Fire Safety Planning
The National Fire Code of Canada (NFCC) and provincial fire codes require that certain types of occupancies have a Fire Safety Plan. The Fire Safety Plan must be approved by the local municipal Fire Chief and implemented by the building/business owner and on-site personnel.
Fire Safety Plans must conform to the requirements of Section 2.8. (shown below) of the NFCC and/or provincial fire codes.
The building/business owner has a legal duty to ensure that the building complies with the regulations at all times even if the building has not been inspected by the fire department. If your building has a fire alarm system, or is classified as a specific type of occupancy, you require a fire safety plan.
Staff are required to be trained in defined fire procedures before they can be given any responsibility for fire safety. Tenants must be informed of the emergency procedures and the fire and life safety equipment in the building. A fire safety plan will help ensure that staff and tenants receive this training and information. In addition, the fire safety plan will provide fire responders with the critical building fundamentals as they negotiate the structure during a fire emergency.
What does a Fire Safety Plan include?
Preparation of the plan requires an audit of resources, which will provide a detailed description and location of the fire and life safety equipment in the building, and operational instructions for this equipment, which could include fire alarm systems, voice communication systems, and elevator and smoke control systems.
The plan includes the location of emergency instructions, which will include the emergency procedures for the occupant to follow in an emergency, including the actions to be taken when the occupants cannot leave the building.
Instructions on how to control and confine a fire with the proper use of fire extinguishers are included in the plan.
Instructions on how to identify fire code violation - Specifics are provided on how to identify and handle fire hazards and combustible material within the building.
The duties and the responsibilities of the Fire Safety Director and the Deputy Fire Safety Director are outlined in the plan and must be fully understood by management of the building.
Instructions for Fire Drills: Fire drills must be held at least annually; in buildings over six floors they are to be held quarterly. Occupants MUST be notified at least 48 hours in advance of fire drills and should be given an opportunity to participate.
Maintenance Procedures are listed in the plan, including checklists, test and inspection procedures for each type of fire and life safety equipment in the building.
Site drawings and floor plans are included in the fire safety plan, showing the location of all life safety and fire equipment, all exits, door swings, location of hazardous materials and any other items deemed necessary by the 'Authority Having Jurisdiction'. |
WCES can conduct a building review and design a fire safety plan specifically for your building, including the training implementation requirements required by provincial fire codes. WCES will work with your local fire department to ensure that your plan is approved.
WCES can also provide:
Building Occupant Evacuation Drills
Included in the fire safety plan are written procedures for evacuating the building. It is impossible to replicate the conditions of a fire; however, the building occupants, staff and the Fire Safety Directors must be well informed regarding the building evacuation plan. WCES can conduct a thorough fire drill training session, which allows occupants to learn how to safely relocate and use evacuation routes. As a result, they will be less likely to panic than individuals who are unaware of the correct action to take.
WCES can also assist, observe and ensure compliance during the fire drill evacuations, and support the elected building Floor Wardens and supervisory personnel in evacuation safety.
Floor Warden Team Training
WCES can develop training programs for Floor Wardens in your building. Floor Wardens are instrumental in conveying the requirements of the fire safety plan to the occupants before and during a fire emergency. This training will provide Floor Wardens with a basic understanding of the origins and impacts of possible fire emergencies, as well as the specific skills necessary to ensure the safety of the occupants during an emergency.
The training program is equally useful to senior decision-makers, enabling them to understand the basic organizational response structure and standard decision procedures during the impact phase of a fire emergency.
Fire Equipment Preventative Maintenance Training
Regular maintenance, periodic inspection and testing of fire protection systems and equipment are essential. Ultimately, it is the legal responsibility of the building owner and/or their management agency to adequately protect building occupants, and maintain records verifying compliance with the fire code.
WCES can provide step-by-step hands-on training for selected building personnel to conduct daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and semi-annual checks, inspections and tests. In accordance with the fire code, we will establish methods and techniques for testing, set up logging procedures. transfer knowledge of general equipment operation and design the timetables and maintenance requirements to assure full compliance.
Part 2 — Building and Occupant Fire Safety
Section 2.8. Emergency Planning
2.8.1. General
2.8.1.1. Application
| 1) |
Fire emergency procedures conforming to this Section shall be provided for:
a) every building containing an assembly or a care or detention occupancy,
b) every building required by the British Columbia Building Code to have a fire alarm system,
c) demolition and construction sites regulated under Section 5.6.,
d) storage areas required to have a fire safety plan in conformance with Articles 3.2.2.5. and 3.3.2.9.,
e) areas where flammable liquids or combustible liquids are stored or handled, in conformance with Article 4.1.5.5., and
f) areas where hazardous processes or operations occur, in conformance with Article 5.1.5.1. |
2.8.1.2. Training of Supervisory Staff
| 1) |
Supervisory staff shall be trained in the fire emergency procedures described in the fire safety plan before they are given any responsibility for fire safety. (See Appendix A.) |
2.8.1.3. Keys and Special Devices
| 1) |
Any keys or special devices needed to operate the fire alarm system or provide access to any fire protection systems or equipment shall be readily available to on-duty supervisory staff. |
2.8.2. Fire Safety Plan
2.8.2.1. Measures in a Fire Safety Plan
| 1) |
In buildings or areas described in Article 2.8.1.1., a fire safety plan conforming to this Section shall be prepared in cooperation with the fire department and other applicable regulatory authorities and shall include:
a) the emergency procedures to be used in case of fire, including:
llllllli) sounding the fire alarm (see Appendix A),
lllllllii) notifying the fire department,
llllllliii) instructing occupants on procedures to be followed when the fire alarm llllllllllllllllllllllllllllsounds,
llllllliv) evacuating occupants, including special provisions for persons requiring llllllllllllllllllllllllllllassistance (see Appendix A),
lllllllv) confining, controlling and extinguishing the fire,
b) the appointment and organization of designated supervisory staff to carry out fire safety duties,
c) the training of supervisory staff and other occupants in their responsibilities for fire safety,
d) documents, including diagrams, showing the type, location and operation of the building fire emergency systems,
e) the holding of fire drills,
f) the control of fire hazards in the building, and
g )the inspection and maintenance of building facilities provided for the safety of occupants. (See Appendix A.) |
| 2) |
The fire safety plan shall be reviewed at intervals not greater than 12 months to ensure that it takes account of changes in the use and other characteristics of the building. |
2.8.2.2. Care or Detention Occupancies
| 1) |
A sufficient number of supervisory staff shall be on duty in care or detention occupancies to perform the tasks outlined in the fire safety plan described in Clause 2.8.2.1.(1)(a). |
2.8.2.3. Assembly Occupancies
| 1) |
In Group A, Division 1 assembly occupancies containing more than 60 occupants, there shall be at least one supervisory staff member on duty in the building to perform the tasks outlined in the fire safety plan in Clause 2.8.2.1.(1)(a) whenever the building is open to the public. |
2.8.2.4. High Buildings
| 1) |
In buildings within the scope of Subsection 3.2.6. of the British Columbia Building Code, the fire safety plan shall, in addition to the requirements of Sentence 2.8.2.1.(1), include;
a) the training of supervisory staff in the use of the voice communication system,
b) the procedures for the use of elevators,
c) the action to be taken by supervisory staff in initiating any smoke control or other fire emergency systems installed in a building in the event of fire until the fire department arrives,
d) instructions to the supervisory staff and fire department for the operation of the systems referred to in Clause (c), and
e) the procedures established to facilitate fire department access to the building and fire location within the building. |
2.8.2.5. Retention of Fire Safety Plans
| 1) |
The fire safety plan shall be kept in the building for reference by the fire department, supervisory staff and other personnel. |
| 2) |
The fire safety plan for a building within the scope of Subsection 3.2.6. of the British Columbia Building Code shall be kept at the central alarm and control facility. |
2.8.2.6. Distribution
| 1) |
A copy of the fire emergency procedures and other duties for supervisory staff, as laid down in the fire safety plan, shall be given to all supervisory staff. |
2.8.2.7. Posting of Fire Emergency Procedures
| 1) |
At least one copy of the fire emergency procedures shall be prominently posted on each floor area. |
| 2) |
In every hotel and motel bedroom, the fire safety rules for occupants shall be posted showing the locations of exits and the paths of travel to exits. |
| 3) |
Where a fire alarm system has been installed with no provisions to transmit a signal to the fire department, a sign shall be posted at each manually actuated signalling box requesting that the fire department be notified, and including the telephone number of that department. |
| 4) |
All buildings served by one or more elevators shall have a permanently mounted fire safety sign or symbol on each floor level at each elevator entrance, which indicates that the elevator is not to be used in case of fire. |
| 5) |
The sign or symbol required by Sentence (4) shall be at least 100 mm in height and width and shall be designed in accordance with NFPA 170 “Standard for Fire Safety Symbols.” |
2.8.3. Fire Drills
2.8.3.1. Fire Drill Procedures
| 1) |
The procedure for conducting fire drills shall be determined by the person responsible in charge of the building, taking into consideration;
a) the building occupancy and its fire hazards,
b) the safety features provided in the building,
c) the desirable degree of participation of occupants other than supervisory staff,
d) the number and degree of experience of participating supervisory staff,
e) the features of fire emergency systems installed in buildings within the scope of Subsection 3.2.6. of the British Columbia Building Code, and
f) the requirements of the fire department. (See Appendix A.) |
2.8.3.2. Fire Drill Frequency
| 1) |
Fire drills as described in Sentence 2.8.3.1.(1) shall be held at intervals not greater than 12 months for the supervisory staff, except that;
a) in day-care centres and in Group B major occupancies, such drills shall be held at intervals not greater than one month,
b) in schools attended by children, total evacuation fire drills shall be held at least 3 times in each of the fall and spring school terms, and
c) in buildings within the scope of Subsection 3.2.6. of the British Columbia Building Code, such drills shall be held at intervals not greater than 2 months. |
|
Copyright © 2007 West Coast Emergency Solutions Inc.