1 Project Brief

Upon starting a new caretaking and maintenance contract with a client last year, Covenant were asked to additionally improve the fire safety risks, policies, procedures and training for the site.

1.1 Project Scope

After some further clarifications we settled on the following project deliverables.

• Written documented fire risk assessments
• Draft new policies and procedures for fire safety
• Develop training for the client and its tenants to improve awareness and compliance
• Implement remedial sub projects where required to address fire safety

2 Stage 1 – Assessment

The site is set out over 4 acres. As the site comprised of residential accommodation, training facilities, sub-let charity occupancy, a fully catered restaurant and management suite, the assessment stage took over three weeks to complete.

Given the nature of the buildings we had a multitude of considerations.

• Main site management teams with various levels of administrators, receptionists, housekeepers and cleaners on site from 9 through 5, Monday to Friday.
• Two separate companies, with staff and equipment, leasing space for their charity offices. They would need to comply with all the policies and procedures.
• Long-term rental areas of the estate. Privately rented out by the client.
• Hotel style accommodation for up to 60 guests.
• Large open spaces for recreation and play.
• An alcohol licensed premises, actively seeking to expand its parties and functions part of the business.

Having noted the assessments, full reports were provided to the client for each area scoped. With RAG (red, amber and green) action plans to help the client prioritise.

3 Stage 2 – Implementation

3.1 Policies and Procedures

• A detailed set of policies were produced to cover all eventualities for all of the usage considerations mentioned above. These were written in a bespoke style for the usage considerations and cover all eventualities for fire.
• Procedures were added to the statement of work for Caretaking as a Service (CaaS). Covenant’s innovative caretaking service to the church and charity sector. We provided the following.
• Weekly compliance checking of heat and smoke detectors, emergency lighting, fire alarm testing and regular observation checks to remove sources of ignition from communal areas and exits.

3.2 Training

Dedicated fire safety training to all main site staff and staff of those leasing space. This included representatives from the catering outsource company. The training lasted four hours, where attendees were taught and instructed in the following. In accordance with the Regulatory Reform (Fires Safety) Order 2005, and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

1. The Effect of Fire
2. Our Responsibilities
3. Principles of Fire
4. Fire Risk Assessment
5. Fire Prevention
6. Fire Detection
7. Fire Containment
8. Firefighting Equipment
9. Evacuation and Emergency Planning
10. Record Keeping

3.3 Communications and management

Monthly monitoring meetings have been put in place with the client managers to highlight areas of concern with relation to the buildings and grounds, with fire safety and health and safety as a particular focus. Covenant maintain an issue log to highlight ongoing areas of concern and to implement the actions for the RAG action tables. This enables the client to prioritise remedial actions.

3.4 Remedial Actions

3.4.1 Evacuation plans and awareness training for residents

Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) where written for all areas and fire marshals trained in basic fire attendance, the evacuation plan for the building. Additionally trained in letting off extinguishing devices.

3.4.2 Arson prevention – security cameras and lighting

To reduce the risk of arson Covenant installed security lighting that is timed to be on around the building from dusk till dawn. Lighting areas where potential arson could occur and deterring as much as possible the likelihood of an arson attempt.

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In addition, Covenant installed a 23 camera CCTV system that enables the client to view current and past video footage. Available through a portal, all content can be used in the event of an accident, crime or nuisance issue and supports the client’s application for an alcohol license.

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3.4.3 Fire alarm panel

The Buildings Safety Project identified various needs for the site in relation to fire alert and evacuation systems. Covenant upgraded the fire alarm panel to a state of the art four zone fire alarm system that covers the entire property. We additionally replaced 25 of the 75 extinguishers at the site and put in place new extinguishers and maintenance plans to keep them current and within legislation.

3.4.4 Emergency lighting

After a review by our fire safety and electrical specialists we worked to address the following remedial actions.

• Align the emergency lighting to the correct grade of building. The lighting provision needed to be upgraded to be suitable for a building, classed as a hotel.

We therefore implemented the following.

• Initial mapping of each emergency light to its relevant key switch to provide a clear understanding of the sites provision.
• Identification of devices required, those needing to be replaced and those that needed rewiring.
• 14 person days of engineering and installation to rewire and install
• 2 person days marking and labeling devices back to the key switches and a diagrammatic plan made to help support regular discharge testing.
• A number of miscellaneous devices such as ceiling fittings, switch boxes and grid closures and additional wiring to these devices.
• Constant retesting of zones and key switches to ensure discharge testing worked.
• Where we could salvage devices we rewired them as they were incorrectly wired for none maintained.

Maintained external emergency lighting that is permanently on 24/27. See below.

Illuminated fire escape signage and ‘frog eye’ spot lights and directional fire signage fitted to new emergency lighting to aid escape routes.

Lastly, and most importantly Covenant have embedded the regular discharge testing of emergency lights into its Caretaking as a Service (CaaS) profile for this client. Ensure batteries are tested regularly and that devices don’t fail. Where they do CaaS supports the time and materials to replace them.

3.4.5 Laundry solution

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The previous laundry solution was a hazard for fire evacuation and was not a very usable place for guests and tenants. The washing draped directly across exits routes and mobile drying devices were scattered across the room, increasing the risk to those exiting in the event of a fire.

See left.

Those exiting had no idea where to walk to as it was not clearly sign posted.

By assessing the full use of the laundry area we designd and erected a scaffold system drying space for large and small items. Using tensioned wire we created a safe but very functional framework that keeps laundry off the floor, off mobile dryers and cleared the evacuation space. We even painted the floor and marked the evacuation route

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