Fire Safety Advisor

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose:

To support the Trust H&S Manager (who is also the Fire Safety Manager) to ensure all matters with regards to Fire Safety and maintained.

The post holder(s) will lead as the Topic Expert Specialist (Competent Person) within the Trust in relation to fire safety issues with specific reference to Health Technical Memorandum 05 (Firecode) standards and meeting the requirements of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

To ensure that the Trust has a managed and co-ordinated approach to the implementation of fire safety legislation, providing a safe environment for staff, patients, visitors and members of the public.

To provide specialist expert fire safety advice to the Trust, demonstrating a highly developed knowledge of the legislation and regulatory framework, including NHS guidelines. This will include:

Acting as an advocate for best practice in fire safety, promoting a positive safety culture whereby fire safety is integrated into business as usual practices.

Assisting the Health & Safety Manager and the Director of Estates & Facilities to ensure that the Trust governance activities reflect national and local guidance initiatives in relation to fire safety requirements.

Developing and auditing the Trusts fire safety management systems and processes; ensuring these are fit for purpose, clearly understood and well-implemented across the Trust and in accordance with the fire safety strategy.

Supporting the development, implementation and communication of fire safety related strategies, policies and procedures in order to ensure compliance with legislation, national standards and best practice.

Providing high quality expert advice, guidance, training and support to the Trusts clinicians, corporate functions, managers and directors on the application of fire safety across the organisation.

Producing reports for the Health and Safety Committee and Fire Safety Groups, and other Groups/Committee as required.

To develop and maintain fire policies, evacuation procedures and risk assessments to support fire safety and that robust governance processes are in place to monitor the implementation and effectiveness of compliance within and across the Trust.

To manage all fire safety issues throughout the Trust including development and delivery of fire safety training in line with the training needs analysis for the Trust.

Ensure training is provided for practical extinguisher and/or evacuation equipment use (where required) and fire evacuation training to ensure compliance with all relevant Fire Safety legislation.

Key duties and Responsibilities:

Manage the interpretation and application of the provisions of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, HTMs, HBNs, Building Regulations Approved Document B, and other official guidance and legislation in respect of fire safety in NHS premises, ensuring fire safety statutory compliance is co-ordinated and maintained.

To develop, implement, review and manage a Trust wide Fire Strategy and develop and maintain the Fire Policy and other associated polices.

To develop and implement an Emergency Fire Evacuation plan for all wards and departments.

Manage the professional input to all matters relating to fire prevention and response issues, affecting or likely to affect the running of the Trust. Maintain and develop specialist knowledge on relevant legislation and guidance.

To develop, support and implement fire safety training programmes for new and existing staff as part of their mandatory update training. Assess and renew the delivery and uptake of training and report training as required to appropriate Trust Fire Safety Groups and Health & Safety Committee Meetings.

Establish, manage and coordinate the provision of fire risk assessments, audits and inspections, and maintain records of such for the Trusts premises. To ensure that safety of patients from risk of fire is clearly reflected within the risk assessments and Fire Training. To ensure that all actions required from fire safety risk assessments are followed up and completed within given timescales by the appropriate departments.

Undertake specialist investigations of all fire incidents/alarms, produce and maintain an accurate record of all fire safety activities and incidents, fire investigations and unwanted fire alarm activations, and to submit returns to audit bodies as requested.

To ensure that all appropriate fire safety advice is given to staff, contractors and visitors to maintain a safe environment.

To manage and ensure that fire safety statutory compliance is co-ordinated and maintained and all statutory notices, served by the local authority Fire and Rescue Service, are actioned by the way of an action plan and closing report.

To manage specialist input to the fire safety key performance indicators as part of Corporate Governance. To advise the Trust on all appropriate actions to be taken to maintain patient care in times of emergency related to fire, including fire evacuation procedures.

To be the main contact with local enforcing authorities and all other official bodies on fire related matters when necessary.

Provide specialist fire safety advice for all new build and refurbishment projects being carried out within the Trust and liaising with the Capital team, Architects, Local Authority Building Control and Fire Brigades where required.

To produce and present all necessary reports and statistics to the Health and Safety Committee and Fire Safety Groups.

To provide advice to Divisional and Department Managers to support completion of annual audits of fire safety and compilation of annual reports to the Trust Fire Safety Group / Health and Safety Committee.

To specify, manage and monitor the fire safety equipment maintenance contract, maintaining up to date records of maintenance, testing and replacement.

To ensure that all appropriate fire signage is in place and complies with the relevant regulations. To assist Head of Estates in the audit of the Trust in-house estates team to ensure that all fire related pre planned maintenance is carried out effectively and as scheduled.

Ensuring the Trust is made aware of new applicable legislation and guidance as it arises.

Liaise with appropriate managers to support compliance with statutory responsibilities; ensuring that there is sufficient training and guidance available for successful implementation.

Undertake a program of fire safety audits and inspections, assist in the development and monitor the implementation of action plans necessary to reduce identified risks, escalating areas of concern to the Health & Safety Manager.

Support the implementation, monitoring and compliance with action plans resulting from internal and external audits, including external regulatory bodies (e.g. Fire Service, Health and Safety Executive, Care Quality Commission).

Investigate fire safety incidents in collaboration with managers, to identify relevant root causes, risk management strategies and support the sharing of lessons across the Trust utilising reporting / risk register system (Datix).

Provide training, presentations and information to a range of groups comprising of Board and senior managers, staff and partner organisations including risk assessment.

Remain professionally up to date at all times, acting as the source of advice on fire safety legislation.

Represent the Trusts fire safety function at external meetings, forums and seminars

Support the development of the annual health and safety report by providing fire related evidence.

General responsibilities

Maintain a professional, leadership style that is engaging of others, effectively builds relationships and acts as a role model for others and which is underpinned by strongly held values around equality, diversity and openness. Follow the Trust 4ward behaviours.

Demonstrates leadership and innovation in contexts which are unfamiliar, complex, and unpredictable that require solving problems involving many interacting factors; demonstrates resilience when responding to challenge, change and complex or difficult situations.

Receive and handle data and information that may be complex, sensitive or contentious and make complex judgements by analysing and interpreting a wide variety of information and data sources to compare options and to take action as appropriate.

Deliver and communicate information to individuals, services, committees and exercise excellence in written and verbal communication skills.

Promote and represent the function at a strategic and operational level: acting as an advocate for best practice in fire safety and developing a positive safety culture to improve workplace fire safety and organisational performance.

Ensure that a professional service and image is maintained at all times which is underpinned by the trusts 4ward values; effectively builds and maintains relationships with key individuals across the organisation and outside.

Foster and maintain strong links with all services across Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, developing key contact points within operational and corporate services.

Maintain high, professional standards identified and demonstrated through undertaking appraisal, training and developmental opportunities at a frequency agreed with manager.

Ensure that all individual objectives are clearly defined within the wider departmental framework and in line with Trusts objectives and prioritise workload within the broad scope of these objectives.

Take responsibility for own and others health and safety in the working environment.

Comply with the policies and procedures of the Trust at all times.

Ensure own actions support the equality, diversity, rights and responsibilities of individuals.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Degree in fire engineering or attendance at equivalent courses (SFPO or equivalent) or demonstrable experience in organisational fire safety
• Nationally Recognised Fire Safety Qualification (e.g. NEBOSH certificate in Fire safety)
• Have access to has access to travel between Trust sites

Desirable

• Membership of a professional organisation (i.e. Institute of Fire Engineers IFE; Institute of Fire Prevention Officers IFPO).
• NEBOSH national certificate in occupational health and safety or above
• Registered Life Safety Fire Risk Assessor with a third-party accreditation scheme OR be working to achieve such registration, have sufficient other qualifications, training, and experience to be able to demonstrate competence in complex Healthcare building fire safety and can evidence continuing professional development.

Experience

Essential

• Knowledge of key issues that relate to fire safety in a hospital.
• Demonstrates awareness of limits to knowledge base.
• Experience of fire safety from working in a large, complex organisation over multiple sites, preferably within a healthcare setting
• Experience of developing and maintaining fire risk assessments.
• Experience of developing, maintaining and continuously improving fire safety management systems.
• Experience of developing and writing policies and procedures.
• Demonstrable track record of achievement in a relevant role (CPD).
• Experience of writing clear and concise reports, to inform policy and provide information and assurance.
• Experience of auditing against legislation, policy and guidance documents.

Desirable

• Have experience of working within the Fire service in an operational firefighting role.
• Working knowledge of NHS/and or healthcare systems and process, language and terminology.
• Comprehensive knowledge of health and safety legislation
• Knowledge of relevant current issues in health and social care.
• Comprehensive knowledge of HTM 05-01 Fire Safety in the Design and Management in Healthcare Premises.

Skills / Knowledge

Essential

• Excellent organisational, prioritisation and time management skills, and able to work to tight deadlines and under pressure whilst managing own workload.
• Ability to work as a member of a team with minimal supervision and guidance.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills enabling complex aspects of governance to be communicated effectively in a style appropriate to recipients.
• Able to utilise the suite of applications in Microsoft Office.
• Attention to detail when monitoring and reviewing compliance with relevant legislation, policy and guidance, identifying and reporting on gaps and exceptions.
• Highly developed communication and interpersonal skills: tact, diplomacy, negotiation, and ability to build credible relationships with staff at all levels from a wide range of professional and corporate areas and agencies.
• Sensitive to the needs of others and has an awareness and responsiveness to other peoples perspectives whilst being process and target driven.
• Able to engage and motivate others, be innovative and highly resilient.
• Positive and flexible attitude to managing change.
• Able to develop, establish and maintain positive relationships with others both internal and external to the organisation.

Desirable

• Understanding of the structure and demands of working for the NHS

Personal Qualities

Essential

• A positive, professional, tenacious self-starter with excellent interpersonal, written and presentational skills.
• Accustomed to dealing with a wealth of practical detail and staying calm under pressure.
• Ability to support managers in promoting a culture of managed health and safety.
• Highly motivated and resourceful with a proactive approach to problem-solving.
• Innovator with a positive attitude and willingness to take responsibility.
• Self-motivated and has the ability to use own initiative.
• Good team player.
• Ability to work within a changing environment.
• Demonstrable evidence of continuing CPD.

Desirable

• Accustomed to negotiating with staff at all levels of the organisation across a wide range of disciplines

Other Job Requirements

Essential

• Fit to enter confined spaces and climb ladders.
• Ability to travel throughout Worcestershire and further afield.
• Able to work on own initiative and as part of a team.
• Prepared to attend training courses appropriate to the demands of the post
• Prepared to work flexibly including outside office hours as the job demands.
• Applicant subject to Occupational Health and Enhanced Disclosure Clearance.
• Standard Clauses
• A Disclosures and Barring Service check will be carried out where the position is eligible for a Disclosures and Barring Service Check in accordance with the 2012 Protection of Freedom Act and the guidance issued by the DBS.
• All posts working with children or vulnerable adults are required to have an Enhanced DBS checked including checking against DBS / ISA Vetting and barring lists.

Desirable

• A full driving licence.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

Address

Charles Hastings Way

Worcester

Worcestershire

WR5 1DD

Employer's website

https://www.worcsacute.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)