Fire Safety

The new DCC Fire Safety Policy has now been published. The document is a high level statement of intent regarding the council’s duties and intentions regarding compliance with fire safety legislation and the Council’s commitment to reducing the risk of fire within our buildings. All managers and staff are to be made aware of how to access it and to be aware of the contents. In order to assist site managers and others with specific building-related responsibilities, a hard copy should be filed in the Fire Safety Log Book held on each site. A Supporting guidance document has been produced which contains more technical and procedural matters relating to fire safety, which underpins the policy.

Managers with specific building-related responsibilities under the Fire Safety Policy must continue to periodically complete the Operational fire risk assessment checklist. This is a comprehensive form that records site-specific information, such as its occupancy and use, the names of individuals with fire safety roles and responsibilities and identified fire hazards and control measures. It also includes sections for evaluating existing fire safety arrangements, recording significant findings and concerns and planning remedial action. The final pages give guidance on fire extinguishers, emergency lighting and testing procedures for fire safety systems. The completion of this form will provide evidence of continued vigilance and review of fire safety matters within each premises.

Personal emergency evacuation plans or PEEPs are required for any employee who needs help to get out of their workplace safely in an emergency. This may include disabled employees and individuals with temporary health issues that impact on their ability to respond to emergency procedures.

The Disabled employee safe evacuation questionnaire is intended to gather all the information needed to help managers and individuals draw up a comprehensive personal emergency evacuation plan.