Job responsibilities
Job Summary:
Responsible for leading on providing the Trust with a high-quality fire management
system at both strategic and operational level.
To ensure compliance with the various statutory legislation and guidance within the
FireCode suite of documents.
Identify and lead initiatives in support of a comprehensive Fire Strategy including
supporting policy, protocols and procedures for all Trust sites.
Responsible for training, inspections and audits against current fire legislation and
fire practices across the Trust. Responsible for providing accurate fire risk
assessments and action plans. Produce comprehensive reports for communicating
to all levels within the Trust including Executive Committees and Trust Board.
Provide leadership, advice and support across the Organisation.
Liaise with all necessary internal and external stakeholders e.g. Trust staff, PFI
partners, Local Government, The Fire and Rescue Service, the Health and Safety
Executive etc. on matters of fire precaution.
The post-holder is required to forge and maintain excellent working relationships with
managers at all levels, in order to ensure that the resources of the Trust Estates &
Facilities Directorate contribute to the delivery of patient care.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
1. To provide professional fire safety leadership and management
throughout the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust ensuring compliance
with current statutory requirements, codes of practice and Trust policies
and procedures, Fire Code and other guidance e.g. HTM and HBN suite
of documents, Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, Building
Regulations, British Standards and European Directives etc.2. Ensure that the Fire and Rescue Service and Local Authority Building
Control are informed of any work that may affect the fire safety of any
building and that any modifications to fire systems are; comprehensively
commissioned and documented, and that site plans, system schematics
and local Fire Brigade information are updated and current through
dialogue and audit.
3. Responsible for the provision of a professional fire safety strategy,
ensuring an effective programme of; training, inspections, risk
assessments and maintenance programmes are developed and delivered
to meet statutory requirements, minimise risk and resolve all fire safety
issues to provide a safe environment for patients, staff and visitors.
4. Identify the Trusts status in regard to compliance with current fire
legislation and guidance, escalate non-conformities and put in
place/recommend corrective actions and forecast resources required.
5. To be responsible for strategic ownership of monitoring and reporting
which can be used to demonstrate actions that are required and to ensure
compliance with regulations.
6. Lead the Fire Safety Committee ensuring meetings are regular and
documented.
7. Liaise with Trust staff and others when conducting fire safety audits and
fire risk assessments, compile standardised professional management
reports as necessary and incorporate within the Estates and Facilities
Directorate management systems. To provide support and guidance to
the Estates & Facilities Directorate on compliance with Fire Safety
legislation.
8. To minimise the risk of fire occurring by establishing and maintaining safe
fire procedures within a complex healthcare environment through delivery
of fire awareness training and liaison, specifying fire warning and
firefighting systems. Organise fire drills and monitor their effectiveness
compiling accurate records of staff training and drills.
9. Manage specialist investigations of all fire incidents, producing
appropriate reports for the Director. Record, investigate and report on fire
incidents and unwanted fire signals.
10. Maintain comprehensive records of all fire incidents and investigations
ensuring that trends are identified and that advice is given to the
appropriate parties for remedial action to reduce incidents.
11. Keep records of all fire incidents and false alarms, and ensure that fire
reports are prepared in a timely manner to a standard format and where
necessary issue remedial advice on the emergency. Manage the
maintenance of fire safety records and the development of local fire safety
manuals for Trust premises.12. Manage, lead and support the 24 hour emergency cover Fire Response
Team and Fire Marshals delivering specialist training at regular intervals,
attending all incidents when on site.
13. Manage and supervise the adequate provision, siting and maintenance of
firefighting equipment, life safety systems e.g. emergency lighting, fire
safety signage and systems, ensuring all required records are maintained
in a current state through audit and due diligence to confirm compliance.
14. Provide specialist advice and guidance to the Estates and Facilities
Directorate for initial design input in the preparation of capital schemes to
deliver effective facilities, which maximise safety and minimise revenue
costs and risk.
15. Monitor the adherence to the Trusts Fire Policy and work to ensure that
the Trusts health and safety policies and procedures are adhered to.
Specifically to ensure that the activities of contractors working on site do
not subvert fire safety of any premises through personal inspections.
16. Prepare and deliver a programme of fire lectures to all staff, to educate
staff of the need to have fire safety awareness and through scheduled
informative and constructive training promote the needs both to prevent
fire and to be aware and follow the proper fire procedures in the event of a
fire. Supporting the Training Department with maintaining a register of
staff who have been trained and those requiring training.
17. Produce, review and update comprehensive fire risk assessments PAS 79
(2012) for all Trust properties and properties where Trust staff and
patients work or deliver a service. Identify capital investment
requirements to ensure full compliance with national and international
standards.
18. Ensure that there is in place satisfactory means to carry out the statutory
testing of all fire safety installations and equipment throughout the
organisation and that such equipment comply with the appropriate
regulations.
19. A sound knowledge and understanding of the relevant Building
Regulations and Standards and their application and in addition those of
the appropriate British Standards or equivalent regarding all fire safety
installations and equipment is required.
20. The use of computers, with appropriate keyboard skills to enable the use
of Trust software inc. Microsoft Office and Outlook. The ability to prepare,
produce and deliver power point slide presentations for statutory fire
awareness training is required.
21. Analyse risks, understand complex situations, carry out option appraisals
and deliver a balanced judgment of actions.22. The ability to make instant decisions and assessments may be required to
be made and enforced if and when precautions or regulations are flouted
to a degree where danger to the persons or property is perceived. The
ability to listen, understand, judge and give an answer or immediate
decision to a question is often required on a daily basis. Policy decisions
will always be referred to the Director of Estates & Facilities.
23. Generally organise the daily workload of tasks and activities required.
24. Essentially self-directing using the general guidance contained in the Fire
Code document.
25. Formulate long term plans or proposals that may be difficult to achieve
without extensive discussions and guidance to management.
26. Required to receive and understand complex information and legislation
and disseminate this to all levels within the Trust in order to advise on a
variety of subjects relating to fire where persuasion, motivation and
understanding will be required through support and management to
achieve the necessary standards.
27. Develop and maintain effective partnerships with other directorates and
services regarding fire safety issues, working with all levels of Trust staff
and PFI partners, across all sites and community premises, to ensure an
ongoing awareness of fire procedures and policies, primarily through
organised fire lectures and regular consultation.
28. Daily contact with Operational Managers and PFI partners with regard to
site access, road closures, building works etc.
29. Regular written and verbal contact with building consultants, London Fire
Brigade, Lewisham and Greenwich Borough (Environmental Health and
Building Control) and the Metropolitan Police.
30. For immediate replacement purposes the transport on occasions of
extinguishers may be required.
31. A sound in-depth knowledge and understanding of fire, coupled with the
experience of how the dangers from fire may be reduced for the greater
safety of patients, staff and visitors is essential.
32. Preferred experience gained through substantial time spent within the Fire
and Rescue Service, specifically fire prevention.
33. Attendance at periodic private and local authority seminars and lectures
relating to fire safety research and development in order that advice is
available to management on current issues is required
