Fire Safety Management Plan

At any given time, fires can occur and cause disruption in communities or organisations. For example, fires can create chaos and interrupt people’s access to personal things and other resources. Measures to deal with disasters need to be in place to reduce damage in emergency situations.

The rise of disasters in South Africa has increased the need for fire management strategies and there is a high demand for professionals in this field. There is an urgent need to overcome natural disasters and promote danger alleviation. According to the National Disaster Management Centre, the hazards include bad weather conditions, drought, cyclones and severe storms that have the potential to cause devastation. The country’s coastline and proximity to shipping routes also pose a threat to humanity and resources. People that live in impoverished areas are more vulnerable to threats that range from water shortages, floods, and other damaging weather conditions.   

A fire safety management plan outlines your arrangements for implementing, controlling, monitoring, and reviewing fire safety standards as well as ensuring that the standards are maintained.

The plan provides a description of the arrangements for managing fire safety effectively to prevent the occurrence of fire, and if a fire breaks out, to protect both property and people.

The plan needs to specify the organisation, planning, monitoring, control, and review of the fire safety measures and provisions in the premises.

Planning

Adequate planning may include:

• How the person responsible suggests the fire safety risk assessment should be conducted and determines priorities in the elimination of hazards as well as reducing risks to individuals.

• The adoption of a systematic approach to the completion of risk assessments to decide on the priorities and setting objectives to either reduce or eliminate risks.

• The selection of appropriate measures for keeping risk under control.

• The establishment of performance standards and the implementation of protective and preventative measures.

Organisation

It needs to detail how the organisation is structured and may include:

• How the health and safety information is communicated to employees.

• The involvement of employees in ensuring compliance with all aspects of the fire safety risk assessment.

• The person that will be making decisions regarding the protective and preventative measures as well as those involved in their implementation.

• Effective systems of communication to employees, other employers, or other responsible individuals.

• The securing of competence by having adequate instruction, information, and training.

• Details of protected areas/fire doors.

• Maintenance plans.

• The prevention of arson.

• Fire prevention and housekeeping measures.

• Details of practice sessions and fire drills.

• Evacuation/emergency plan.

• Fire safety risk assessment.

Control

Identify the individuals at each level that may be responsible for carrying out fire safety issues throughout the premises.

Established measures of control should:

• Ensure that there’s sufficient supervision.

• Set specific and measurable standards for judging performance.

• Ensure that the people tasked with certain responsibilities understand them.

• Clarify the health, safety, and fire safety responsibilities.

Monitoring

Identify how the person responsible will be measuring the success of the fire safety policy. It needs to include regular checks of fire precautions, investigations into the causes of accidents, and the recording of other important information:

• Record all monitoring processes and activities.

• Ensure that all accidents are investigated to ensure that lessons are learned and procedures are altered if need be.

• Have a plan and have routine inspections to ensure that measures are in place and maintained.

Review

Identify a regular procedure for review that includes any identified deficiencies as well as a process by which they can be corrected. The review should:

• Have a system that ensures that the remedial work not done is given top priority and completed.

• Have mechanisms in place for ensuring that remedial work is completed.

• Review the systems of management to make sure that they stay active.