golf club management - Playing_with_fire

A good article from the FIA regarding Wilful Fire Raising in Sports Premises and how to mitigate the problem.

EARLIER THIS YEAR Golf Club Management published an article by Fire IndustryAssociation (FIA) CEO,Graham Ellicott, to discuss the problem of arson to sports’ facilities. and in particular, golf clubs. He noted the suspicious fire in May 2011 that destroyed the clubhouse at Tilgate Forest Golf Centre, West Sussex. More recently, in September, Hirst Priory Golf Club in Belton suffered from a fire involving a deep fat fryer. The Doncaster Free Press reported that staff at the venue used two dry powder extinguishers to tackle the flames prior to the arrival of the fire and rescue service. Once they arrived at the incident, firefighters from both the Epworth and Crowlefire stations used breathing apparatus, a dry powder extinguisher and a fireblanket to put out the blaze. Better using a Wet Chemical type extinguisher for this type of fire.

No one was injured in the fire but there was smoke damageto the kitchen and bar area of the golf club. Worryingly, statistics show that 80 per cent of businesses that suffer a serious fire are forced to shut down within18 months. Earlier this year the FIA carried out a nationwide survey which revealed that UK employers are potentially putting their employees’ lives at risk by cutting back on fire safety in the current economic climate. Almost a fifth of bosses asked admitted to revising fire safety procedures in the current economic climate,such as delaying maintenance checks of fire safety equipment, reducing staff training or delaying updating their fire risk assessments.

This is particularly disappointing information as 20 per cent of them have already had a fire in their premises! Besides the risks of arson or accidental fire, in England and Wales fire law emphasises fire prevention and reducing risk, which is the duty of the ‘responsible person’. Scottish law refers to the ‘duty holder’, in Northern Ireland it is the‘appropriate person’ but throughout the UK the person typically responsiblefor fire safety in commercial premises is the owner /employer, but it can be anyone with some control over the premises. An enforcing authority,usually the Fire and Rescue Service, may apply alteration, enforcement or prohibition notices if they are not satisfied with the safety measures.

Notices advise any safety improvements required and may even close the building until sufficient measures are in place.Penalties for breaches offire safety legislation caninclude heavy fines or imprisonment of the‘responsible person’. The size of penalty is not affected by the size of the company; it is based on the severity of breach. Therefore, the person responsible for fire safety must manage a variety of tasks including fire risk assessments, general fireprecautions such as fire detection, alarm systems and fire equipment, fire safety policy and procedures, and arranging for suitable means of escape including signs,notices and emergencylighting.

Ultimately, the ‘responsible person’ should make sure that all fire safety equipment is properly maintained and tha tstaff have had fire training(fire drills and evacuations). The ‘responsible person’ may appoint others to undertake these duties but they remain legally responsible.

The fundamental starting point to managing the fire safety of premises is the fire risk assessment and there are five key steps that should be followed:

1. Identify fire hazards –including sources of ignition, fuel and oxygen; the components of fire
2. Identify people at risk –people using the premises and any others especially at risk
3. Evaluate and remove hazards; reduce the risk and protect people
4. Record, plan, inform,instruct and train –record major findings and actions taken
5. Review the fire risk assessment regularlyand change where necessary.

The risk assessment should identify the range of protective measures appropriate to the premises and its usage. The following should need consideration:

STRUCTURAL AND PASSIVE FIRE PROTECTION
Structural and passive fire protection refers to parts of a building providing inherent fire safety and protection through structural stability, fire separation and compartmentation.

MEANS OF ESCAPE, EMERGENCY ESCAPE LIGHTING, SIGNS AND NOTICES
There must be an adequate means of escape with appropriate signage and lighting for people to quickly and safely escape, avoiding the fire. An emergency fire action plan should be tailored to suit the premises and will ensure that people on the premises know what to do in the event of afire. These plans and records will need regular review to ensure that any change to the building or its use is properly accounted for.

FIRE DETECTION AND WARNING SYSTEMS
The fire detection and alarm system will alert people to a fire allowing them to escape before they become trapped. Different types of fire detectors are suitable for different parts of the premises, allowing a suitable balance to be made between sensitive early warning and the avoidance of false alarms.

FIRE FIGHTING EQUIPMENT INCLUDING PORTABLE OR FIXED EXTINGUISHING SYSTEMS
Many buildings will require fire fighting equipment such as portable fire extinguishers, allowing people to tackle a small fire. Again, a range of equipment is available including fire blankets, portable fire extinguishers and kitchen fire suppression systems.

The risk assessment should identify what is an appropriate and suitable application to minimise the risk in a particular building.

RECORDING, PLANNING,INFORMING,INSTRUCTING AND TRAINING
A vital part of implementing a fire safety strategy is the keeping of records and training of staff. Records wil lidentify possible hazards and what has been done to reduce the risks, which can be produced to the Fire and Rescue Service, if required.

Training will include general staff awareness of the fire alarm procedures but some staff will also be trained to ensure the maintenance and regular testing of fire protection and alarm equipment.

Fire Marshals/Fire Wardens will be trained when it is appropriate for the safe use of fire fighting equipment so that they are able to limit the effect of a small fire.

Most of the people responsible for fire safety who were interviewed in the FIA survey admitted to not fully understanding the penalties of not adhering to fire law. Insurers are paying out approximately £4 million per day for fire losses where buildings and assets are insured. But the real fire loss figure is undoubtedly higher when you consider the loss to the local community.

When implementing fire precautions, the FIA recommends the specification and use of companies that are third party certificated. These schemes ensure that the products, systems and services provided by a company are fit for purpose, so that the ‘Duty Holder’ can be confident that they have fulfilled their duty and have provided adequate fire safety for their premises.

With the aim of trying to help businesses become more fire safe, the FIA has produced a Best Practice Guideto help the responsible person get to grips with their fire safety duties. It is free to download from the FIA website; www.fia.co.uk see the ‘ResponsiblePersons’ area.

The FIA is a not-for-profit trade association which promotes professional standards in the UK fire safety industry.