Village Hall Documents

Fire safety inspection March 7th  Sarah Cocker Lincolnshire fire and rescue

Issues  raised and action required

Front door –  should open outwards in direction of travel and preferably onto a level area, not steps.

Door should have a twist catch or crash bar to be operated from inside and be part glazed and fire resistant. There needs to be a safe route to an identified assembly point.

Emergency light and fire exit sign should be positioned above the door.

Fire extinguishers are both out of date and need replacing and positioning correctly with appropriate operating instructions – suggested  P50 multi-purpose appliances which last for 10 years and do not require annual servicing. To be done A.S.A.P. Suggested one in the hall and one in or near the kitchen.

Fire blanket to be inspected and if intact can be utilised, if not needs replacing.

Fire/smoke detectors should be wired in to the mains electric supply. They are needed in the main hall, kitchen and toilet with additional external alarm box as the premises are frequently unoccupied.

Internal kitchen door needs replacing with a 30 minute fire door. All appliances in the kitchen should be regularly inspected for wear and tear and removed and replaced if any faults are found. Kitchen needs a first aid box to include specific contents for burns/scalds. Equipment needs operating instructions and risk assessments.

External kitchen door should open in direction of travel. It cannot legally be identified as a fire escape, as any one escaping through it has to, currently, pass through a high risk area. It however may serve as an emergency exit for people in the kitchen if a fire occurred e.g. at the top of the stairs. It should have a twist catch or crash bar for easy exit and be fire resistant. If the cooker was removed from the kitchen then this may not then be classified as a high risk area.

Side door at the top of steps, currently identified as a fire exit, is made of wood, and is not fire resistant. It opens onto a steep flight of steps with an unsuitable handrail. (This door is not essential as a fire exit due to the limited number of people allowed in the hall at any one time). The front door of the hall meets legal requirements for the number of exits. To meet legal requirements the  door at the top of the steps would need to be fire resistant with a crash bar or twist catch. It would need to open outwards onto a platform and the steps would need to be rebuilt with a suitable safety handrail.

Suitable, lockable storage should be available for any hazardous chemical kept on site with appropriate C.O.S.H.H. documentation and safety guidance.

An emergency light and  fire exit sign should be positioned on the kitchen side above the flight of stairs into the hall.

Outside lighting should be considered at the side of the building if in the future this was identified as a safe route to an assembly point (dependant on access being granted from Acis.)

When disabled toilet facilities are installed an emergency call system should be fitted. The toilet door should have a lock that can be opened from the outside in an emergency.

A break glass alarm system should be considered and the alarms should be loud enough for everyone in the building to hear  taking into account music etc.

Signage needs to include no smoking, plan of building, fire and evacuation procedure including assembly point in case of evacuation, position of fire equipment, safety notices above heaters and in kitchen, public liability insurance, site of first aid equipment and incident book, responsibilities of hirers and name of responsible person(s). 

Inspections and record keeping

Alarm test weekly. Alarms serviced by qualified person annually. All recorded.

Lighting test monthly. Lighting serviced by qualified person annually. All recorded.

Defibrillator test weekly and recorded,  equipment replaced as necessary. Serviced according to guidance by qualified person and recorded. 

Fire extinguishers (if not P50) and fire blanket check or test monthly. Serviced by qualified person annually. All recorded.

P.A.T. Testing advised annually by qualified person and records kept. Monthly check on all electrical equipment and reporting and safety procedure for removing/replacing any damaged items.

Fixed wiring should be checked every 5 years by qualified person and records kept.

Record books

Fire safety information – Name of responsible person (s), record of training, fire drills, procedures, testing/servicing, faults/false alarms. Fire risk assessments to include personal risk assessments for vulnerable users e.g. disabled, children.

Incident book – to record incidents/accidents/action taken/preventative measures.

Signature list of persons carrying out safety checks.

Fire doors are a legal requirement in all non-domestic properties, such as businesses, commercial premises, and public buildings.