Fire Strategy

What is a Fire Strategy?

A fire strategy is a complex document specifically tailored to a building, reviewing all aspects of the building’s fire safety features including construction, compartmentation strategy, means of escape and management arrangements.

Approved documents are used predominantly for designing the fire strategy. Alternative documents are also considered where appropriate such as BS 9999, fire engineered information, codes of practice and specific premises documents such as Health Technical Memorandum (HTM) for hospitals.

Is a Fire Strategy a Legal Requirement?

Where a building is erected or extended, or has undergone a material change of use, Regulation 38 of the Building Regulations requires that a package of fire safety information must be assembled and given to the responsible person of the premises. A fire strategy is commonly used as a means for collating and providing that information. We are now seeing, given the recommendations made in the post Grenfell Hackitt Review, that organisations are now commissioning retrospective strategies to address this lack of information.

How does a Fire Strategy Improve Organisation Resilience?

Completing a fire strategy protects an organisation by analysing potential fire disruption and enabling a focused approach to be taken to mitigate the risks. By then implementing a plan to minimise the destruction caused by a fire, an organisation is less likely to suffer.

The fire strategy can be used alongside a business continuity plan, which is a pre-planned management system implemented to ensure a company can continue to operate after a disaster such as fire, flood or any other natural occurrence.

What is included in a Fire Strategy?

Means of Escape – An analysis of the design of the building, the travel distances and whether the existing escape routes, leading to a place of ultimate safety, are suitable and sufficient for all persons at risk in the premises and the intended maximum capacity.

It also provides evidence for the suitability of the protection for the means of escape so that it can be safely used by all occupants.  Examining the level of internal protection required along escape routes (including protected routes, fire doors, the treatment of service penetrations and joints in construction) is necessary in order to ensure fire separation is achieved to aid safe evacuation.

Means of Giving Warning – Analysing the standard of fire detection and alarm required for the premises.  Is this sufficient for the risk?  Does it meet an acceptable and recognised standard? Is it being used correctly to manage evacuation in an emergency? Is it being correctly maintained and tested?

External Fire Spread – Analysing the possible degree of further damage should the fire spread externally via breakout, across roofs, via cladding or other materials used on the external envelope, or through the transfer of heat to adjacent buildings.

Access/Facilities for the Fire & Rescue Services – ensuring all provisions for access to the emergency services satisfy both the Building Regulations and the local Fire Authority, which includes reviewing external vehicle access, hydrant provision and establishing if there is a requirement for rising fire mains, access points, firefighting lifts and shafts.

Other Factors – these may include the use of sprinkler or other suppression systems, smoke control and ventilation systems.  The implementation of such systems may be used to compensate within a building that has an increased risk, such as extended travel distances, limited means of escape, large compartment sizes or significant life risk, such as in healthcare premises. Provision of emergency/external lighting and signs to aid escape, as well as emergency plans displaying designated evacuation routes are also considered for adequacy?

Fire Safety Management – This includes a review of how fire safety is managed in the organisation, the adopted evacuation strategy and fire safety training specific to the premises staff employed to work there, addressing any specific fire risks within the premises and detailing particular duties which should be performed during an evacuation for certain staff.

Safety For Business (UK) Ltd

Safety for Business are able to create fire safety strategies for all types of premises.  Our fire safety strategists have years of experience from service in UK Fire Brigades and by working within business.  They know the issues that face an organisation and the impact on the bottom line that these issues might cause.  We provide a pragmatic approach to fire strategy development that ensures compliance, but in a cost effective manner.

We have created or provided critiques on fire strategies for all types of premises.  These range from hospitals to hotels, offices to leisure facilities and factories to warehouses.  We regularly liaise with UK Fire Services and Building Control Authorities and find ourselves negotiating with these authorities from time to time, ensuring the best outcome for the client, rather than a ‘by the book’ approach usually favoured by these authorities.