First aid fire fighting

When considering fire safety in hospitals, the major focus tends to be on the fire detection, alarms and automatic extinguishing. While they are all very important aspects to consider, the role of the humble portable fire extinguisher should not be overlooked. In a hospital, it is not just the life-threatening fire itself that needs to be considered – the potential loss of electronic medical equipment that could be critical to a patient is also a factor, as are the consequences of having to evacuate. Beyond the life safety considerations, you have the damage to the building and its contents, increases in insurance payments, the destruction of data, and the psychological impact that a fire has on those affected. For all of these reasons, it is vital that a means of first aid fire fighting is available – the opportunity to tackle a small fire before it has the chance to develop into something more serious.

Extinguishing small fires
In certain quarters, people have perhaps lost sight of the importance of fire extinguishers, particularly in a culture which appears ever more conscious of potential litigation. For some, removing portable extinguishers is the easy option. At a recent presentation by a world-renowned hotel chain, the chain’s worldwide fire protection manager said that if he had his way, all portables would be removed from his company’s hotels as he would rather everyone evacuate immediately and then wait for the Fire & Rescue Service to arrive. He did, however, accede that neither his staff nor his customers were in agreement.
    
Martin Harvey, the Chairman of our trade association, witnessed only recently at a corporate event the start of a small fire that involved a candle, paper napkins and a dining table. As he reported: “It was amazing to watch people’s lack of a reaction. Most sat and did nothing for at least 30-40 seconds, then one person tried to dab out the fire without success. Luckily each table had a jug of water on it and another person stepped in and poured the water to extinguish the fire.”
    
Had the jugs of water not been to hand, what would have happened? Everyone evacuate and wait for the fire to spread and build to a size that actuates the sprinklers or, if not sprinklered, wait until the Fire and Rescue Service arrives?
    
While as a trade association that represents the fire protection industry and one that works very closely with the Fire and Rescue Service, we are in no way advocating a cavalier approach to tackling a fire, surely having the means to tackle a fire, if it is safe to do so and the relevant training has been given, has to be better than an approach which simply leaves the fire to escalate.
    
The success of portable fire extinguishers as a means of combating fire is well documented. A survey into their use showed that 80 per cent of the fires fought with them are successfully extinguished and that in 75 per cent of cases there was no need to call the Fire and Rescue Service. It is clear that fire extinguishers play a very important role in the preservation of life and property and, in a hospital, the ability they provide to control a fire in its early stages can significantly reduce the risk in an environment which, by its very nature, is caring for those who are particularly vulnerable.

Risk Assessment
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (the fire safety legislation that is now in place) requires that a full risk assessment be carried out on any hospital and, as part of that process, the number of portable fire extinguishers required should be matched to the risk identified in a given premises. Attention should also be paid to selecting the appropriate extinguisher for the fire risk.
    
There are several types of fire extinguisher: water, foam, multipurpose dry chemical (powder), carbon dioxide, wet chemical and special powder. The multipurpose dry chemical is the most common extinguisher in hospitals because, as its name suggests, it is particularly versatile. Most extinguishers carry labels to identify the types of fire on which they can be used:

Class A – flammable solids
Class B – flammable liquids
Class C – flammable gases
Class D – flammable metals
Class F – cooking oils and fats

The dry chemical extinguisher can be used on Classes ABC and electrical risks but, for example, hospital kitchens would require a wet chemical extinguisher to tackle any fire generated from fats or cooking oils. A guide to the types of extinguisher and their application is freely available from the Fire Industry Association (FIA) either in printed form (phone 020 8549 5855) or on the website: www.fia.uk.com.
    
The extinguishers should be located at appropriate points, such as on the escape routes at each floor level, with signage possibly also necessary to highlight their location.

Training
Just having the extinguishers to hand is not enough. Attention must also be paid to the need to train those people who may be expected to attempt to extinguish a fire. In a hospital this will obviously be staff rather than patients and all staff should be familiar with the location and basic operating procedures of the portable fire extinguishers provided.
    
In a hospital environment, portable fire extinguishers should primarily be used to protect life and facilitate safe escape as the emphasis must be towards the safety of patients and staff rather than fighting the fire. Despite their undoubted value, it is important to appreciate that their role is to tackle a fire in its early stages: they cannot be expected to deal with a large fire since they are essentially first aid fire fighting appliances which is why training in their use is so important. Returning to the point made earlier in that some people are looking to remove extinguishers from premises completely. The reason usually proffered is the lack of training and the fact that it cannot be guaranteed that everyone is adequately trained. This is an excuse rather than a reason – extinguisher training is very simple and can be provided easily by any of the extinguisher maintenance companies that should be maintaining the extinguishers in the hospital at least once every year.

Competency
All fire safety precautions provided need to be installed and maintained by a ‘competent person’. Under the Fire Safety Order a person is to be regarded as competent where he/she has sufficient training and experience or knowledge and other qualities to enable him/her properly to assist in undertaking the preventive and protective measures. For commercial buildings the main enforcing body will be the local fire and rescue authority.
    
In view of the above it is strongly recommended that portable fire extinguishers be properly maintained by personnel that can prove their competence through membership of a scheme such as the ‘Portable Fire Extinguisher Service Technicians Scheme’ from BAFE.

Part of the equation
In conclusion, portable fire extinguishers are only part of the means of protecting a hospital from fire, albeit an important part and one that should not be ignored. Other fire protection provision will invariably be required e.g. hose reels, sprinklers, fire blankets, other automatic extinguishing systems, as well as fire detection and alarm systems. The major transparent change under the new fire safety regime is that fire certificates have been removed, with the designated responsible person now required to ensure the fire safety of the premises. For that responsible person, the need to employ companies and individuals that are competent in their respective field of fire safety has become more important than ever.

The FIA is a not-for-profit trade association with the aim of promoting the professional status of the UK fire safety industry

About the author
Robert Thilthorpe joined the Fire Industry Association (FIA) in 2002, initially as Assistant Technical Manager, having previously worked at the British Standards Institution (BSI) where he was responsible for National, European and International Fire Committees. He took on the role as the association’s technical manager in 2005.

For more information
Tel: 020 8549 5855
E-mail: info@fia.uk.com
Web: www.fia.uk.com