Purpose
Fivehead Village Hall & Playing Field CIO ("the CIO") is committed to making sure that the village hall, the playing field buildings and the areas around them are safe, and that there are effective arrangements to prevent fire, report it promptly and allow everyone to leave safely.
This policy sets out how the CIO manages fire safety, and the responsibilities of trustees, volunteers, contractors, hirers and visitors. It applies to:
- Trustees
- Volunteers
- Hirers and activity providers
- Contractors
- Members of the public using CIO premises
Legal duties
The CIO has responsibilities under:
- The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
- The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
- The Occupiers' Liability Acts 1957 and 1984
- Insurance requirements
The CIO must:
- Take reasonable steps to prevent fire
- Maintain the fire alarm and warning system
- Make sure evacuation routes are safe
- Provide suitable fire-fighting equipment
- Keep a current fire risk assessment
Responsibilities
Trustees
Trustees are collectively responsible for:
- Making sure fire safety arrangements are in place and effective
- Approving and reviewing the fire risk assessment
- Maintaining fire safety equipment and records
- Making sure hirers understand the emergency procedures
Fire Safety Lead
The Fire Safety Lead (or the Health and Safety Lead, where the roles are combined) is responsible for:
- Overseeing day-to-day fire safety arrangements
- Maintaining the fire risk assessment and its review log
- Making sure extinguisher, alarm and lighting inspections are completed
- Making sure fire safety training for trustees and volunteers is completed and recorded
- Making sure escape routes stay clear
- Reporting concerns to the trustees
Volunteers
Volunteers must:
- Know the evacuation procedures
- Follow CIO fire safety instructions
- Report hazards such as blocked exits or damaged equipment immediately
Hirers
Hirers are responsible for:
- Understanding the fire safety instructions in the conditions of hire
- Pointing out the fire exits and assembly points at the start of their event
- Keeping fire exits clear at all times
- Supervising their guests and helping with evacuation if needed
- Reporting any fire, alarm activation or concern immediately
Fire risk assessment
- The CIO keeps a fire risk assessment and reviews it at least once a year.
- Extra reviews are carried out after significant building work, layout changes, incidents or concerns.
- Actions from the fire risk assessment are carried out promptly and monitored by the trustees.
Fire alarm, warning and equipment
The CIO will make sure that:
- The Category M manual fire alarm system, including the manual call points and sounders, is kept in working order
- Anyone who discovers a fire operates a manual call point. The system is not automatic fire detection and must not be relied on as such.
- Fire extinguishers are serviced every year by a competent contractor
- Emergency lighting is tested and maintained
- Fire signs are displayed clearly
- Emergency evacuation instructions are visible to hirers and visitors
No equipment may be tampered with, removed or obstructed.
Emergency exits and evacuation routes
The CIO will keep fire exits, doors and evacuation routes clear, signpost the fire exits clearly, and keep the assembly points accessible. Hirers must not block or restrict any fire exit, pathway or access point.
What hirers must do
Before the event
- Find the fire exits, alarm call points and assembly points
- Make sure everyone can leave safely, including anyone who needs help
- Follow evacuation instructions given by the CIO
- Keep exits and internal routes clear at all times
- Get specific approval, and complete an event risk assessment, for any overnight use
- For approved overnight use, name a responsible adult to stay awake throughout sleeping hours, and make sure no cooking takes place after 11pm
During the event
- Stop the event immediately if the alarm sounds
- Take everyone to the assembly point
- Do not let anyone back in until a trustee, the fire service or a hall representative says it is safe
After the event
- Report any alarm activation, incident or concern
Contractors
Contractors must:
- Read and follow the contractor fire-safety information given to them when the work is agreed
- Keep escape routes clear while working
- Not interfere with fire safety equipment
- Complete and return a hot works permit for any work involving flame, heat or sparks
- Report hazards immediately
Fire drills, checks and maintenance
The CIO will make sure that there are:
- Routine visual checks of fire exits and equipment
- Weekly fire alarm tests, using a different manual call point each time
- Monthly emergency lighting function tests
- Six-monthly servicing of the fire alarm by a competent person
- Annual full-duration emergency lighting tests by a competent person
- Annual servicing of extinguishers
- Records of fire safety defects and the action taken
- Fire logbook entries kept in SharePoint
If problems are found, the trustees will put them right.
Reporting incidents
Any fire, smoke incident, false alarm, equipment fault or evacuation must be reported immediately to the Fire Safety Lead or a trustee, recorded in the CIO's fire incident log, and reviewed by the trustees to decide what to do. Serious incidents will be reported to the insurers and, where required, to the appropriate authorities.
Review
This policy will be reviewed every year, after any significant fire-related incident, after changes to the premises, layout or systems, and when legislation or guidance changes.
Related documents
- Health and safety policy
- Safeguarding policy
- Privacy policy
- Complaints policy
- Bullying, harassment and conduct policy (including whistleblowing)
- Hiring agreement and conditions of hire
- Fire risk assessment and independent fire risk assessment (current versions)
- Contractor fire-safety information and hot works permit
- Premises and safety routine checklists