing or limiting dangerous practices (eg candles in rooms), and improving checking, testing and alarm systems.
  • Take additional measures to ensure fire safety where flammable or explosive materials are used or stored. This applies particularly to Catering and Maintenance Departments.
  • Create a plan to deal with any emergency and document those findings.
  • Regularly review the findings.
• Good practice, and a recommendation from TPS, is that Fire Wardens should be appointed to assist in each discrete area (staircase or house). They do NOT assume any greater responsibility than any other occupant, but they provide a service to assist other occupants, the Porters and Emergency Services.
• They undertake an on-going observation of their accommodation with regard to general fire safety: fire doors which may be regularly propped open, extinguishers which may be missing from their mounts etc.
• They assist the Porters/Emergency Services in taking a rollcall after an evacuation.
• The College undertakes regular checks in accordance with the Fire Safety Plan. This includes making weekly fire alarm checks, monthly fire extinguisher checks and periodic emergency lighting checks.
• In order to minimise the effort for the Fire Wardens, this service will normally be allocated to the individual located furthest from the normal fire exit. In houses, however, the Hostelkeeper is nominated, since he/she has a better chance of knowing who is in the accommodation, and is the only 'permanent' resident.
• Finally, a Fire Warden is not:
• Required to re-enter any accommodation at risk.
• Required to change their normal work or life pattern.
• Act as a hero!