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Opening Remarks from the Chair:

Martin Hilditch, Deputy Editor, Inside Housing

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Nick Coombe,

Head of Fire Safety,

London Fire Brigade

Fire Safety Order & HousingInside Housing 29th November 2011

FSO & Residential Premises

•Responsible Person or Person in Control

•Competent Person

•Relevant Person

FSO & Residential Premises

•Fire Risk Assessment

•People especially at risk

•Significant findings

•Fire Safety Arrangements

FSO & Residential Premises

•Portfolio Risk Assessment

•Prioritise & Plan

•Procurement

•Petty cash ?

FSO & Residential Premises

•Enforcement

•Reasonable

•Proportional

•Post Fire

FSO & Residential Premises

What if it goes wrong?

FSO & Residential Premises

•Douglas & Gordon

•John O’Rourke

•Michael Arthur Billings

•Mr Parlak

Nick Cross,

Head of Housing Services,

Southampton City Council

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Fire and Gas Safety Webinar

Learning from our experience

Nick Cross, Head of Housing Services, Southampton City Council

Fire safety in sharp focus

• Fire on the 9th floor of a Tower Block

• Fire started and was contained in one flat

• Over 40 families were evacuated in the middle of the night

• Huge practical operation in managing the scene and the aftermath

• Sadly 2 firefighters lost their lives

The morning after!

• One flat completely gutted

• Significant water damage to two ‘stacks’ of flats

• Significant smoke damage on 3 floors

• 40 plus families in just the clothes they had on

• Police, Fire and HSE investigations underway

The reality of what happened

• A fire started in a single flat and took over 2 hours to extinguish – but the fire was contained within the flat

• Being a ‘scissor’ block the impact of the smoke damage spread over 3 floors

• The block had an ‘agreed’ Fire Risk Assessment that had only been carried out the month previously

• No residents were injured

• Most occupants of the 150 flats were able to remain in their flats

Shared lessons with the Fire Service

• Risk Assessments on Tower Blocks are done in partnership with the Fire Service – but are you sure you are working with the right people?

• Fire Training exercises using different types of Tower Blocks are excellent for local Fire crews – but what about those ‘outside’ crews who attend major incidents?

• Have information readily accessible for Fire Crews and make sure it is easy to find and interpret

• Fire safety campaigns and messages need regularly repeating

Points to consider as a landlord

• Do you have a regular programme of inspection and certification? Is it sub-contracted?

• Do your contractors carry out fire stopping works when they make changes to communal areas?

• Is your signage clear and up to date?

• Do your residents know what to do in the case of a fire? When did you last remind them?

• Do you know what residents have any specific vulnerabilities that you need to take into account in case of fire?

Specific improvements carried out

• Emergency lighting is now checked every month and not quarterly

• Windows in communal corridors are now opened by a master key system

• Fire retardant paint has been reapplied in corridors

• All flat front doors have been checked to make sure they are fire rated – including leaseholders!

• Signage has been improved and updated

• Wardens check communal fire doors daily

Tenancy Visits

• As a landlord we cannot tell a tenant how to live – but we have a responsibility to support them if their ‘lifestyle’ might impact on others!

• Internal alterations can breach fire precautions

• Hoarding and cluttered properties present a risk

• Padlocks on fire exits from individual flats

• Safeguarding and other social ‘concerns’ shared

• Who is living in a flat?

• Language and cultural issues

In summary

• Make sure you are working in partnership with your local Fire Service

• Ensure you have an up to date programme of inspections and assessments and you know who does what and when

• Most fire precautions are simple and not expensive

• Know your vulnerable tenants and share any issues or concerns with others

• Regularly remind tenants of what they need to do in case of a fire

Michael Vickers,

Senior Investment Manager,

Liverpool Mutual Homes

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Gas SafetyGas SafetyEnsuring LGSR’s are up to date is key to Ensuring LGSR’s are up to date is key to achieving high levels of gas safetyachieving high levels of gas safety

Well publicised programmes will assist 1Well publicised programmes will assist 1stst time accesstime access

Use of internet, customer newsletters, block Use of internet, customer newsletters, block notice boards, text messages, local pressnotice boards, text messages, local press

High profile community notices, and the use of High profile community notices, and the use of local TARAS to assist with accesslocal TARAS to assist with access

Gas SafetyGas SafetyIncentives and deterrents can help achieve Incentives and deterrents can help achieve 11stst time access time access

LMH puts all customers who allow 1LMH puts all customers who allow 1stst time access time access into a £100 prize draw, this has helped achieve into a £100 prize draw, this has helped achieve over 78% 1over 78% 1stst time access time accessUse of service interrupter programmers which Use of service interrupter programmers which incorporates a message on screen and an audible incorporates a message on screen and an audible alarm 14 days prior to service anniversary which alarm 14 days prior to service anniversary which changes to an hourly interruption of the gas changes to an hourly interruption of the gas supply on the anniversary of the service datesupply on the anniversary of the service dateUse of posters to cover door locks on persistent Use of posters to cover door locks on persistent no access propertiesno access propertiesLMH has achieved 100% LGSR’s for the last 2 LMH has achieved 100% LGSR’s for the last 2 years and are on target to achieve 100% by years and are on target to achieve 100% by Christmas for 2011-12Christmas for 2011-12

Gas SafetyGas Safety

Ensure that access procedures are robustly Ensure that access procedures are robustly followedfollowed

Monitor the process to ensure that at risk Monitor the process to ensure that at risk properties are at correct stages of your processproperties are at correct stages of your process

The reduction of open flued appliances will The reduction of open flued appliances will help reduce the riskshelp reduce the risks

LMH remove open flued appliances wherever possibleLMH remove open flued appliances wherever possible

Install Carbon Monoxide alarmsInstall Carbon Monoxide alarmsIf an open flued appliance is still installed LMH will fit If an open flued appliance is still installed LMH will fit a hard wired CO2 detector which is also inspected as a hard wired CO2 detector which is also inspected as part of the annual servicepart of the annual service

Fire SafetyFire Safety

Fire prevention is keyFire prevention is key

Develop a Fire risk management strategyDevelop a Fire risk management strategy

Important to identify and manage your risks Important to identify and manage your risks through robust fire risk assessmentsthrough robust fire risk assessments

Work closely with your local fire authorityWork closely with your local fire authority

Ensure robust management of communal Ensure robust management of communal areas to reduce fire risksareas to reduce fire risks

Control fire loading in communal areasControl fire loading in communal areas

Invest in training to enable the workforce to Invest in training to enable the workforce to identify and deal with risksidentify and deal with risks

Fire SafetyFire SafetyLMH are upgrading all communal areas LMH are upgrading all communal areas within walk up flatswithin walk up flats

Replacing front doors and frames to all of our flatsReplacing front doors and frames to all of our flatsUpgraded all bin store and communal cupboard Upgraded all bin store and communal cupboard doors to FD30 incorporating intumescent smoke doors to FD30 incorporating intumescent smoke sealssealsInspecting loft compartmentation and installing Inspecting loft compartmentation and installing replacement fire curtains as necessaryreplacement fire curtains as necessaryensure that loft hatches are fitted with a fire ensure that loft hatches are fitted with a fire resistant productresistant productEnsure all breaks through floors and ceilings are Ensure all breaks through floors and ceilings are correctly sleeved and fire sealedcorrectly sleeved and fire sealedReplaced vinyl floor tiles with ceramics in Replaced vinyl floor tiles with ceramics in communal areascommunal areasSafe egress by ensuring that emergency lighting is Safe egress by ensuring that emergency lighting is up to standard and maintainedup to standard and maintained

Fire SafetyFire SafetyCommunal area improvementsCommunal area improvements

LMH has 630 walk up LMH has 630 walk up blocks with communal blocks with communal areasareasWe have been We have been upgrading these since upgrading these since 20092009To date 80% have To date 80% have been completedbeen completedAll due for completion All due for completion during next 12 monthsduring next 12 months

BeforeBefore

Fire SafetyFire SafetyCommunal area improvementsCommunal area improvements

LMH has 630 walk up LMH has 630 walk up blocks with communal blocks with communal areasareasWe have been We have been upgrading these since upgrading these since 20092009To date 80% have To date 80% have been completedbeen completedAll due for completion All due for completion during next 12 monthsduring next 12 months

AfterAfter

Fire SafetyFire Safety

LMH has worked closely with Merseyside fire LMH has worked closely with Merseyside fire authority particularly within our sheltered authority particularly within our sheltered accommodationaccommodation

Addressed issues identified during fire risk assessmentsAddressed issues identified during fire risk assessmentsTrained scheme managers to be aware of fire risk Trained scheme managers to be aware of fire risk managementmanagementDeveloping management plans and Personal Emergency Developing management plans and Personal Emergency Egress Plans (PEEP) to sheltered schemesEgress Plans (PEEP) to sheltered schemesIncorporate fire risk management into cyclical activitiesIncorporate fire risk management into cyclical activitiesHard wired smoke detectors to all of our homesHard wired smoke detectors to all of our homes, which , which are cleaned and checked during the annual gas safety are cleaned and checked during the annual gas safety inspectioninspectionRegular block inspections Regular block inspections

Graham Fieldhouse,

H&S and specialist in fire safety in social housing

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Fire safetyWhy Compartmentation Matters

Graham Fieldhouse

Protecting the means of escapeArticle 14

• Sister block to Lakanal House after the fire• Source: London Evening Standard

Kick the Wedge SurveyFireco Ltd . Jan 2007

• Kick the Wedge Survey Fireco Ltd . Jan 2007• Survey 100 Accredited Fire Risk Assessors / Fire Safety Officers

• Inspections where:– fire escapes obstructed 80%– Fire doors wedged open 65%– Door closers removed or disengaged 80%My own observations show this is still happening

When a fire door is no protection• Doors & Frames do they meet British Standards• Intumescent Seals have they been painted over?

Is that a problem? What if it is smoke seals• Ironmongery are they a tested product to BS• Glazing Detail can you prove it is fire rated? Are

all beadings and seals free from damage• Fire Rated Air Transfer Grills (are they connected to the alarm)

• Gaps do they meet the correct British standards for fire and if required smoke 3mm

We should be OK with a new build !• We might assume everything should be OK with new

built properties, is it?– If fire doors not installed to the requirements set out in the

certification they will not be certified – Fire stopping – not real fire stopping or protected walls

failing to be sealed to the roofIs this a one off? Picture thanks to Niall Rowan ASFP Draft Guidance

Compliantover

Certified

• What if it just looks ok…. The responsibility is with you if it fails to do its job

Source ASFP Draft GuidanceThanks to Niall Rowanof ASFP

Working with brigades enforcement team to get it right or should we bury our head in the sand

and hope nobody dies

• Setting our priorities, agreeing a timeframe protect life, property, and reputation

Q & A

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Closing Remarks from the Chair:

Martin Hilditch, Deputy Editor, Inside Housing

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