Fire and Evacuation

Fire safety and emergency evacuation

Policy statement

We ensure the highest possible standard of fire precautions are in place.  The person in charge and our staff are familiar with the current legal requirements. Where necessary we seek the advice of a competent person, such as our Fire Officer or Fire Safety Consultant. A Fire Safety Log is used to record the findings of risk assessments, any actions taken or incidents that have occurred and our fire drills.

Procedures

Fire safety risk assessment

• The basis of fire safety is risk assessment, carried out by a ‘competent person’.
• The Health and Safety Officer has received training in fire safety sufficient to be competent to carry out the risk assessment; this will be written where there are more than five staff and will follow the Government Guidance Fire Safety Risk Assessment – Educational Premises (HMG 2006).
• Our fire safety risk assessment focuses on the following for each area of the setting:
• Electrical plugs, wires and sockets.
• Electrical items.
• Gas boilers.
• Flammable materials – including furniture, furnishings, paper etc.
• Flammable chemicals.
• Means of escape.
• Anything else identified.
• As we rent premises, the school hold the fire safety risk assessment that applies to the school building.

Fire safety precautions taken

• We ensure that fire doors are clearly marked, never obstructed and easily opened from the inside.
• We ensure that smoke detectors/alarms are fitted in appropriate high-risk areas of the building and are checked under the school’s maintenance programme.
• Our emergency evacuation procedures are approved by the Fire Safety Officer and are:
• clearly displayed in the premises;
• explained to new members of staff, volunteers and parents; and
• Practiced regularly, once every six weeks.
• Records are kept of fire drills and the school keep the servicing of fire safety equipment.

Emergency evacuation procedure

In the event of a Fire or other occasion when full evacuation is needed the following procedure will

take place.

• On hearing the fire alarm, the children and adults in the setting will line up in the small playground (behind the staff room)
• If it is unsafe to line up in the small playground then we will line up in the tennis court (behind the trim trail)
• The staff will head count to ensure all children and adults are present.
• Check the toilets before we leave the preschool room.
• Play leader or Health & Safety Officer will ensure that they have the register, emergency file and mobile phone.
• The children will be led by one adult (one adult at the rear and other adults at regular intervals along the line) to the field, where a register will be taken to again ensure that all present have been evacuated.
• If the fire alarm sounds when we are in the school hall we will follow the above procedure – but exiting the school via the front gate and walking along the lane (Field End) to the field or exiting through the hall door that leads passed the school classrooms to the rear field, dependant on where the fire is located, then to the assembly point.
• The Early Years Manager (or person in charge) will report to the senior staff member of the school to advise them that Preschool has been successfully evacuated.
• Should the school not be in session during an evacuation the Early Years Room Manager/Early Years Deputy or Health & Safety Officer will call the Fire Brigade. The Early Years Room Manager/Early Years Deputy will also contact the Head Teacher (or their Deputy) to advise them of the situation.
• If it is necessary to evacuate the premises entirely the Preschool will move to Axminster Primary School.
• To cross the road safely two staff members will stop the traffic with the other staff members leading the children safely across the road.
• Staff members will ensure the children walk safely and sensibly to the school.
• Once at the school staff will again ensure that all children are present
• A staff member will report to the Reception of Axminster Primary School so that a safe, secure waiting area can be found for the children and staff.
• Staff will maintain contact with the school staff to establish whether it is safe to return to the school.
• If it is not safe to return staff will contact each child’s parent, explain the situation and ask that they collect their child direct from Axminster Primary.
• At least 2 members of staff will remain until all children have been collected.

Fire drills and lockdown procedures

We hold fire drills and practice lockdown procedure half termly and record the following information about each fire drill in the Fire Safety Log:

• The date and time of the drill/lockdown.
• Number of adults and children involved.
• How long it took to evacuate.
• Whether there were any problems that delayed evacuation.
• Any further action taken to improve the drill procedure.

Legal framework

• Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005