16 October 2008

Element C3 of the NEBOSH National Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety is titled Workplace Fire Risk Assessment. On finishing this element, the syllabus says candidates should be able to "explain the processes involved in the identification of hazards and the assessment of risk from fire".

The syllabus content for C3.1 - Fire Risk Assessment - comprises:

• the identification of common flammable solids, liquids and gases
• the identification of fire hazards and assessment of risk
• the description of control ignition, fuel and oxygen sources

Since arson is the largest single cause of industrial and commercial fires, candidates must be fully au-fait with its prevention and control.

In May this year, the Fire Protection Association (FPA) journal Fire Risk
Management published a 12-month analysis of fires costing in excess of £250,000 for the period June 2006 to May 2007. The number of fires reported was 114 and the total estimated loss they caused topped £116 million.

For a fire to be classified as caused by "deliberate ignition" (that is, arson) there has to be definite evidence of malicious ignition; otherwise the cause will be classified as "unknown".

Fire Risk Management's breakdown of the causes of 100 of the 114 major fires is shown in the table on page 25. Fire investigators believe that the vast majority in the unknown category were, in fact, started deliberately but there was insufficient evidence available at the fire sites to prove it.

In percentage terms, the three largest causes were deliberate fire setting (33% of the total of 114), unknown causes and electrical faults (around 20% each). Smoking materials caused another 10%.

The orders of magnitude of these figures are replicated in virtually every analysis of fire sources, highlighting the fact that deliberate ignition/arson is literally a burning issue which should figure highly in all fire risk assessments and fire risk management processes.

The Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) estimates that the total cost of deliberate fires in England and Wales is in excess of £2 billion annually.

Arson is generally perceived as a threat to property and building contents, opposed to life safety, and 75% of such fires occur between 1800 and 0600 hours when many premises are unoccupied. But it is vitally important for health and safety professionals to recognise that arson still poses a significant life risk. According to UK government figures, there are more than 60 fatalities each year as a result of fires that are deliberately ignited in buildings, while nearly 2000 people are injured in such fires. Deliberate fires in road vehicles and in outdoor areas result in a further 30 deaths and nearly 300 injuries per year.

Individual company fire risk assessments for industrial and commercial premises in England and Wales are a requirement of the Fire Safety Order 2005. Similar provisions exist in Scotland and Northern Ireland. This legislation therefore affects virtually all non-domestic premises in the UK. An assessment of the likelihood and the consequences of an arson attack should figure prominently in all written fire risk assessments.

Offender profiling

Evidence suggests most arson is caused by young persons aged between 11 and 14. Other likely arsonists are:

• people with a grudge against the company or individuals associated with it
• staff likely to gain financially by committing fraud and trying to cover
  their tracks
• contractors working in buildings
• people who want to destroy evidence of another crime (setting fire to speed cameras, for example)
• members of action groups campaigning against products, practices or services they find objectionable.

Of those suspects cautioned and arrested for arson, the vast majority are young, under-achieving males who are possibly seeking attention. Many carry out the offence while under the influence of drugs or drink, and many come from deprived, inner-city areas, where their families are already vulnerable and have few resources. Many have personal problems during childhood, and few are academically gifted.

Arson attacks often occur in warehouses or storage areas, where large quantities of high-value products are stored and where relatively few employees work. These sorts of work areas are common in industrial and commercial concerns: most large offices have potentially vulnerable stationery stores!

Given the age profile of the average offender, it's hardly surprising that schools have always been near the top of the league of premises vulnerable to arson attack; around half of all school fires are known to be deliberate. On an average day, two schools and further education premises suffer arson attacks, most commonly during hours of darkness and during school holidays when there is no one on the premises.

Construction sites are also vulnerable. In 2005, 73% of all fires on construction sites in the UK were started deliberately. Buildings undergoing refurbishment are, unfortunately, subjected to vandalism, arson and theft which is made possible by poor levels of security. (HSW will be publishing a feature on preventing fire on construction sites next month.)

Slide to ashes

The FPA has highlighted a phenomenon which has been labelled the Slide to Ashes. This describes the progressive deterioration of an area or a premises which ends up with a case of arson. There are a number of warning signs during this slide, and timely action could quite easily nip the problem in the bud.

The slide starts with an increase in the amount of litter - most of it combustible - strewn around and not collected up for days, or even weeks, at a time. This sends out messages about the lack of attention to and care of the premises, and possible poor levels of security.

The next manifestation is graffiti. If litter is being left, then either someone is getting onto the premises and leaving it or the occupier's attitude to the premises' cleanliness is deteriorating. Such an environment invites graffiti to outside walls or inside the site perimeter if vandals can gain access.

As the number of "unauthorised accesses" into the premises or unauthorised use of/activities in the area increases, then inevitably the slide leads to broken windows and burgled premises. The more break-ins and vandalism, the higher the chances of minor fires being set. These often precede a major conflagration which, ultimately, burns down the premises and/or lowers the value of other premises in the area.

If the start of the slide is promptly identified, there is the possibility of early intervention to prevent it. No action - or turning a blind eye - is asking for trouble.

Under control

As the FPA points out, protection against arson is not just a matter of installing expensive and elaborate fire and security systems. It should involve:

• design considerations, such as site layout, approach to the site, vehicle parking, location of entrances and exits, waste storage and removal, and secure storage of hazardous/combustible/flammable substances
• perimeter protection, such as fencing
• premises illumination
• a 24/7 security presence, with trained and motivated guards
• a positive recruitment policy
• staff training and awareness
• intruder detection and alarms
• proactive fire/smoke detection systems and alarms
• site access control.

Essentially, there are five areas that must be taken into account in any arson
protection system:

• security systems
• automatic fire detection and extinguishing systems
• fire safety management systems
• screening for potential arsonists in staff recruitment
• inclusion of arson considerations as part of the premises' fire risk assessment.

Wide angle

All measures to protect the premises from a deliberate fire are equally important to mitigate the effects of an accidental one. So the following points are useful revision material for the rest of NEBOSH Element C3.
Protection measures include:

• the division of large building compartments into smaller ones using fire-resistant segregation and separation materials
• segregation of hazardous equipment, stock and processes
• fire protection of key plant, equipment and machinery.

Basic fire-safety procedures - action in the event of fire and closedown procedures for unoccupied premises - are also vital in any arson defence mechanism. These procedures should be brought to the attention of all employees via fire safety/arson awareness campaigns.

Action in the event of fire involves:

• sounding the alarm
• evacuating the premises safely
• calling the emergency services
• fighting the fire only when it is safe to do so, and in pairs.

Shutdown procedures, either permanent or temporary, for unoccupied premises should include checks to ensure that:

• all external doors are secured
• all internal doors are closed
• all windows are closed and locked
• no unauthorised persons remain on the premises
• all process machinery is switched off and isolated where practicable
• power is disconnected if necessary
• no flammable liquids (fire accelerants) are left accessible
• intruder alarms are activated and have been tested
• security lighting is turned on
• rubbish and combustible waste material has not been allowed to accumulate.

Strategic thinking

Every business should have a fire safety strategy - which includes arson prevention - as part of its health and safety management system. Such a strategy should incorporate the following elements:

• legislative compliance
• identification of the "responsible person"
• up-to-date fire risk assessments
• measures to prevent fires breaking out
• measures to make the building safe by minimising the risk of fire spread
• installation of appropriate fire detection and protection equipment
• liaison with external organisations, including the emergency services (as required by Regulation 9 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999)
• development of a tried and tested emergency plan
• staff training and awareness on sources of ignition, the "fire triangle" and fire evacuation
• thorough investigation of all fires, irrespective of amage/spread/impact.

In 1988, the Home Office Standing Conference on Crime Prevention's working group on the prevention of arson recommended the formation of an Arson Bureau whose principal aim would be to implement a national arson control programme. At about the same time, as the number of arson fires was on the increase, insurers considered the cost was becoming unacceptable. As a result, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and the Home Office established the Arson Prevention Bureau (APB) in 1991.

The APB's aim was to spearhead and coordinate the national drive against arson. The bureau is administered by the ABI and its objectives are to:

• promote improved liaison between the police, fire and forensic services and greater collaboration between insurers, the police and the fire services on fraudulent arson
• encourage the police and forensic science services to put a higher priority on the investigation and prosecution of arsonists, and encourage insurers to recognise that arson is a major risk factor
• encourage architects to include anti-arson measures in building design
• educate the general public through schools and at work, and strengthen existing preventative measures, including surveillance, prevention of access and fire protection
• promote monitoring of the incidence of arson in the UK, including the improvement of arson statistics; such monitoring should include obtaining information on arson from all UK services, including incidents of, and the motivation for, arson
• promote research and initiatives to combat arson
• disseminate information about arson and remedial measures, and organise and advise on publicity and education to combat arson
• encourage arson monitoring in other countries and liaise with organisations and interests abroad to facilitate exchanges on arson matters.

New buildings and the modification of existing buildings should always incorporate up-to-date fire safety and security measures that are designed to protect the building and its occupants from both the spread of fire and also from entry by unwanted intruders who may well be arsonists.

HSW spoke to businesses and fire experts on their controls and tips to prevent arson in September 2007; see Protect yourself against arson.

Categories:
Fire, Qualifications, Article