RISK MANAGEMENT / FIRE SAFETY GUIDANCE NOTE

Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust

FIRE WARDENS INFORMATION PACK

Fire Guidance Note 2 Date of Issue: MaY 2007 Lead Person: Fire/Health & Safety Manager For Distribution: Electronic / Fire Safety Manual Holders.

Version: 1 Review Date: May 2009 Number of Pages 12

Fire Wardens

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May 2007

Fire Wardens Information Pack Introduction To help provide a firesafe environment for patients, visitors and staff 24 hours a day is a demanding task for the Trust. No amount of equipment, systems and procedures will be completely effective without the full and active participation of people applying a proactive common sense approach to fire safety and fire precautions. Trust fire safety professionals will always be available to provide advice and solutions to maintain fire safety. However the sheer size of the hospital means inspections will be infrequent and hazards, if allowed to remain in place, would endanger people The Trust Board have therefore empowered Fire Wardens to assist ward and departmental managers in carrying out proactive monitoring of Fire Safety measures to ensure problems are identified and resolved daily, weekly or monthly. The role of the Fire warden is to Undertake monthly Fire Safety Inspections, recording and reporting the findings to their line manager. Acting as a focal point for Fire Safety issues for local staff. Attending live Fire fighting training. Assisting with Emergency Fire evacuations and Fire drills.

This Fire Warden information pack gives practical advice on how to carry out these functions, how and when inspections should be conducted, the fire precautions to be looked at and the actions to be taken to ensure that a firesafe environment is maintained Attendance at this training can be used for evidence in your KSF portfolio demonstrating activity consistent with level 2 Health, Safety and SecurityThis information pack is also intended for ward and departmental mangers. Task 1 Fire Safety Documentation Blue fire action notices should be displayed adjacent to red break glass points. These notices are to provide the public and patients with relevant information on what action must be taken should they discover a fire. Green Fire exit signage is required to identify escape routes to people who are unfamiliar with the building. Does the Fire exit signage identify alternative means of escape?

Emergency signage is installed so that it will illuminate if the mains electrical supply fails. Task 2 Fire Evacuation Routes Task to be carried out on each duty or shift change.

Fire Wardens

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Walk each evacuation route starting at the point furthest from the final exit. Bear in mind that in a real emergency numbers of people increase closer to the final exits therefore greater circulation space is needed there. Whenever possible inspect external parts of the evacuation routes. Inspections should be carried out when the Ward/Department is operational.

Task 2 Fire E vacuation R o utes

Note obstructions; report them to the Ward Sister or Department manager in charge. Where possible offer alternative locations for whatever has caused the obstruction e.g. cardiac trolleys, beds, visitor chairs, delivery cages. Whenever obstructions are reported and Ward Sisters or Department Managers take no action inform the Trusts Fire Safety Professionals. They will make a formal report to the relevant manager informing them of the problem or take other action as required.

Fire Wardens

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May 2007

Task 3 Fire Doors When walking the fire evacuation routes set out in task 2 check all designated fire doors for the following; Obstructions are removed and the circumstances associated with it reported to the Ward Sister, department manager or person in charge.

Free movement doors should freely swing through their normal arc without slowing or grounding on the floor. Look for scuff marks on the floor if unsure that the door is moving freely. Intumescent seals These are thick strips set into the door or frame that swell up rapidly when heated to fill the gap between the door and its frame or between door leaves in a double door. The door may also have cold smoke seals a plastic or hairy strip that prevents smoke passing through any gaps in the early stages of a fire. These need to be checked to ensure they are in

place and are not worn.

Door release buttons or switches if fitted should be checked to ensure that the door closes when the switch is operated. Other doors should be manually operated to make sure they fit in their frames snugly. Note that beds are easily knocked out of alignment if struck by beds, tugs, cages, food trolleys etc. Encourage avoidance tactics.

Fire Wardens

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Task 3 Fire Doors (cont)

Only in exceptional circumstances should Fire doors have vents in the door, if they are present they will look like a ventilation grill. Please inform the Fire Safety Professionals if vents are identified.

It has been identified that some Fire doors (below false ceiling height) have glazing panels above the Fire door, some of which are compliant, others are not. If a glazing panel does exist it should be Georgian wired glass. Noncompliant glazing panels consist of louvered glass - as identified in the picture - or ordinary plain glass. Please inform the Fire Safety Professionals of any non-compliance.

Fire Wardens

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Task 4 Fire Hazard Rooms Fire Hazard Rooms are those rooms that are specifically built for the purpose of withstanding a fire loading. They should consist of a solid door with no vents, a door closing mechanism, intumescent strips to door edges, contain a smoke detector, suitable floor covering and be constructed out of Fire resistant materials (you will not have this knowledge). Fire audits have identified wards & departments using unacceptable rooms for storage arrangements e.g. shower rooms, kitchens, office accommodation, duct cupboards and corridors are examples. A non fire hazard room may be indicated by the following; Signage to indicate the door is not a designated store room. No label on the door identifying Fire Door. No door closing device fitted. Timber vents in the timber door. Glass vents above the door. No lock on door. If this is the case then you should record this on the fire warden inspection form and inform the Fire Officer.

Task 5 Storage Arrangements

Never store more than you need. Keep stock segregated some goods do not mix e.g. chemicals and cardboard/paper. Keep it tidy - less air gaps less risk of fire. Keep people out unless they are authorised.

Fire Wardens

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Task 6 Flammable Liquids and Gases A check on the use and storage of Flammable liquids and gases is necessary to ensure fire risk is kept to a minimum. In addition to assessments carried out under COSHH or in extreme cases the Dangerous Substances Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR) the following questions will assist in establishing compliance; Do they only store the minimum amount necessary for the process or task? Are adequate recovery procedures in place for the end of each day, shift or task? Do staff understand why flammable liquids, flammable gases and aerosols should not be left near heat or bright sunlight? Do staff know what the correct disposal process is for the product?

Task 7 Waste Disposal During inspection observe arrangements for the storage of clinical and domestic waste;Clinical Waste This is stored in yellow clinical waste bags and containers these may contain swabs etc, which have had alcohol on them, and if left near sources of heat (radiators) can easily catch fire. They should be stored in metal bins with secure lids whilst in use prior to storage in a secure ward/Department waste store. Domestic Waste This can be cardboard or waste stored in black bags. These should not be overfilled as they tend to burst easily. Dirty Laundry & Bedding This should be stored in designated bags in the clinical waste store until collection by domestic services.

Fire Wardens

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Task 8 Fire Fighting Equipment With the exception of some estates rooms and the Main hospital kitchen the Trust operates two types of fire extinguishers, these were chosen for their ability to rapidly extinguish the types of fires encountered in Hospitals. The other types of extinguishers used in Estates generator rooms are Dry powder and Wet chemical in the main kitchens. The two main types are;6 Litre AFFF Foam with a water based media Can be used on wood, paper, textiles and flammable liquids. The foam soaks into most A class materials by smothering and cooling.

2 Kg CO2 Carbon Dioxide gas extinguishers. They can be used for flammable liquids and live electrical equipment. They are fast, noisy, cold and short duration (20 25 seconds).

Fire Wardens

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Task 8 Fire Fighting Equipment (cont) Wet chemical fire extinguisher For use on cooking oil fires, therefore located near the deep fat fryers in the main kitchens. Please Note: Due to the ferocity of this type of fire it is recommended that these extinguishers are utilised by the attending fire brigade.

The cooking range in the main kitchens at Leighton Hospital is fitted with an automatic fire suppression system that can also be manually overridden by removing the safety pin and pulling the handle.

Check Fire Extinguishers are unobstructed

Check appropriate Fire Extinguishers are charged, full and safety pin is in position.
Tag, pin & Charged

Fire Wardens

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Task 9 Fire Blankets Probably the most under rated piece of fire safety equipment. Although usually kept in the kitchen the blanket can be used anywhere in the ward/department when people have clothing on fire. The blanket can in some cases be used to prevent burning from radiated heat e.g. when placed over a patient that cannot easily be moved until they are disconnected from medical equipment e.g., HDU, SCBU. The check is simple; Ensure the blanket is in its correct position Correctly stored in the container Tabs are hanging down There is sufficient space underneath the box or container for the blanket to be withdrawn Unobstructed and ready for use Stored away from microwaves, cookers etc so that persons removing the blanket are not endangered when they remove them

Task 10 Electrical Items Few people are an expert when it comes to electrics and electrical items so any maintenance or repair work must be left to qualified personnel to ensure it meets the high standards demanded by legislation & the Trust. By carrying out the following checks you will be able to identify if electrical items are adequately controlled within your ward or department. Are Electrical Items;Only used for the purpose for which they were supplied Only used in designated areas e.g. no electrical items in bathrooms Regularly serviced and maintained by qualified personnel Labelled with a valid test sticker on the equipment to demonstrate it has been tested in accordance with legislation and Trust procedures. Does patient equipment get visually inspected by Estates and a barcode attached.

Fire Wardens

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Task 11 Fire Evacuation Equipment During a Fire emergency evacuation this Trust adopts a technique common to most hospitals. It involves, whenever possible, keeping high risk patients within the building during the evacuation. This allows for continued clinical care of the patients. The technique adopted is called Progressive Horizontal Evacuation which basically means that people in beds will be moved away from the fire on the same level. In any non patient area people are expected to move outside the hospital building until they are given further advice from the Trust Fire Safety Professionals or the Fire & Rescue services. There will however be occurrences e.g. during asbestos removals, where one of the fire escape routes that allows movement on the same level will be blocked. This may mean that one of the escape routes for high risk patients will lead down a stairwell. To assist with this process wards 12, 13, 14 and 15 are provided with Fire Evacuation Equipment. These are called EBAC mats, they are stored in the lockers within the wards adjacent to external staircases. Whilst staff on these wards have been trained with refresher training ongoing, it is important that the Fire Warden checks the equipment is available, in the correct quantity and in good order. Further information on how Fire evacuations should be conducted can be found in the Trusts Fire Evacuation Procedure, which is held in the Red Fire Safety Manuals. Task 12 False Fire Alarms There will always be occasions where the Fire Alarm activates due to its sensitivity. The Trust is under constant pressure from the Department of Health and Fire & Rescue Services to reduce the number of Unwanted Fire Signals. If the Trust had to pay for the Fire & Rescue Services to attend during August 2006 would have cost the Trust 40,800. Despite this the most important reason to control unnecessary fire alarms is to prevent movement of patients as this may have an adverse impact on their clinical care. As part of your routine inspections please consider any previous unwanted Fire Alarms that have occurred in your ward or department and what you could do to prevent them.

Fire Wardens

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Task 13 Previous Inspections During the Fire Warden Inspection refer to any outstanding items on the previous inspection and document them accordingly. Outstanding actions identified on the Fire Warden Inspection Any outstanding actions identified on your inspection must be documented on the Fire Wardens Inspection Summary form. This must be signed off by the ward or departmental manger identifying what non conformances have been identified, what action is required and whether a risk assessment is necessary. Simple straight forward actions would not require a risk assessment. A copy of the Fire Warden Summary must be filed in the Ward/Departments Fire Safety Manual for auditing purposes and a copy sent to the Fire Officer on Risk Management.

Fire Wardens

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May 2007