Who is responsible for identifying fire hazards in the NHS?

Identifying fire hazards in any building is imperative to ensuring the safety of its occupants. This is especially important in healthcare settings where vulnerable people are cared for daily. To identify fire hazards in any building, a fire risk assessment is required. But who is responsible for fire risk assessments in the NHS? Find out all about risk assessments and healthcare fire safety training in this guide from NW Fire Solutions.

Who is responsible for identifying fire hazards in healthcare facilities?

Fire risk assessments help to point out fire hazards on premises and notify the relevant people about areas for improvement. For a house, the person responsible is the property manager or landlord, so who is responsible in a healthcare setting?

The UK government has set rules around fire safety in the workplace and states that the responsible persons for a fire risk assessment are:

• Owner
• Employer
• Landlord
• Occupier
• Anybody in control of the premises, such as a building manager, managing agent or risk assessor

Based on this list, for a healthcare facility, it would be the employer or the owner of the building who is responsible. NHS facilities are not just hospitals; there are walk-in centres and care centres. The manager, or employer, at each of these facilities, would be the person responsible for ensuring a valid fire risk assessment is carried out.

Fire risk assessments explained

A fire risk assessment is an organised inspection of a building to ascertain if there are any fire hazards that could cause harm to occupants. Any hazards that are found must be identified with measures put in place to rectify the issues to provide a safe environment for occupants.

Under the Regulatory Form (Fire Safety) Order 2005, a fire risk assessment is a legal requirement for most types of buildings used as a place of work. Residential buildings made up of more than a single dwelling must also have an up-to-date fire risk assessment.

The fire safety risk assessment may reveal a need for other fire safety surveys, like fire compartmentation or an external wall survey.

Healthcare fire safety training

Healthcare professionals are responsible for a wide range of roles and care. In any given healthcare setting, whether it’s a hospital, a care home or a walk-in centre, healthcare workers have an incredible amount of responsibility.

All of their responsibilities come before the risk of fire is present. If a fire does break out in a healthcare setting, it is their job to make sure occupants of the building are safe. Whether that is providing more care for injuries or guiding them safely towards fire exits, it is another aspect of their roles that they must be prepared for. It is for this reason that healthcare fire safety training is imperative.

Under the Fire Safety Order 2005, it is a legal requirement that all employees should undergo basic fire training at their induction. With NW Fire Solutions, you can give employees further training.

Basic fire-fighting techniques help prevent small fires from becoming big ones, causing major damage and potential loss of life. In a healthcare setting with so many people present at once, this type of training can be the vital difference between life and death. Healthcare fire safety training from NW Fire Solutions ensures your staff can competently react when a fire breaks out.

Fire safety services at NW Fire Solutions

Healthcare fire safety training is not the only health and safety option available at NW Fire Solutions. If you require somebody to undertake a fire risk assessment at a healthcare facility, we can do this. Our experienced assessors will check every aspect of your building to ensure all potential fire hazards are noted so they can be improved or removed.

If you require a fire strategy to be put in place on your premises, we can also help you with that. Fire risk assessments are just one way you can protect your building and its occupants from fire. But there is more you can do. To find out more, contact NW Fire Solutions on 0151 665 0124 or info@nwfiresolutions.co.uk.