Managing fire safety
It is important for the Charity Trustees to demonstrate a congregation-wide commitment to fire safety within church properties and to promote a positive culture towards the risks of fire. The Financial Board must ensure that the outcomes from the FSRA are used to develop a suitable:
- Fire safety policy for properties
- Emergency fire action plan which must be kept on the property in question at all times
- Fire safety information and training plan
- Maintenance programme of the fire safety measures in place
- Robust recording of information and record keeping
Section 55 of the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 requires that the following principles be considered when implementing fire safety measures:
- Avoiding risks
- Evaluating risks which cannot be avoided
- Combating risks at source
- Adapting to technical progress
- Replacing the dangerous with the non-dangerous or less dangerous
- Developing a coherent overall fire prevention policy which covers technology, organisation of work and the influence of factors relating to the working environment
- Giving collective fire safety protective measures priority over individual measures
- Giving appropriate instructions to employees
Following identification of fire hazards, the risks should be avoided by removing or reducing sources of ignition, fuel and oxygen. If hazards cannot be removed, measures should be taken to reduce the risks. Fire safety measures should be put in place to reduce the likelihood of fire and the spread of fire, to provide means of escape, to fight fire, to detect fire and give warning, to arrange for action in the event of fire, and for training.