What the law says

Section 19 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 requires an employer to review the risk assessment where there has been a significant change in the matters it relates to, or where there is another reason to believe it is no longer valid, and to amend it afterwards if needed. Section 18(2) of the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003 adds an ongoing duty: fire safety measures and procedures must be applied at all times, not only on the day of the assessment.

Changes that should trigger a review

• Building work: extensions, new partitions, a mezzanine or a changed layout.
• Change of use: a store becomes an office, or an office becomes sleeping accommodation.
• More people, or different people: higher numbers, night shifts, or occupants who need help to evacuate.
• New processes or materials: flammable liquids, new machinery, battery charging.
• Changes to fire systems: a new alarm panel, or doors and detectors removed during refurbishment.
• A fire, a near miss or a false-alarm pattern.
• A new tenant or neighbour in a shared building.
• Findings from a fire authority or regulator inspection.

Why an annual review makes sense

Small changes add up. Storage creeps into corridors, staff who were trained move on, and service contracts lapse. A yearly review catches these before they become serious, and it gives you a dated record showing the assessment is still current. Higher-risk premises, such as nursing homes and hotels, often review more frequently.

Review or new assessment?

A review checks that the existing assessment still reflects the building and that the actions in it have been closed out. A new assessment is the better choice after major building work, a change of use, or when the last one is several years old and the action plan was never completed.

Between reviews

1. Work through the action plan and record what was done and when.
2. Keep the fire safety register up to date.
3. Run drills and record how they went.
4. Tell your assessor about changes before they happen, not after.

Not sure what your assessor will look at? See our fire risk assessment checklist.

Safer Solutions carries out new fire risk assessments and reviews of existing ones across Ireland. Call 086 275 9728, email info@safersolutions.ie or request a quote.

The post How Often Should a Fire Risk Assessment Be Reviewed in Ireland? appeared first on Safer Solutions.

Your duties

If you control the premises, section 18(2) of the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003 requires you to take all reasonable measures to guard against the outbreak of fire and to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the safety of people on the premises. As an employer you must also identify hazards and hold a written risk assessment under section 19 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005.

Where warehouse fires start

• Forklift and battery charging: charging areas need ventilation and should be kept clear of stored goods.
• Electrical faults: conveyors, shrink-wrap machines, lighting and temporary wiring.
• Hot works: welding, cutting and grinding by contractors, without a permit or a fire watch.
• Smoking: in unofficial spots near pallets or waste.
• Arson: pallets, skips and waste stacked against the outside wall.

What makes them spread

• Packaging: cardboard, plastic wrap and pallets burn readily.
• Storage height: goods stacked close to the roof, lights or sprinkler heads.
• Flammable liquids and aerosols: stored among general stock instead of in a suitable store.
• Large undivided spaces: nothing to hold a fire back.
• Mezzanines: added later, often without changes to detection or escape routes.

Getting people out

In a big building the distance to an exit matters. The assessor checks that aisles and exit routes are clear of stock, that final exits open easily, that the alarm can be heard over machinery, and that there is a way to account for staff, drivers and contractors at the assembly point.

What the assessor reviews

1. How goods are stored and whether stock has crept into escape routes.
2. Charging areas, plant rooms and electrical installations.
3. Fire detection, alarm and any sprinkler or suppression systems.
4. Contractor control and hot work procedures.
5. External storage and site security.
6. Extinguishers, training, drills and the fire safety register.

When to review

Warehouses change often. A new racking layout, a new product line, a mezzanine or a change of tenant in a shared unit are all reasons to review the assessment.

Based in Co. Tipperary, Safer Solutions carries out fire risk assessments for warehouses and industrial units across Limerick city and county. Call 086 275 9728, email info@safersolutions.ie or request a quote.

The post Fire Risk Assessments for Warehouses and Industrial Units in Limerick appeared first on Safer Solutions.

Your duty as the operator

Section 18(2) of the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003 places a duty on anyone having control of a premises other than a dwelling house. You must take all reasonable measures to guard against the outbreak of fire, provide fire safety measures and procedures, and ensure the safety of people on the premises as far as is reasonably practicable. As an employer you must also hold a written risk assessment under section 19 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005.

Kitchen risks

• Extraction ducts: grease builds up inside canopies, filters and ductwork, and a flame at the cooker can carry it through the building. Filters need regular cleaning and ducts need professional cleaning.
• Deep fat fryers: a common source of serious kitchen fires. Thermostats and cut-outs must work.
• Gas: staff should know where the emergency shut-off is.
• The right extinguishers: cooking oil fires need a wet chemical extinguisher and a fire blanket. Water makes them worse.
• Fixed suppression systems: if fitted over the cooking range, they need servicing.

Front of house risks

• Numbers: how many people the exits can safely serve, especially on busy nights.
• Exits: unlocked and unobstructed whenever the public are in. Back doors blocked by kegs, crates or bins are a common finding.
• Furniture layout: extra tables added over time can narrow the routes to exits.
• Candles, decorations and outdoor heaters.
• Cellars and stores: often a single way in and out.

Staff and procedures

Hospitality has high staff turnover, so fire safety instruction on the first day matters. Every member of staff should know how to raise the alarm, how to direct customers out, where the assembly point is and who calls the fire service. Record the training and the drills in your fire safety register.

Accommodation upstairs

If staff or guests sleep above the premises, the risk is higher and the assessment has to cover detection, alarm and escape for the upper floors.

What you receive

A written report with findings ranked by priority and practical actions, so you can deal with the urgent items before the next busy weekend.

Safer Solutions carries out fire risk assessments for hospitality venues across Cork city and county. Call 086 275 9728, email info@safersolutions.ie or request a quote.

The post Fire Risk Assessments for Restaurants, Pubs and Cafés in Cork appeared first on Safer Solutions.

What Regulation 28 requires

Regulation 28 of the Health Act 2007 (Care and Welfare of Residents in Designated Centres for Older People) Regulations 2013 deals with fire precautions. In summary, the registered provider must:

• take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, with suitable firefighting equipment, building services, bedding and furnishings
• provide adequate means of escape, including emergency lighting
• maintain fire equipment, means of escape and the building fabric, and review fire precautions
• make sure staff are trained in fire prevention, emergency procedures, the layout of the building, escape routes, the location of alarm call points and firefighting equipment
• use fire drills and practices so that staff, and residents as far as is reasonably practicable, know what to do
• have adequate arrangements for detecting, containing and extinguishing fires, giving warning, calling the fire service and evacuating residents safely

The person in charge must also display the fire procedures in a prominent place. Alongside this, section 18(2) of the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003 applies to nursing homes as it does to other premises.

Why care settings are different

• Many residents need one or two staff to help them move.
• Night staffing is lower, and that is when a fire is hardest to manage.
• Evacuation is usually progressive: residents move through fire doors to a safer part of the building first, not straight outside.
• That makes fire doors and the fire-resisting walls between compartments critical.

What the fire risk assessment looks at

1. Compartments and fire doors: whether doors close fully, and whether walls and ceilings are sealed where pipes and cables pass through.
2. Evacuation at night: whether the staff on duty could move the residents in the largest compartment in time.
3. Residents’ individual needs: evacuation plans for each resident and the equipment to carry them out.
4. Detection and alarm: coverage and how staff are alerted.
5. Higher-risk rooms: kitchen, laundry, plant, stores and oxygen storage.
6. Bedding and furnishings.
7. Training and drills: including drills that simulate night-time staffing.
8. Records: servicing, tests, training and drill reports.

Preparing for inspection

HIQA inspects nursing homes against the regulations and publishes a fire safety handbook for providers and staff. An inspector will want to see that risks have been identified, that actions have dates and owners, and that drills are realistic. A current fire risk assessment with a tracked action plan gives you that.

Safer Solutions carries out fire risk assessments and legionella risk assessments for nursing homes across Ireland, and can cover both in one visit. Call 086 275 9728, email info@safersolutions.ie or request a quote.

The post Fire Risk Assessments for Nursing Homes: Meeting Regulation 28 appeared first on Safer Solutions.

What the law expects from an office employer

Two duties apply. Section 18(2) of the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003 requires anyone having control of a premises to take all reasonable measures to guard against the outbreak of fire and to keep people on the premises safe. Section 19 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 requires every employer to identify hazards and hold a written risk assessment. A fire risk assessment covers both.

The fire risks most often missed in offices

• Electrical overload: extension leads plugged into extension leads, and heaters under desks.
• Charging: laptops, phones, e-bikes and e-scooters left charging unattended or in escape routes.
• Storage in the wrong place: boxes, deliveries and old furniture in stairwells, corridors and plant rooms.
• Kitchenettes: toasters, microwaves and dishwashers running after everyone has left.
• Fire doors: wedged open for convenience or damaged by trolleys.
• Server and comms rooms: used as storerooms.

Hybrid working changes the picture

With fewer people in on any given day, the trained fire warden for a floor may be at home when the alarm sounds. Your assessment should check that there are enough trained people on site every day, that visitor and contractor sign-in is reliable, and that anyone who needs help to evacuate has a plan that does not depend on one colleague.

Shared buildings: you and your landlord

In a multi-tenant building, the tenant is usually responsible for their own floor and the landlord or managing agent for stairs, lobbies and the shared alarm system. Check what your lease says, and find out when the common-area alarm is tested and where the assembly point is. Our guide to who is responsible for fire safety in a building explains how the duty is shared.

What the assessor reviews

1. Sources of ignition and how combustible materials are stored.
2. Escape routes, exits, signage and emergency lighting.
3. Fire detection and alarm, including whether it can be heard in every room.
4. Fire doors and the separation between floors and risk rooms.
5. Extinguishers: the right types in the right places, and serviced.
6. Training, fire wardens, drills and the fire safety register.

What you get

A written report with each finding ranked by priority and a clear action for each one. Most office actions are low cost: move the storage, replace the wedges with proper hold-open devices, retrain the wardens.

Safer Solutions carries out fire risk assessments for offices across Dublin city and county. Call 086 275 9728, email info@safersolutions.ie or request a quote.

The post Fire Risk Assessments for Offices in Dublin: What Employers Need to Know appeared first on Safer Solutions.

1. Hot water that is not hot enough

Thermostats get turned down to save energy, leaving stored water in the range where legionella grows. Fix: store hot water at 60°C or above, where the bacteria are killed within minutes, and check the temperature regularly.

2. Cold water that is too warm

Tanks in hot roof spaces and cold pipes running beside hot ones push cold water above 20°C. Fix: insulate tanks and pipes, and check that the tank is not oversized for the building, so water does not sit in it for long.

3. Outlets nobody uses

Spare bedrooms, disabled toilets, cleaners’ sinks and outside taps can go weeks without being run. Fix: flush them on a set schedule, typically weekly, and record it. Remove outlets that are no longer needed.

4. Dead legs

Old alterations leave capped pipes full of standing water. Fix: cut dead legs back to the main pipe.

5. Dirty storage tanks

Missing lids, sediment and debris give bacteria the nutrients they need. Fix: fit a close-fitting lid, inspect the tank, and clean and disinfect it when needed.

6. No records

Checks may be happening, but if nothing is written down you cannot show it. Fix: keep a simple log of temperatures, flushing and cleaning, with dates and names.

Do not forget shower heads

Scale and biofilm build up inside shower heads and hoses, and showers create exactly the fine spray that carries legionella. Clean, descale and disinfect them regularly.

How to find out which apply to you

A legionella risk assessment checks your system for all of these and ranks what it finds by priority. National guidelines recommend reviewing it at least once a year. Our guide to water temperatures for legionella control explains the numbers in more detail.

Safer Solutions provides legionella risk assessments, sampling and water tank cleaning across Ireland. Call 086 275 9728, email info@safersolutions.ie or request a quote.

The post Six Common Legionella Risks in Buildings and How to Fix Them appeared first on Safer Solutions.

What the law says

Section 18(2) of the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003 applies to every person having control over premises other than a dwelling house. That person must:

• take all reasonable measures to guard against the outbreak of fire
• provide reasonable fire safety measures and prepare appropriate fire safety procedures
• ensure those measures and procedures are applied at all times
• ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the safety of people on the premises if a fire breaks out

Who counts as the person in control

Government guidance for building owners and operators explains that it may be the owner, the occupier, the leaseholder or somebody hiring the premises. What matters is who actually controls the building or the part of it in question.

Typical situations

• Owner-occupied business: the owner or the company running the business.
• Single tenant: usually the tenant for day-to-day fire safety, with the landlord responsible for whatever the lease keeps in their hands.
• Multi-tenant building: each tenant for their own unit, and the landlord or managing agent for common areas such as stairs, corridors and shared alarm systems.
• Hired venue: the hirer shares responsibility for the event they run.

Leases differ, so check what yours says about fire safety systems, maintenance and common areas.

Employers have a second duty

If you employ staff, section 19 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 requires you to identify hazards and hold a written risk assessment. Fire is one of those hazards.

Where responsibility is shared

Agree in writing who tests the alarm, who services equipment, who keeps escape routes clear and who holds the fire safety register. Gaps between landlord and tenant are among the most common findings in a fire risk assessment.

How a fire risk assessment helps

It sets out what needs to be done in your part of the building and flags anything that depends on someone else, so you can raise it with them.

Safer Solutions carries out fire risk assessments for owners, tenants and managing agents across Ireland. Call 086 275 9728, email info@safersolutions.ie or request a quote.

The post Who Is Responsible for Fire Safety in a Building? The Person in Control Explained appeared first on Safer Solutions.

What a legionella risk assessment does

• Surveys the whole hot and cold water system.
• Finds the conditions legionella needs: water between 20°C and 45°C, stagnation, sediment and spray.
• Considers who uses the building and how vulnerable they are.
• Produces a written scheme of control with tasks, owners and frequencies.

Employers are asked to carry out a written risk assessment, record the findings and review it. National guidelines recommend a review at least once a year.

What legionella sampling does

• Takes water from chosen points in the system.
• Has it cultured in a laboratory.
• Reports whether legionella is present and at what level.

A sample is a snapshot of one outlet on one day. It confirms whether your controls are working, but it cannot tell you why a problem exists or where the next one will appear.

Side by side

When you need both

• Healthcare settings, including nursing homes, where national guidelines recommend sampling at least twice a year.
• Systems where temperatures are hard to control.
• Buildings reopening after a closure.
• After a positive result, to confirm the fix worked.

Which should you book first?

The risk assessment. Sampling without one tells you a result but not what to do about it.

Safer Solutions provides both legionella risk assessments and legionella sampling, with samples analysed by an independent accredited laboratory. Call 086 275 9728, email info@safersolutions.ie or request a quote.

The post Legionella Sampling vs Legionella Risk Assessment: What Is the Difference? appeared first on Safer Solutions.

Why keep one

Section 18(2) of the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003 requires anyone having control of a premises to provide fire safety measures and procedures, and to make sure they are applied at all times. A register is how you show that. Local authorities publish templates to help. Dublin City Council, for example, provides a downloadable fire safety register for businesses.

What to record

• Fire detection and alarm: user tests, servicing visits, faults and repairs.
• Emergency lighting: tests and servicing.
• Fire extinguishers and other equipment: visual checks and servicing.
• Fire doors: checks that they close fully and are not damaged or wedged open.
• Escape routes and exits: checks that they are clear and unlocked.
• Staff training: who was trained, on what and when.
• Fire drills: date, time taken, how it went and what needs to improve.
• Inspections and assessments: fire risk assessments and visits from the fire authority.

How often

The frequency of each test is set by the relevant standard, the manufacturer and your service provider. Your fire risk assessment should list the checks for your building and who carries them out.

Keeping it useful

1. Name one person as responsible for the register, with a deputy.
2. Fill it in at the time of the check, not afterwards.
3. Record faults and what was done about them.
4. Keep contractor certificates with it.
5. Store it where it can be found quickly, on paper or digitally.

Common gaps we look for

Missing drill records, servicing certificates that cannot be found, and training that was done but never written down. All three are easy to fix once someone owns the register.

Safer Solutions reviews fire safety registers as part of every fire risk assessment. See also our fire risk assessment checklist. Call 086 275 9728, email info@safersolutions.ie or request a quote.

The post Fire Safety Register: What to Record and Why It Matters appeared first on Safer Solutions.

What affects the price

• Size: floor area, number of floors and number of rooms to inspect.
• Use: buildings where people sleep, such as hotels and nursing homes, take longer to assess than a small office or shop.
• Complexity: basements, atriums, kitchens, plant rooms and mixed uses all add time.
• Number of buildings: several sites or blocks can often be assessed together.
• Records: an up-to-date fire safety register and drawings make the visit quicker.
• Location: travel time to the site.

What a proper assessment should include

• A visit to the premises and a walk-through of every area.
• A review of escape routes, alarms, emergency lighting, fire doors and firefighting equipment.
• A check of your fire safety register, training and drill records.
• A written report with findings ranked by priority and clear actions.
• Someone to answer your questions afterwards.

Be careful with very cheap quotes

An assessment done from a questionnaire, without a site visit, cannot check whether fire doors close or escape routes are clear. A report that does not reflect the real building will not help you meet your duties under section 18(2) of the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003.

How to get an accurate quote

Have these details ready: the address, the type of premises, approximate floor area and number of floors, how many people use the building, and whether anyone sleeps there.

Save by combining visits

If the building also needs a legionella risk assessment, booking both together cuts travel and time on site.

For a quote on a fire risk assessment in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway or anywhere in Ireland, talk to Safer Solutions. Call 086 275 9728, email info@safersolutions.ie or request a quote.

The post What Affects the Cost of a Fire Risk Assessment in Ireland? appeared first on Safer Solutions.