Do you have the right processes and procedures in place to prevent a disaster? Laura West shares her advice on best practice when it comes to fire safety.
Fire is a serious matter for nurseries – remember, the EYFS states, “Providers must take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of children, staff and others on the premises in the case of fire or any other emergency, and must have an emergency evacuation procedure.”
It is the duty of the ‘Responsible Person’ to ensure the safety of employees and other relevant persons. You need to take this role very seriously, as failure to do so could result in you being liable.
The Responsible Person is the employer and/or building owner or occupier. He/she must organise a fire risk assessment (FRA) and keep it up-to-date. I recommend that a professional fire risk assessor completes this.
The FRA will identify what potentially could start a fire and who may be a risk. You can then take appropriate action.
The big question to consider is whether you can avoid the risk altogether. If you can’t, you must try to reduce the risk, e.g. by separating sources of fuel from ignition sources.
Think about where you keep items within your nursery. Is bedding stored near sources of heat or too close to electric outlets?
How many electrical items do you plug into electrical sockets? Have you overloaded them? Is your tumble dryer filter full of lint? Good housekeeping is an essential part of fire prevention management.
If a fire was to start, could all adults and children get out safely? As the employer you must ensure that appropriate safety measures are in place to minimise the risk of injury or loss of life.
Do you have adequate fire detection? This generally is a combination of both smoke and heat sensors.
It’s essential to detect a fire and raise the alarm as fast as possible. Once you have this equipment, make sure it works by checking each call point regularly.
I recommend testing your alarm system weekly. A competent person should also inspect it at least twice a year. Other fire safety checks should include a daily walk of the premises, and a monthly inspection to ensure that all fire exits and ‘means of escape’ have clear access at all times, and that all emergency lighting is working.
You should also check fire extinguishers monthly. These must also be inspected and certificated yearly by a fire protection equipment company. Record all these checks in your fire log book.
It’s important that everyone has appropriate training on procedures they need to follow, including fire drills.
I recommend completing drills at least once a quarter. Carry these out on different days and times, so that all staff and children can practise what to do and which route to take in the event of fire.
Consider equipment that could assist in evacuating young children quickly, e.g. evacuation cots.
Remember that it is a requirement under The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety Order 2005) to provide staff with fire safety training. You need to provide this training on induction and periodically following this. Keep a record of this training.
A fire needs three things to start:
Remove any one of these elements from the ‘fire triangle’ and you will prevent a fire starting.
Laura West is the childcare health & safety specialist at MCW Nursery Support Services.
