Control of Fire Hazards
Everyone must be aware of the potential fire hazards that can exist
throughout the facility. Therefore, it is recommended that a designated
staff member perform a weekly walk-through of the entire facility.
The walk-through should include at least the common areas,
stairwells, storage, electrical and furnace rooms of the building.
Check the following to ensure that potential fire hazards are being
controlled.
Ensure that visitors to the facility are familiar with the fire safety rules. It is recommended that a guest register be used to record visitors received by the residents. The guest register will help to keep track of visitors at all times. The register will also be a valuable source of information during an emergency.
To avoid confusion when referring to a particular exit stairway during an
emergency, every stairway must be designated with a specific letter or
colour code. Throughout the building, every stairway at each floor level,
including the basement, must be clearly identified.
Floor number identification markings must be mounted permanently on the
stairway side of the separation at the latch side of doors to exit
stair shafts. (Ontario Building Code, Clause 3.4.6.17.(1)(a) Ontario Fire
Code sentence 9.6.3.6.(2).
The number or letter must be not less than 60 mm (2 3/8 in) high, raised
approximately 0.7 mm (.028 in) above the wall surface.
The number or letter must be located 1,500 mm (4 ft 11 in) from the
finished floor and within 300 mm (11 3/4 in) from the door.
The colour of the number or letter must contrast with the surface on which it is applied.
Warning signs indicating the direction of travel should be provided in
the stairwell to prevent persons from inappropriately trying to evacuate to
the roof. Signs cautioning persons to use an alternate exit or find refuge
in the nearest suite if they encounter smoke within the stairwell should
also be considered.
Maintenance of Building Facilities and Fire Protection Equipment:
the building owner/manager must;
(i) Ensure that all fire protection features and equipment, such as fire
separations, smoke control equipment, emergency lighting, fire alarm
systems, automatic sprinkler systems, standpipe systems, fire extinguishers,
fixed extinguishing systems, voice communication systems, fire fighters'
elevators and emergency generators are checked, tested, inspected and
maintained in accordance with the frequencies specified in Part's 2, 6 and 7
of the Fire Code and all applicable standards referenced in the Fire Code.
(ii) Maintain permanent records of all fire equipment tests and
maintenance as set out in Sub-Section 1.1.2. of the Fire Code.
The Fire Safety Plan must contain a detailed schedule or list of required checks, inspections and tests of all fire safety systems and features provided in the building.
The fire department must be notified by supervisory staff when there is a
temporary shutdown of any fire protection equipment or systems in the
building.
The fire department must be notified when the fire protection equipment
or systems that were shut down temporarily are restored and returned to
service.
To ensure fire safety within the building continues to be maintained, it is necessary to establish a regular fire safety patrol of the building until such time that the fire equipment or system is repaired and returned to service. Persons conducting the patrol must be provided with a means of communication should an emergency arise.
Each tour of the building by the fire safety patrol must be recorded by
time and date. As well, any deficiencies noted and any measures taken to
correct the deficiencies must also be recorded.
a supervisor should always have a designated substitute to ensure that an incident is handled adequately if he/she is absent. It will be necessary to appoint someone who is familiar with all of the procedures in the building's Fire Safety Plan.
the importance of being prepared has been stressed throughout this
Guideline. In addition to the emergency actions to be taken by
residents and staff in the event of a fire or emergency, practising
fire drills must become an integral part of a
facility's preparedness.
The purpose of a fire drill is to ensure that the staff and residents are
familiar with the building's overall evacuation procedures. Therefore, the
owners and managers of residential care facilities must be aware of the
benefits of holding monthly fire drills which involve all staff. To maximize
the benefits of these fire drills, they should be scheduled and rotated
throughout the year in such a way that the personnel on all three shifts
employed in the facility participate.
Although it may be of some inconvenience to residents, it is important to
have a fire/evacuation drill that involves all of the facility's residents
and staff. These scheduled fire/evacuation drills should be held at least
annually and designed so that they provide additional experience for the
staff. The annual fire drills can also be used to provide additional
training for staff by allowing them to become more familiar with use of the
building's fire safety systems.
Ideally, monthly fire drills should be practised by the staff on each
floor of the facility. Supervisory personnel should practise using the
Emergency Voice Communication System and other equipment where applicable
during these fire drills to gain experience and confidence.
It is very important that all personnel with specific responsibilities
attend a debriefing meeting following every practise fire drill. This
meeting will be held to review the procedures and reactions of all
participants. During the debriefing, problem areas can be identified and, if
necessary, solutions to overcome any deficiencies in the facility's Fire
Safety Plan can be discussed and corrected. The fire department must be made
aware of, and approve any changes to the Fire Safety Plan.
(All residents and staff should be notified in advance of the time and date of any practice drill).
The date and time of all fire drills, as well as the names of participating staff, should be recorded in the facility's permanent log book (see Appendix "'C").
The Fire Safety Plan must contain detailed instructions on the use of:
- fire fighters' elevators
- the voice communication system
- the fire alarm system
- smoke control equipment (if applicable)
- emergency power system (including the manual operation of the transfer switches if applicable)
Fire Safety Committee
Although it is not a requirement of the Fire Code, operators of
residential care facilities should consider establishing a Fire Safety
Committee.
The committee should include representation from management, supervisory
staff, residents, volunteers and if possible, representatives from the
families of the residents.
The committee can assist management and supervisory staff to promote the
importance of fire safety planning. They can emphasize the need for regular
fire drills (no matter how inconvenient they may appear to some people) and
be key players in providing assistance to ensure the facility has a viable
and effective Fire Safety Plan. The committee can also help to facilitate
the delivery of fire safety education programs to residents, visitors and
staff.
The principle of getting people involved helps to promote the importance of fire safety as it generates the necessary input from concerned employees, residents, relatives and volunteers.
Once approved, a copy of the Fire Safety Plan must be provided to those
who will be responsible for taking the appropriate actions to ensure the
safety of all residents and staff in the building.
a copy of the plan must be made available to the following:
It may also be appropriate to have key sections of the plan posted in
staff work areas, lunch rooms and any information bulletin boards provided
for the residents of the building.
As well, every resident must be provided with a Fire Safety Package that will include the specific actions to be taken when they discover a fire, hear the fire alarm or when they cannot evacuate in the event of a fire emergency (See Appendix G).
Fire Safety Planning is a critical and necessary activity for management
and supervisory staff.
this Guideline is designed to assist management and supervisory
staff to develop and fully implement an effective Fire Safety Plan.
The procedures contained in the Fire Safety Plan must be designed
specifically for your building. In a fire emergency, if followed properly,
the procedures should reduce the risk to life safety for all residents and
staff in the building.
Therefore, an effective plan which enhances the life safety of residents requires the following:
It is important to remember that the residents of your building depend on
the knowledge, skills and training of your staff in maintaining a fire safe
environment.
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