The aim of this policy is designed to demonstrate compliance with the School’s duties under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety Order U.K.) 2005 ensuing adequate safety for relevant persons. The priority is to eliminate or minimise the risk to life and to reduce injury by maintaining the physical fire safety integrity of the school in ensuring that staff, students and visitors do not add to the fire risk and through safe evacuation of the buildings if a fire breaks out. This policy is to be followed by all staff, students and visitors

Responsibilities

Role of Site Officer at Everest International School Tangier

The Site Officer is responsible, with the support of the Administration Officer, Director of Teaching and Learning and Director of School for the effective implementation of this Policy and its role within the School’s Fire, Health and Safety Management systems and processes. This includes arranging for fire safety risk assessment on site to ensure that the school’s facilities are compliant; and reduce the risk of fire incidences by carrying out appropriate task risk assessments.

Role of Director of School

The Director of School is responsible for ensuring the following:

• The Fire Policy is kept under regular review by the SLT
• The Fire Policy is disseminated to the entire school community
• Everyone in the school (including visitors and contractors) are given clear written instructions displayed around the school, on where they should go in the event of
• All new staff are thoroughly trained in Fire Safety Procedures at their induction or on In-service
• Records are kept of Fire Drills
• Fire procedures and risk assessments are reviewed on each occasion that a building is altered extended or rebuilt, or when new buildings are

Staff

All employees have the responsibility to cooperate with issued instructions, their training and to ensure that the workplace is safe from fire and its effects and must not do anything that will place themselves or other people at risk.

If you find a fire, or one is reported to you.

Staff discovering a fire or other emergency for which the buildings should be evacuated should activate the alarm using the nearest available break glass call point. They should then notify the Head/Site Officer of the exact location of the incident.

Fire Fighting

The safe evacuation of people is a priority. Staff may only attempt to deal with small fires if it is safe to do so without putting themselves or others at risk, using portable fire-fighting equipment. The alarm should be raised BEFORE fire fighting.

On hearing the Fire Alarm (a loud continuous sound)

• All occupants must respond to alarm activations and evacuate the building
• The MPS Site Officer will check the fire panel and if safe go to the zone where the alarm has been activated to investigate if there is a fire or a false alarm

On hearing the Fire Alarm (a loud continuous sound)

• All occupants must respond to alarm activations and evacuate the building
• The Site Officer will check the fire panel and if safe go to the zone where the alarm has been activated to investigate if there is a fire or a false alarm
• Office staff will call ***
• Site Officer will open school gates
• Staff will supervise the evacuation of students/visitors to the designated Assembly point
• Students should leave the building in silence
• Office staff will take pre-printed registers, visitor book and pens to the Assembly point
• Fire wardens will attend all exits

Assembly Point

• The main assembly point is the ***
• Students should leave in a single file when instructed by the teacher in
• Students should leave via the nearest fire
• The fire wardens should be the last people to leave the classrooms and, if possible, make sure doors and windows are closed and be personally responsible for the evacuation of the youngest
• A calm orderly exit is Walk quickly, do not run and do not stop to collect belongings.
• Year groups will line up away from the building waiting for the register to be taken by their class The class teacher must remain at the end of the line visible to the Fire Drill Officer, Directors and Administration Officer
• Each teacher will check the register and hold the card high in the air to show all students are accounted for
• The Fire Drill Officer will take the staff register and collect the class registers to check for
• The Fire Drill Officer will inform the Head and MPS’s Site Officer if anyone is
• The MPS Head/Site Officer will liaise with the Fire Brigade on their
• The building must not be re-entered until staff are notified it is safe to do so by the Fire Brigade/Director.
• If the building cannot be re-occupied the following procedures should be followed:***
• Students and staff await instructions for return to school

Escape

• Escape Routes – Each room should have at least one route that can be used in an These routes are signed and can be illuminated with emergency lighting. All the routes are used on a regular basis throughout the day, but care should still be taken to ensure they are not blocked or obstructed, e.g. by furniture, bags and boxes.
• Fire notices and evacuation signs are displayed clearly in every room, corridors and
• Fire extinguishers of the appropriate type are located in every building in accordance with the recommendations from the professional
• All stairs, passages and emergency exits are illuminated by emergency
• Testing all fire alarms weekly is the responsibility of the Site Officer at MPS records of all tests and professional checks are shared with the
• Fire Exits – Fire Exit Doors can be readily opened from the inside without the use of a Fire doors are provided to prevent the spread of heat and smoke, they should always be kept shut when not in use.

DO NOT remove self-closing devices or wedge doors open.

ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE SAFE EVACUATION OF PEOPLE IDENTIFIED AS BEING ESPECIALLY AT RISK

The following groups of people, who visit or use the school, have been identified as being at special risk from fire:

1. Very young children – Early Years: There should always be two adults supervising the evacuation of students in the Early Years- no child should be left alone during the evacuation and consideration should be given to carrying the very few, youngest children down any stairs if safe to do so.
2. Students, staff or visitors who suffer a range of

A Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) will be developed for individuals with additional support needs. (see below)

Emergency evacuation of persons with impairment

It is necessary to make special arrangements for disabled persons in emergencies. Certain disabilities are easily recognised, eg persons in wheelchairs or who are blind but it is not always possible to identify those with defective hearing. In this case they might not hear the fire alarm. All staff must therefore be alert to these problems and introduce special arrangements as follows:

1. The Administration Officer should ensure that visitors who are identified as being disabled in any way are notified to the host/escort.
2. Staff will be allocated enabling deaf persons to be alerted in the event of
3. Disabled people must be given assistance in the event of an evacuation. The degree of disability will dictate the special arrangements that are necessary to ensure their safety, which will include alerting them and assisting in their evacuation to the assembly

Emergency evacuation of persons with mobility impairment: Specific students with disabilities should be allocated a ‘buddy’ and on hearing or seeing the fire alarm the buddy should ensure that their ‘charge’ leaves the environment with them.

FIRE SAFETY TRAINING AND FIRE DRILLS

• The Director of Teaching and Learning will ensure that all staff and any long term ‘visitors’ are thoroughly trained in fire safety procedures at their induction or on INSET
• Contractors will be given an evacuation briefing on the first day on site and asked to ensure that
• their Site Manager/Foreman communicates this procedure at each ‘Toolbox’ talk to sub-contractors.
• Training – All staff will be given regular (annual) refresher training on INSET
• Students will be reminded of the actions to take in the event of an emergency during practice fire evacuation drills. Fire drills re-enforce all training given. Fire Drills are arranged by the Site Officer in consultation with the Directorate and take place at least once a term.
• Records are retained in the Fire Log Box in the School

Fire Risk Assessment

• An action plan should be created upon receipt of the report and a formal record kept of any
• action
• Findings are shared with employees and contractors who work at the school
• The Risk Assessment should be reviewed if alterations are made to the site g., increased occupancy or changes to the layout.
• Ensure any actions arising from checks and investigations are allocated and

Fire related incidents and near misses

All fire related incidents must be reported to the Director of School, Director of Teaching and Learning and the Administration Officer.

A full investigation must be carried out within 5 working days of the incident to identify the cause. If needed, a representative from the fire risk management service may be consulted and a Fire Risk Assessment report may be requested outside of the annual review.

In the case of a near miss, the incident must be reported to the Head immediately. Any member of staff can report a near miss.

A form must be obtained from the office and the Directorate will investigate and advise as needed.