More fire prevention responsibility falls on management

Senior management is becoming increasingly responsible for the implementation of fire-prevention and protection measures on company premises.

This is due to the fact that emergency services and authorities in South Africa are often overburdened, says health and safety training and equipment provider Action Training Academy (ATA) director Alastair Farish.

Additional responsibility, therefore, falls on companies to ensure that they comply with the minimum requirements and standards in terms of safety equipment, he adds.

Fire marshals, who are part of a company’s health and safety structure, must undertake monthly inspections of firefighting equipment and record their findings in compliance with regulations set by the Department of Labour.

“All equipment must also be serviced every year to comply with South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) regulations, and evacuation drills have to be done every six months. Records of these activities also have to be kept,” adds ATA training manager Riaan Oberholzer.

This is important from an insurance perspective because, if not done and a fire occurs, there is a chance that the company may be found liable for loss, whether of life or property. Insurance companies may also repudiate claims lodged with them if it is found that a company was noncompliant with fire prevention and protection regulations, Farish explains.

“This is a significant risk for companies,” he emphasises.

Further, a company also has to ensure that the building it occupies complies with fire prevention and protection regulations, especially if there has been a change in the interior layout of the building.

The firefighting and prevention equipment in a building is specified based on its rational design, which is the minimum requirement for a specific building based on its initial layout following construction. The building’s architect and the fire chief base the specifications for required equipment on national regulations and legislation.

However, once a company has decided how it wants to use a building, it must submit a plan that specifies identified fire hazards to its local fire department. The building must then be inspected and needs to be approved, based on the specific risks associated with the building or the type of work done in the building, explains Oberholzer.

“Once the internal structure of a building changes, we often find that the minimum equipment is no longer adequate for fire- fighting and protection throughout the building. “For instance, hoses that could reach across the interior of the building can no longer do so, because of partitions or doors preventing this. “This is a significant problem and that is part of the reason why companies should use technical experts to assess fire risks to businesses,” says Farish.

ATA provides health and safety training and conducts inspections of companies’ premises to advise on whether the minimum safety standards are being met.

It trains a committee of personnel within every company to oversee and manage the implementation of health and safety, fire-prevention and fire-protection measures, involving adequate risk identification, the required health and safety signage and equipment needs.

This committee must ensure that firefighting equipment is adequate and serviced at the required intervals; manage the training of staff in firefighting and fire prevention, and other required health and safety courses and measures.

“As per accepted industry standards, we train a minimum of one in 50 company employees in fire prevention and protection. “We also provide companies with the required administrative documents, as well as guidance and support, to ensure that fire prevention and protection measures are implemented correctly and in line with regulations,” says Farish.

Further, ATA inspects a company’s premises and produces a report using the Occupational Health and Safety Act regulations, as well as SABS regulations 0400 for fire protection based on building occupancy classification, 0139 for fire protection planning, including evacuation routes and staircases, and 1475 dealing with firefighting equipment.

“Companies that implement our recommendations should comply with statutory requirements. In addition, if we service their firefighting equipment, we may also issue a certificate of compliance with SABS 1475 regulations,” says Farish.

 

Source :  Engineering News 15th April 2011

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