Fire Marshal #1 Role of a Fire Marshal: Responsibilities, Duties, and Legal Compliance

Fire marshal is an individual trained to ensure and enforce fire safety in a workplace, public areas or institutions among them. Safety of people against fire is one of the crucial aspects of management of health, safety and environment in any organization. Fire can be deadly with loss of life, destruction of property and long term economic impacts inherent in fire risks. To reduce these risks, firms and organizations have professional staff widely referred to as fire marshalls. These are the people that are supposed to oversee the general compliance to fire safety measures, assess the risks of fire, coordinate the drills and be quick in their response during fire accidents. But in this article, the focus will be on; what is a fire marshal, what does a fire marshal do, key responsibilities of a fire marshal, and legal frameworks that regulate the fire marshal business specifically in the United Kingdom.

What is a Fire Marshal?

They are an individual trained to ensure and enforce fire safety in a workplace, public areas or institutions among them. Their main function concerns fighting fires by observing likelihood of fire, ascertaining that firefighting apparatus are in proper working order, and acting suitably in case of a fire.

Historical Background of the Fire Marshal Role

These changes are probably due to the passing of time and growing public fire safety knowledge of the fire marshall position. Many cities in medieval times could easily catch fire due to poor construction and installation of any fire protective mechanisms. This was preceded by the Great Fire of London in 1666, which spurred further improvements in fire safety standards. Presently they are well trained individuals capable of preventing, extinguishing and even lessening the impact of fire occurrences. In some of the countries including the US, the UK and Australia, duties of the fire marshalls may slightly differ in that they are all charged with the task of protecting people and property against the hazard of a fire outbreak.

Responsibilities of a Fire Marshal

They have several very important tasks he is to perform in order to guarantee the safety of a building and the people inside it. The following are some of the core responsibilities of a them: Fire Risk Assessment As an essential role of the  marshal, the person is supposed to conduct fire risk audits. This process involves analyzing the possible risks that are likely to accompany fire in a building or an ecosystem. They evaluate the building structure; the types of materials found therein; and the number of people in the building to determine the dangers posed by fire. Out of this assessment, they develop a strategy to likely reduce fire risk level.  A fire risk assessment typically includes:

• Recognising fire risks (flammable materials, electrical appliances, and equipment)
• Estimating the probability of the fire initiation
• Evaluating the effect of a fire disaster on the building structure and persons inside

Fire Evacuation Planning and Drills

There are also involved in development of fire evacuation plans as well as putting them into practice. When a fire is engulfed, the time that one would take to recall or maneuver through the evacuation plan can be the difference between life and death. They also coordinate with management in order to ensure that everyone understands how the evacuation plan works and is run through frequently. Part of what is planned and practiced is regular fire drills. They conduct such drills with an aim of acquainting all the occupants with the different escape routes, the evacuation assembly points and other related activities in event of a fire outbreak. These drills are used to evaluate the adequacy of the evacuation scheme and discover the flaws which should be modified.

Conducting Fire Safety Audits

They are also required to conduct fire safety audits. They are generally conducted with a view to determining whether a building conforms to the code guides on fire safety. During an audit the them to checks alarms and sprinklers, exit signs and doors, and for fire hazards in a business. At the end of the audit the fire marshal may advise on change or improvements that could go a long way in improving on the physical aspects of the building as relates to prevalence of fire. Such recommendations could be: indicate the need to upgrade fire protection equipment or smoke detectors, change the sign or eliminate dangers.

Monitoring Fire Safety Equipment

They must examine the fire safety equipment in the workplace frequently in order to confirm that it is in proper working condition. Some of these are fire alarms, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, emergency lighting and sprinkler systems. This is why having proper functioning of the equipment is essential to ensure early detection of fire and proper actions in regards to an emergency situation. They also monitor to see that all fire safety devices are within legal requirements and properly serviced.

Daily Duties of a Fire Marshal

Besides their traditional functions, fire marshals have several tasks on a day to day basis to help make his/her workplace environment free from risks of fire. Some of these duties include:

Conducting Safety Checks

They has many daily or weekly tasks one of which includes safety checks around the premises of the institution. This involves checking on the emergency exits, visually exploring the contractual way, especially inspecting the escape routes from any barriers and making sure the fire doors are working as expected. Furthermore, fire marshals assess other aspects of the workplace hygiene and tidiness as a way of dealing with all possible fire risks, including loose items or ways of storage of the inflammable materials.

Reporting and Monitoring Hazards

Every fire marshal bears special responsibilities of observing probable causes of fire within their jurisdiction. In case of a hazard, they take a picture, inform the concerned department and make sure necessary action is taken. It also addresses the problem of fire outbreaks and reduces the level of compliance with safety measures according to the degree.

Ensuring Fire Drills Are Carried Out

Fire drills are conducted by the direction of the fire marshals. They engage other personnel to rehearse the emergency evacuation drills from time to time, in order to make all the staff understand the procedures for fire evacuation. Following every exercise, fire marshals discuss issues encountered in an effort to enhance the effectiveness of conveyances and prompt evacuations.

Legal Responsibilities and Training Requirements for Fire Marshals

In the United Kingdom, duties of a fire marshal are well defined by legal provisions in fire safety legislation. Regulations to do with fire avoidance and prevention and which are germane to the United Kingdom include the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. This order puts the management of fire risks on the employer or the ‘responsible person.’ This responsible person is helped by the fire marshal to check and guarantee fire precautions and make certain that workers are conversant with the evacuation plan.

Legal Responsibilities

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, fire marshals must:

• Support in the adoption of fire precautions procedures
• Make sure that fire safety equipment is properly maintained.
• Perform fire assessment and guarantee on fire regulation.
• Ensure that fire drill is conducted on a regular basis once in a while.
• Call for equal compliance with the law on the physically challenged to have unhindered access to emergency evacuation routes.
• Communicate any fire related risks to the management and do everything possible to have them addressed

Training and Certification Requirements

In order to become a certified fire marshal, a person needs to successfully pass certain training courses which deal with fire prevention, calculation of fire risk, and fire safety legislation. These courses are normally provided by firms usually accredited in matters concerning fire safety. It equips fire marshals with adequate information and practical work skills concerning fire hazards and how best to avoid them, how to undertake proper emergency drills and procedures and more. Training often covers:

• The best ways of considering fire risk assessments
• This is the utilization of fire safety equipment for instance fire extinguishers, alarms and the likes.
• Evacuation plans
• Understanding and maintenance of the fire safety laws and regulations

Apart from this initial fire safety training, many fire marshals are expected to undergo recurrent training to familiarize themselves with the current fire standards and requirements.

Why Every Business Needs a Fire Marshal

Taking and retaining an employee like a fire marshal is not just the legal requirement but roles like these are factors that conclude risk management profiles of every organization. In the execution of their duties, fire marshals help to remind businesses about fire safety regulations when they are supposed to do so, but it is much more than that. Here are some key reasons why every business should have a fire marshal:

Prevention of Fire Hazards

There are largely responsible for hazard analysis specifically pertaining to fires to ascertain the causes and prevent their aggravation. Through being constantly involved in fire risk assessments and safety audits, fire marshals are able to ensure that fires do not even happen. This proactive method not only saves employees but also corporate and business significant property and resources.

Efficient Evacuation in Emergencies

Every moment is valuable when there is a fire incident which necessitates evacuation. Fire safety marshals are trained to perform fast and effective fire evacuations that enable all the building occupants to leave the premises. Janitors are also able to manage fire drills and coordinate evacuation procedures in order to prevent the ravages of a fire disaster.

Legal Compliance and Reduced Liability

They serves to guarantee the business stays on the right side of the law as regards fire safety. A failure to adhere to these laws is contributing to massive fines, lawsuits and even the shutdown of the business. Hiring a professional fire marshal guarantees that all necessary precautions are taken against fire-associated disasters since hiring a fire marshal minimizes the organization’s legal responsibility for a fire associated disaster.

Improved Workplace Safety Culture

The fire marshal serves to guarantee the business stays on the right side of the law as regards fire safety. A failure to adhere to these laws is contributing to massive fines, lawsuits and even the shutdown of the business. Hiring a professional fire marshal guarantees that all necessary precautions are taken against fire-associated disasters since hiring a fire marshal minimizes the organization’s legal responsibility for a fire associated disaster.

Conclusion

It could be very approximate to declare of course that it is unimaginable to be a fire marshal these days in any institution and organization. Carrying out fire risk audit, coordinating fire drill exercise, supervising fire precaution and detection appliances, ensuring conformance with fire precaution and protection standards, fire marshals are among the most indispensable and useful officials. Some of their tasks are extensive, they should have adequate knowledge concerning the fire safety legislation, operational guidelines, and managerial precautions. No business, big or small, is as safe as it can be without a trained fire marshal to act quickly in the event of fire related disasters. The protection of people in today’s environment is a top priority whether contractual or legal, and the provision of fire marshalls and their training is an investment in the safety of the workplace. Utilizing the service of a fire marshal tends to be one of the most effective ways of minimizing the dangers of fire and other related issues to the safety of employees, customers, and visitors. Get a Free Quote for getting our services in London Today!