ALPHAMSTONE VILLAGE HALL
Fire Risk Assessment
A safety guide for users of the Hall
Assessment by the Trustees April 2016
Description of Premises
Alphamstone Village Hall has a Victorian brick-built main hall with a modern brick-built extension situated at the centre of the village off Goulds Road, next to the Village Green. It meets all current building regulations regarding fire hazard and disabled access, having recently been extended and renovated.
The building comprises a front entrance lobby with 2 sets of entrance doors leading into the main Hall; there is a separate male wc and a combined female and disabled wc and a separate kitchen. An external plant area to the rear of the building houses the 4 inverter plant units for the air conditioning. A further set of fire resistant double doors at the opposite end of the Hall provide a second Fire Exit, they open outwards and provide a suitable wide flat access into the Hall for wheelchair users. Cooking and water-heating is by electricity, space heating is by air conditioning units and there is no gas supply to the building.
The Hall can be partitioned off using a full height curtain to provide:
(1) a meeting area which can comfortably accommodate up to 30 people seated or 20 sitting at tables).
(2) a main hall (holding about 120 people standing or about 60 sitting at dining tables).
All parts are available to hire for both private and public events.
The car park, to the side of the building, has space for approximately 8 cars.
Two emergency exits lead directly out of the building - from the main Hall and the front lobby. They are clearly lit with emergency lighting. The premises meet all the requirements of building regulations and the current accessibility legislation. The Green situated at the front of the building is the designated ASSEMBLY POINT.
The Hall is a NO SMOKING area.
No FIREWORKS, GAS APPLIANCES, FLAMMABLE SUBSTANCES or INGNITED CANDLES are permitted inside the building. Smoke detectors in the main Hall trigger the fire alarm in the event of a fire.
Fire extinguishers are situated in the kitchen and the main hall. They are routinely inspected. The certificate is held by the trustees.
Fire Hazard is low, and therefore RISK IS LOW.
Principal Uses of the Village Hall
The Hall is hired by a range of organisations and private individuals for a wide variety of activities, some of which require a licence. A written Agreement between the Village Hall and the Hirer forms the basis of the hiring arrangement. The Booking Form and Rules of Hire draw the hirer’s attention to the health and safety and licensing obligations that the Booking places upon them.
The Hall does not hold a licence for the sale of alcohol. Private Hirers are responsible for obtaining a licence and meeting the requirements of the licence and must first seek permission from the Trustees to serve or sell alcohol.
The Trustees encourage all users of the Hall to carry out their own Fire Risk Assessment, highlighting the areas that pertain to their own group of users and their activities.
This Fire Risk Assessment has been carried out by the Trustees to cover all aspects of the Hall, but in particular for those Hirers who are not familiar with the layout and equipment.
THE HIRER IS DEEMED THE “RESPONSIBLE PERSON” AND IS DESIGNATED AS THE PERSON IN CHARGE OF THE HALL DURING THE HIRE PERIOD. It is advisable to take a note of the name of everyone attending your event (see Roll Call on page 6).
The Trustees encourage Hirers to make themselves aware of the exit routes, the firefighting equipment and the plan of the Hall detailing the location of the equipment, the escape routes. The plan is available to all Hall users and is also displayed on the wall by the side entrance. They should also identify the assembly point.
It is the responsibility of hirers to ensure the Hall is securely locked after use, as the building should never be left open and unoccupied. Access is via the front lobby doors and access to the front door key is controlled by the Trustees.
People at Risk
Those at risk in the event of fire are:
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Staff: The Village Hall Trustees arrange for cleaning of the Hall from time to time which involves persons or a person having access to the property on their own
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Trades People: The Trustees employ trades people on an ad-hoc and scheduled basis for the purposes of safety checks and building maintenance. Local trades people who are familiar with the building may gain access to the hall by borrowing a key from the Trustees, while others are always escorted by one or more Trustees.
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Hall Users (up to 120 inside at any time): These persons will generally be familiar with the Hall. Those that aren’t will find the simple layout easy to navigate and assimilate. The main Hall area is open plan and has easily identifiable with fire exits at either end. Emergency lighting is installed over the fire doors and around the hall, and this is tested regularly. There is a set of double-fire doors which provide exit from the main hall directly outside to the car park area and they are fitted with a push-bar release.
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Disabled Persons: At a typical function there may be a limited number of disabled persons. It is the responsibility of hall hirers to ensure disabled persons are given adequate assistance in the event of an evacuation. The emergency exit doors are on a level with paved areas or ramps outside, so there are no barriers to wheel chairs.
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Children: It is the responsibility of hirers to ensure all children within the Hall are supervised and that they are given adequate assistance in the event of an evacuation.
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Other Members of the Public (who are not using the Hall): Members of the public may walk past the Hall or use the green.
Possible Causes of Fire
a) Mains electrical power supply fault
b) Air conditioning Inverter Unit fault
c) Portable electrical appliances fault
d) Kitchen equipment faults (other than portable electrical appliances)
e) Cooking accidents
f) Waste (accidental ignition)
g) Soft furnishings – accidental ignition
h) Deliberate ignition
Control Measures
The primary and general control measures taken by the Trustees are to ensure that:
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Sufficient and correct fire-fighting equipment is available and that a qualified practitioner inspects it at least once per year. A Record of Maintenance will be obtained for each inspection. The equipment currently (April 2016) consists of the following: 2 extinguishers: 1 x 2kg CO2, 1 x 6 litre Water; a Fire Blanket and 2 x Smoke alarms.
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The advice of the inspection practitioner to increase, change or move location of the fire-fighting equipment is followed.
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The location of the fire-fighting equipment, emergency lighting and escape routes are clearly marked on the Plan displayed on the wall by the front entrance and available to all users and staff.
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All Fire Exit doors are checked for illumination, ease of opening and that the Emergency Exit Routes are clear on a weekly basis. Testing for illumination in the event of a power failure is carried out quarterly. A test of the Fire Alarm system including the Smoke Alarms is carried out annually.
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Any furnishings belonging to the Village Hall that are less than one metre from the floor are made of a non-combustible material, or a material that has been Fire Proofed to an acceptable standard.
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The air conditioning units are serviced every year.
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A record of key holders is kept as well as those hirers who have been given temporary access to a key.
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The waste bins are checked each time the kitchen is cleaned for any fire hazards (eg: loose, inflammable materials such as paper). Where any loose material is found it will be placed inside the exterior waste bins or removed from site.
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All Village Hall Users are made aware of their responsibilities via the Booking Form.
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All Regular User Groups are advised that they should carry out their own Fire Risk Assessment. Whilst the Trustees will advise and encourage, they cannot be held responsible for a group not carrying out its own Fire Risk Assessment.
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DIAGRAM OF THE VILLAGE HALL SHOWING FIRE EXITS
Note that the ASSEMBLY POINT is: the Village Green
WC WC
FIRE EXIT
VILLAGE HALL
CAR FIRE EXIT
PARK
KITCHEN
FRONT
ENTRANCE
VILLAGE GREEN
FIRE!
In the event of a Fire
DIAL 112
1) The Responsible Person (see page 2) will instruct all persons to leave the building using the nearest available Emergency Exits, and to muster together as soon as possible at the ASSEMBLY POINT – on the Green in front of the Village Hall.
2) A Roll Call should be taken.
3) NO MATTER HOW SMALL THE FIRE, CALL THE FIRE BRIGADE. There is no public telephone in the Hall. If you have a mobile phone, Dial 112 and give this address:
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Alphamstone Village Hall, Goulds Road, Alphamstone CO8 5HH
4) The Responsible Person should ensure that once the Village Hall has been evacuated, members of the public do not re-enter the building to collect personal belongings, etc. under any circumstances.
5) On the arrival of the Fire Brigade, the Responsible Person should report to the Officer in Charge that a Roll Call has taken place and all persons are safe, or should inform him/her of anyone who is missing from their last known position.
6) Attempts to extinguish the outbreak of fire using the fire extinguishers should be only carried out if it is considered to be safe. If any doubt get out of the building.
7) If you have a mobile phone and after you have carried out all of the above, and circumstances allow it, please call 07873138647 (Chairman) or 07746388537 (Secretary).
NOTE: All incidents no matter how small have to be reported to the Village Hall Secretary