Fire Warden After-Course Resources
Welcome to our members only page containing all the key fire warden safety checks discussed in your fire warden training
Fire Warden Checks
Awareness of local fire procedures & Sweep routes
- Have full understanding of your sweep route plan including primary and secondary routes. (Sweep route plans provided?).
- Full awareness of COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) locations within sweep routes.
- Do you have a PEEP within your areas? (Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan).
- Within your area, are there any manual shutdowns to be implemented or will it shut down automatically via the fire alarm?
- Are there any suppression systems in the building, including the server rooms?
Fire Prevention Checks
- Are fire prevention checks being carried out in your area?
- Are refuge points kept clear along with communication systems working?
- Are PAT and fixed wire checks up to date?
- Escape route checks carried out daily, including fire signs (refer to checklist).
- Are all machinery safety checks up to date? (Report any damage).
- Is cleaning regime sufficient for the area?
- Reduce the risk of flammables where possible including oxygen/gas bottles.
- Ensure all fire doors are not wedged open illegally.
- Ensure all occupants within your sweep area are updated of any changes to area, including temporary works being carried out.
- Access to all fire escapes to be clear, including no locked fire doors.
- Ensure all rubbish bins are emptied inside and outside your building and not overflowing outside in larger wheelie bins.
- Are COSHH lockers, if applicable fit for purpose to house any potential flammable risks inline with the SDS sheets provided? (Safety Data Sheet).
- Are fire risk assessments up-to-date for your area and any outstanding actions completed?
- Fire extinguishers, fire blankets and suppression systems are always to be either used or implemented.
- Ensure end of working day checks are carried out. (Shut down machines etc).
Fire Warden Sweep Instructions
Standard plan
- On hearing a fire alarm, you must immediately react and DO NOT delay response.
- Collect emergency fire warden sweep pack from pouch provided and don hi-visibility clothing.
- Begin to sweep your relevant area marking on your plan, rooms or areas cleared via ticks on each compartment.
- Follow route plan giving verbal and physical directors to evacuating occupants leading them to the nearest safe fire exit.
- Do not stop to collect belongings.
- Check all rooms thoroughly and ensure all doors are closed as you exit every area.
- Do not defer from the route plan or go deeper into the building.
- Once an exit has been made, immediately report all findings to the senior fire warden with the sweep route plan or a fob system.
Fire Warden Sweep Instructions
Non-Standard plan
- On hearing fire alarm, you must immediately react and DO NOT delay response.
- Proceed directly to the main fire alarm panel for instruction. This fire panel must be addressable.
- On arrival you will be met by the senior fire warden who will have the location details of the fire.
- At this point you will be handed a radio and a floor plan of the area via a fire warden sweep pack, quick radio check to ensure it’s working then proceed in contact with the senior fire warden on the fire panel.
- Proceed to the location with haste collecting fire extinguishers on the way (Response team).
- On arrival to risk area to carry out a door check first, if safe then enter area to inspect.
- Evacuate the area of risk if required keeping the occupants 2 doors away from the risk (1 hour fire protection).
- Report findings back to the senior fire warden when safe to do so and ASAP.
- Monitor situation or evacuate as appropriate.
Types of Extinguishers
Fire Warden Checks
Daily Observations
| Fire alarm panel visual check | Check the panel daily for fault codes |
| Emergency escape lighting visual check | Check to see if any lights are out or damaged |
| Escape routes | Check to see if fire exits are clear and safe to egress (exit) |
| Firefighting equipment Inc fire blanket | Check to ensure firefighting equipment is in situ where designated and are undamaged/unused |
| Evacuation chairs | Ensure the evac chair is in place and serviceable with a visual check |
Weekly Inspections
| Fire alarm weekly test: To include SHEVS. (Smoke, exhaust, vent system) | A weekly test of the alarm/smoke system should be a undertaken during occupied work hours |
| Automatic Opening Doors (Dorgard/magnetic lock devices monthly) | Any automatic opening/closing doors should be checked to ensure they operate in the event of fire alarm activiation |
| Final fire escape doors | Check to see if all final exits fire doors are serviceable with open and closed test |
Monthly Inspections
| Escape routes/exits | Check all designated fire exits to ensure they operate correctly and are free from obstruction and safe to use with a single hand action to exit |
| Emergency escape lighting visual check | Monthly test to ensure correct operation with flick test |
| Refuge areas | Ensure that the refuge areas are clear and comms system check |
| Evacuation chairs | Ensure that the evacuation chair is in date for test and stored correctly. Regular training for operator. |
Quarterly Inspections
| Review of fire safety log book | Ensure the Fire Safety Logbook is up to date, and all records have been entered correctly |
| Conduct building fire safety meeting | Ensure all Fire Marshall are still in place and any fire safety concerns are being addressed |
| Passive fire protection inspection | Check all fabric of the building to ensure no areas are breached and fire stopping is applied |
Bi-Annual Inspections
| Fire alarm service & maintainance | Ensure fire alarm is serviced in accordance with BS5839 twice per year |
| Full fire evacuation dill/ followed by fire safety meeting | Ensure that the evacuation exercise is undertaken, the results and any remedial actions are recorded |
Annual Inspections
| Emergency light service/maintenance | Carry out a full light drain down to comply with BS5266, full 3 hour drain down |
| Fire-fighting equipment service (extinguishers) | All extinguishers to building should be yearly tested and inspected in compliance with BS5306 |
| Review of fire risk assessment (FRA) | This is advised that your FRA is reviewed every year or when change is building fabric |
| Evacuation chair | The evacuation chair should be serviced to ensure safe operation |
Emergency Plan
What should be included in an Emergency Plan?
The Incident Controller should have up to date drawings of the premises in order to control both the search activities and the use of appropriate escape routes. The objective is to evacuate as quickly and efficiently as possible using all available escape routes with the exception of routes close to any suspect device.
An effective emergency plan must include the following information:
- Return to the premises and fire safety procedures and principles including;
- Action on discovering a fire.
- Warning if there is a fire.
- Calling the fire brigade.
- Evacuation of the premises including those particularly at risk.
- Places of assembly and role call.
- Identification of key escape routes.
- Fire fighting equipment provided.
- Specific responsibilities in the event of a fire.
- Information training required.
- Fire drills.
- Records.
- Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPS).
As part of our risk assessment service we are able to provide guidance on how to ensure your emergency plan is compliant with the above criteria.
Emergency Grab Bags
What MUST be included in an Emergency Grab Bag?
Grab bags are solely for the Emergency Services arrival to handover so they can assess the situation quickly and with confidence before entering your building, should it be on fire.
The information the Fire Service may require is:
- Search Area and Evacuation Route Plans. (Floor/Zone plans).
- Access codes/Fobs/keys/Chinograph.
- Fire alarm information.
- Ventilation systems & Controlling.
- Sprinkler & Suppression systems.
- COSHH information with SDS sheets.
- Building site or Asset plans.
- DSEAR/PEEP information (Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans).
- External services routed into building (COSHH lockers/Gas storage/Plant rooms).
- Building Gas and Electrical shutdown.
- Internal Plant room locations along with any emergency shutdowns.
- Main server locations.
These lists are not exhaustive.
Emergency Welfare Bags
What could be included in an Emergency Welfare Bag?
Welfare bags are simply emergency equipment needed by your own staff, this equipment would be required by occupants or Coordinators, this could include:
- First Aid Kits/Burns kits/Sweets.
- Management/Search Team Names and Telephone Numbers
- Megaphone/Whistles/Mobile phone
- Hand wipes
- Torches, Batteries and Glow sticks
- Foil blankets, water and Fire blanket
These lists are not exhaustive.
Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEPS)
What should be included in PEEP?
This is a short guide and should be read alongside other guides in the Fire Safety Risk Assessment series. It provides information on accessibility and means of escape for disabled people, short- or long-term mobility issues that would need assistance or support.
The Fire and Rescue Service’s role in fire evacuation is that of ensuring that the means of escape in case of fire and associated fire safety measures provided for all people who may be in a building are both adequate and reasonable, taking into account the circumstances of each particular case. Under current fire safety legislation it is the responsibility of the person(s) having responsibility for the building to provide a fire safety risk assessment that includes an emergency evacuation plan for all people likely to be in the premises, including disabled people, and how that plan will be implemented. Such an evacuation plan should not rely upon the intervention of the Fire and Rescue Service to make it work.
Example; A person is in a wheelchair and works on the 4th floor of a building, on alarm activation this person is moved to the refuge point to be transported into an evacuation chair that is being prepared by a confident trained person. The wheelchair person will then be moved into this chair and moved out of the building once staircase is visibly clear. At no time should this person be left inside the building to be removed by the emergency services.
In the case of multi-occupancy buildings, responsibility may rest with a number of persons for each occupying organisation and with the owners of the building. It is important that they co-operate and co-ordinate evacuation plans with each other. This could present a particular problem in multi-occupancy buildings when the different escape plans and strategies need to be co-ordinated from a central point. Even so a plan must be put into place.
The PEEP procedure must be followed up with a form giving the full emergency evacuation plan for this person along with the means of escape. This could be in the form of an interview with the person getting the full information and best means of escape with use of evacuation aids or just a helping hand. The Responsible person can arrange this and ensure it is fit for purpose and achievable.
Evacuation aids such as evacuation chairs will need accredited training along with regular refresher training to prevent training decay periods. These additional updated training session or familiarisations should consider the skills fade.
For more detailed information log onto the government website to assist your plan.