Safety

8.5 Fire safety and emergency evacuation

Policy statement

We ensure our premises present no risk of fire by ensuring the highest possible standard of fire precautions. The person in charge and staff are familiar with the current legal requirements. Where necessary we seek the advice of a competent person, such as our Fire Officer, or Fire Safety Consultant.

Procedures

• The basis of fire safety is risk assessment, carried out by a ‘competent person’.
• The manager has received training in fire safety sufficient to be competent to carry out the risk assessment; this will be written where there are more than five staff and will follow the Government guidance Fire Safety Risk Assessment - Educational Premises (HMG 2006).
• Where we rent premises, we will ensure that we have a copy of the fire safety risk assessment that applies to the building and that we contribute to regular reviews.
• Fire doors are clearly marked, never obstructed and easily opened for the inside.
• Smoke detectors/alarms and fire fighting appliances conform to BSEN standards, are fitted in appropriate high risk areas of the building and are checked as specified by the manufacturer.

Our emergency evacuation procedures are approved by the Fire Safety Officer, they are:

• Clearly displayed in the premises;
• Explained to new members of staff, volunteers and parents; and
• Practiced regularly at least once every six weeks.
• Records are kept of fire drills and the servicing of fire safety equipment.

Emergency evacuation procedure
All Staff Members

On hearing the fire alarm:

• Calmly call children in your care together
• Visually check the space around you is empty
• Leave the building via the nearest, safe emergency exit
• Headcount the children in your care, alerting the manager if any are missing
• Remain outside the building until the manager deems the premises as safe

Manager

• Assign the management of the children in your care to another member of staff
• Collect the registers, visitors book and contact information
• Sweep through the building to check for children or visitors left behind
• Ensure that the fire brigade have been alerted
• Remain outside of the building until a member of the fire authority deems it safe to return
• During drills, time and record the time taken to clear the premises

Our fire drill record book contains:

• The date and time of when the drill took place
• How long it took
• Whether there were any problems that delayed the evacuation.
• Any further action taken to improve the drill procedure.