Consultancy

Fire Safety: The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005  (RRO) is the main piece of fire protection legislation that significantly changed fire safety law and practice in recent years. It places the onus of responsibility squarely on the responsible person.  This may be an employer, landlord or any person who has to any extent control over the building.  This Act also includes the requirements for those who are self-employed. The RRO places a greater emphasis on fire protection. 

So what does The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 mean to you? Well responsibility for complying with the fire safety legislation rests with the “responsible person” YOU!!  or more realistically for a workplace, this will be the employer or any other person who may have control of any part of the workplace i.e. the owner or occupier. 

Under the RRO, the responsible person must ensure that a fire risk assessment is carried out and the employer must also take reasonable steps to remove or reduce fire risks. Landlords of multi tenanted premises should be receiving fire risk assessments from each individual tenant/employer
 

A fire risk assessment is the process whereby hazards are identified on site and the risks (likelihood that they will cause harm) are then assessed for each of the identified hazards. The degree of risk can then be used to prioritise control measures, which will ensure the risk of injury is reduced to an acceptable level.

The fire risk assessment will be produced with reference to the appropriate guide/guides and in compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and other associated legislation and guidance.

Below are the 5 steps of the risk assessment :

Step 1 – Identify fire hazards
Step 2 – Identify people at risk
Step 3 – Evaluate, remove, reduce and protect from risk
Step 4 – Record, plan, inform, instruct and train
Step 5 – Review
 

You need to plan what action you and your employees should take in the event of a fire in your business. 

Under the fire regulations, if you employ more than five people then you must have a written emergency plan. This should be available to your employees (and their representatives) and available for inspection by your local Fire Brigade. Your plan should give instructions to enable the people in your premises to know what action to take in the event of fire and make sure it can be safely. In a small business this may be simple instructions on the fire action notice, in larger or complex premises you will need to create a more detailed emergency plan.

Your plan must provide clear instructions on: 

What action employees should take if there is a fire
What action employees should take if there is a fire
Contacting the emergency services
The arrangements for people identified as being especially at risk, such as people with disabilities, members of the public and contractors 
Assembly areas
Escape routes 
Location and use of the portable fire fighting equipment provided 
Specific responsibilities of nominated people in case of fire 
Training your employees
Larger more complex businesses or establishments may require special instructions
 

The purpose of having a Disability Access Audit is to identify how accessible buildings are to disabled people; this can be both employees and clients.

The audit addresses the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act and is completed by comparing the facilities provided at the property with the standards identified in BS 8300 and Part M of the Building Regulations.

Where the standard cannot be met, i.e. physical alterations would not be reasonable, and then advice is given on meeting the standard by alternative means.

Using a series of checklists the auditor will follow a sequence specifically looking at: Approaches to the property
Access points into the property
Movement around the premises both horizontally and vertically
Disabled amenities such as WCs
Means of escape including special evacuation strategies
Building management
 

Asbestos Awareness Training is a mandatory requirement for anyone liable to be exposed to Asbestos. This certified course is designed to satisfy the new regulatory requirements of the HSE. Courses are held at your own venue or externally for up to 15 delegates. This course is tailored to suit your area of work.
 

Asbestos is a very dangerous substance and currently in the UK, 3,500 people die each year as a result of exposure to it. If you own, occupy, manage or have responsibility for non-domestic premises, it is your duty to manage the risk from any materials containing asbestos under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006. As well as possibly putting at risk the health of your employees and clients, the responsible people could be liable for some or all of the following: 

Closure of the premises
Personal fines of up to £20,000
Disqualification from Directorship
A custodial sentence
 

Since the introduction of the Corporate Manslaughter Act and Corporate Homicide Act 2007, it has been easier for courts to convict organisations for gross breaches of their duty of care which, due to failings in the management or organisation of health and safety, resulted in the death of an employee or a member of the public. It is therefore clear to see the importance that all aspects of health and safety management are addressed and, equally important, documented.

All employers are required by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to provide a written health and safety policy if they employ five or more people. The policy should be appropriate for the organisation and be regularly reviewed and supported by a defined organisational structure, measurable objectives and effective procedures.

EC Safety Solutions will review your current arrangements for Health & Safety and then work with you to develop a sound, user friendly, and cost effective management system that will meet your legal duties and allow you to demonstrate effective health and safety within your organisation. 
 

It is a common misconception that offices and shops are so low risk that there isn't any need to make a fuss about health and safety. The HSE provided statistics showing that one of the major reasons for absence from work is back complaints, hence their requirement for risk assessments for Display Screen Equipment (DSE), Workstations, and Manual Handling. EC Safety Solutions can assist commercial property landlords and facilities management companies to comply with health and safety legislation. We will assist you in the implementation of systems and provide the paperwork for issues such as fire, asbestos and control of your contractors and training. In addition to this we will at your request carry out the following:

Landlord responsibilities in common and public areas
Fire Risk Assessments, audits and inspections
Fire Warden/Marshall Training
DSE and workstation assessments
Control of Contractors
Disability Access/Egress Audits
Periodic Electrical Testing 
Asbestos management plans

Our approach will be to liaise with you to identify areas that may require action, and then propose cost effective solutions and methods to meet your Health and Safety requirements. We will do all the work on your behalf and pride ourselves on using a common sense approach that won't interfere unnecessarily with your business whilst taking budgetary constraints into consideration.
 

Find out how new regulations affect construction projects New regulations came into force in April 2008 which means that any construction project in England costing over £300k needs a Site Waste Management Plan (SWMP). This includes: 

New building projects
Maintenance and refurbishment
Maintenance and refurbishment

A SWMP sets out how building materials, and resulting waste, is to be managed during the project The SWMP's purpose is to ensure that:

Building materials are managed efficiently 
Waste is disposed of legally 
Material recycling, reuse and recovery is maximised

The Clients Responsibility 
It is either the clients’ responsibility (or principal contractor) to:

Ensure that a SWMP is written, followed, and updated during the project. Although the plan must be written at the construction design stage, it is a requirement of the SWMP regulations to maintain it during the whole project 
Maintain and update the plan with the site day to day activity

Types of Site Waste Management Plans 
There are two types of SWMP depending on the cost of the project: 

A project costing between £300 - £500k follows a basic template 
Anything over £500k requires a much greater level of detail
 

It has long been believed that the office provides a safe environment in which to work, however many hazards exist which cause thousands of injuries and health problems each year among office workers. Since approximately one-third of the UK work force is in offices, even low rates of work-related injuries and illnesses can have an immense impact on employee safety and health.

Today’s modern offices are substantially different from the office environment of lets say 35 years ago when the HASWA came in to force. Many changes have occurred in the corporate workplace as a result of new office technology and automation of office equipment and consequently, office workers are faced with many more hazards than they have ever faced in the past.
 

EC Safety Solutions Ltd will carry out a risk assessment and plan the safety and security for you events ranging from the village fetes, agricultural shows, and equestrian events to classical concerts and rock concerts providing sound advice to organisers of indoor and outdoor events.

What we will consider:

Risk Assessments
Accident and Injury Prevention
Legal Responsibilities of all parties
Hazard Recognition

Additional elements dependent upon audience makeup

Safe Access / Working at Height
Safe use of Work Equipment
Electrical Safety
Lifting Operations
Noise “General and Public”
Materials Handling (un-loading, Loading and Movement)