the use of evidence to assess the effectiveness of fire

of 21 IRMP Conference – Glasgow - May 2011 12/14/2011 1 E-ProBuild

Jim Baker Loughborough University

The use of evidence to

assess the effectiveness of

fire safety management

IRMP Conference - Glasgow

5 & 6 May 2011

of 21 IRMP Conference – Glasgow - May 2011

The problem of fire deaths

Fire deaths remained constant at

about 600 to 700 deaths per year.

Domestic fire deaths have reduced by

about one third between 1990 and

2009.

Evidence created a compelling

argument to tackle the problem.


Reactive and proactive resources

The FRS can be divided up into

reactive and proactive resources.

Success in reducing fire deaths is

attributed to a proactive use of

resources, including:

• Fire safety advice;

• Home fire safety checks;

• Profiling and targeting.


Another persistent problem

Curiously, £7 billion was the amount paid

out in UK bank bonuses this year?


Tackling this problem

The annual cost of fire could be

reduced in a similar manner to the

way that fire deaths have been

reduced:

• Analysing data and collecting

evidence to allow profiling and

targeting;

• Innovative campaigns;

• Maintenance strategy.


Hypothesis

Most, if not all, fires in commercial,

heritage and public buildings occur

as a result of poor fire safety

management.

This hypothesis is difficult to prove

or disprove as there is no accepted

definition of ‘fire safety

management’.


Evidence of poor fire safety

management is already collected

CFOA audits

Collection of evidence for

prosecution:

Two prosecutions that illustrate;

• the effect of poor fire safety

management;

• the ability of the FRS to gather and

use evidence effectively.


Shell Centre, York Road, London

12 January 2007

LFB called twice in three weeks to

extinguish small fires;

Parts of building under refurbishment;

Operational firefighters asked fire

safety officers to investigate;

Prohibition Notice served;

Prosecution following evidence of

poor fire safety management:

• Blocked escape routes;

• Removal of active and passive

fire protection;

• Increase in fire loading


New Look, Oxford Street, London

25 November 2009 LFB called by a worker in an adjacent building;

Prosecution following evidence of poor fire safety management:

• Fire alarm had been reset;

• Fire exit doors operated by swipe cards;

• No evacuation plan;

• Inadequate fire safety training.


Fire Safety Order

Enforcement notice Article Details of failure to comply

with order

Steps necessary to comply

Article 9 Failure to make a suitable and

sufficient fire risk assessment

Carry out suitable and sufficient fire risk

assessment.

Article 13 Failure to provide a suitable

method of giving warning in

case of fire

Provide a suitable method of giving

warning in case of fire.

Article 15 Failure to establish an

appropriate emergency plan.

Prepare/update emergency plan.

Article 17 Failure to ensure that the

premises and any facilities,

equipment and devices are

maintained in an efficient state,

in effective working order and in

good repair.

Ensure that adequate maintenance

systems are in place to ensure that the

premises and any facilities, equipment

and devices are maintained in an

efficient state, in effective working order

and in good repair.

Article 21 Failure to ensure employees

receive adequate safety

training.

Implement/review training programme to

ensure employees receive adequate

safety training.


FRS Enforcement


FRS comparison


Fire safety management model

There is much guidance about fire

safety management (particularly in

BS9999) but there is no definition.

A suitably considerate, comprehensive

and complete model of fire safety

management could act as a focus for

the same level of energy and

innovation that the FRS is showing

towards the problem of fire deaths.


Fire safety management model

Source: Howarth D.J. MPhil thesis: Bradford University


Calculating probabilities

Measuring the most frequent occurrences

of poor fire safety management allows

their probabilities to be calculated.

Calculating the probabilities allows

predictions to be made.

A ranked list of different causes of fire in

different businesses in different

properties could be formulated from the

predictions.


Benefits of a ranked list

A ranked list allows:

• advice to occupiers to be directed at the

most frequent aspects of poor fire safety

management

• targeted campaigns tackling the most

troublesome aspects of fire safety

management;

• consistent administration of the fire safety

order;

• more accurate forecasting by allowing

evidence to accumulate.


Conclusions

To be of any practical use, the

elements of fire safety management

need classification. This would

encourage:

• A focus on those elements of fire

safety which were more

troublesome than others;

• Suitably tailored data and evidence

gathering.


Conclusions

Three possibilities arising from the

creation of a classification system:

1. It would produce profiles similar

(in concept) to the ones that

currently exist regarding fire

deaths;

2. The most troublesome profiles

could be subjected to targeted

campaigns;


Conclusions

3. Once a reduction in the annual fire

loss was evident, proactive and

reactive resources could be

adjusted to maintain and increase

the reduction.


References

a. http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/InY

ourHome/FireSafety/index.htm

b. UK Government: The Economic Cost of Fire: Estimates

for 2004

c. http://www.london-fire.gov.uk/

d. Chief Fire Officer’s Association: Revised CFOA Fire

Safety Guidance Notes and Audit Form: Version 4.1

e. UK Government: Environment and Safety Information

Act 1988

f. BSI: BS9999: Code of practice for fire safety in the

design, management and use of buildings

g. Howarth D.J. (1999), Fire safety management at

passenger interchanges, MPhil thesis, University of

Bradford

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/InYourHome/FireSafety/index.htm

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/InYourHome/FireSafety/index.htm

http://www.london-fire.gov.uk/



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