Emergency - Fire & Evacuation Policy
Aim
To ensure, as far as practicable, that no person suffers injury or illness as a result of a fire on land or in a building that is owned or occupied by the Hawkesbury Australian Football C Club.
Each area/building at the Bensons Lane Complex is required to have a fully implemented emergency evacuation procedure (EEP).
The procedures that follow are designed to assist in the organisation and implementation of emergency evacuation procedures for area’s/buildings at the Hawkesbury Australian Football Club
For assistance in implementing an EEP in your building/area, please contact the Safety and Health on 6488 3938.
Contents
Aim
Emergency Evacuation Priorities
Responsibility for Developing and Implementing Emergency Procedures
Implementation of Emergency Procedures
Training
Evacuation Drills
Emergency Evacuation Procedures in the Case of Fire
Definitions
Emergency Evacuation Priorities
First Priority: Protection of Life
The first priority is to ensure that all people who may be in danger are warned, and that action is taken to guarantee their safety, before any steps are taken to prevent the spread of the hazard, to secure assets, or to eliminate the hazard.
Second Priority: Prevent Spread of Hazard
The second priority aims at controlling the extent of the hazard within the building and minimising its release into the environment.
Third Priority: Save Assets in the Affected Area
The third priority is to prevent personal and Football Club assets from being damaged in the event of a fire.
Fourth Priority: Eliminate the Hazard
The final priority is to eliminate the fire by extinguishment.
Responsibility for Developing and Implementing Emergency Procedures
Management (President, Ground Manager, Secrtetary, Coaches, Managers, Committee Members) is responsible for the development and implementation of emergency procedures at the Sporting Ground.
Implementation of Emergency Procedures
The EEP for a building shall be implemented by the building's emergency control organisation under the direction of the Fire Department.
Emergency Control Organisation for a building NSW Fire Department and Hawkesbury Sports Council
The emergency control organisation facilitates the safe and orderly implementation of the emergency procedures in a building, including the evacuation of the occupants from the building when appropriate. The ECO is a structured organisation of people employed within a building who take command on the declaration of an emergency, pending the arrival of the fire brigade or other emergency service.
Management should encourage the implementation of an emergency control organisation and emergency evacuation procedures within all workplaces at the sporting ground. It is their ultimate responsibility to ensure that:
- members are appointed to the emergency control organisation for the building;
- such persons have training in emergency procedures;
- they support the ECO with appropriate resources and authority.
Members of the ECO should be mature and responsible who are physically capable and have the confidence of building occupants. For buildings with joint occupancy, all Areas shall contribute members to the emergency control organisation in proportion of number of equivalent full-time staff in occupancy, or other practicable arrangement.
On becoming aware of a potential emergency, shall determine the nature of the emergency and decide on the appropriate action. If an emergency is declared, the Ground manager shall initiate the emergency procedures which should include the following actions:
- ensure that the appropriate emergency service has been notified. This can be achieved by contacting Fire department on 000
- ensure that persons are advised of the situation;
- initiate evacuation of the building/area
- brief emergency service personnel on their arrival and thereafter act on the instructions of the emergency service's senior officer.
- being available, at all times that the building is normally occupied;
- organising and distributing to all building occupants relevant information for use in an emergency, including details of the fire alarm system , the emergency warning system and the emergency procedures
- prominently displaying evacuation procedures and plans for areas. Assistance can be obtained from Safety and Health;
- training, or organising the training of, newly-appointed committee members in ECO operations.
- It will be a matter of careful arrangement, for which the Ground manager is responsible;
Implementation of Emergency Procedures
Ground Manager- are responsible for individual workplaces or areas of a workplace. An Area Warden, on becoming aware of the emergency, should implement the emergency procedures for their floor, which should include the following actions:
- Ascertain the extent of the emergency;
- Assist people in immediate danger;
- Raise alarm (break glass alarm, shout FIRE, FIRE, FIRE);
- Attempt to extinguish fire if safe to do so;
- Implement evacuation of their building;
- Perform methodical search of their area to ensure that all persons have been notified of emergency and have, or are leaving, the workplace to the cluster point;
- assist mobility impaired persons;
- Prevent persons from entering the building while the evacuation alarms are sounding by placing a staff member at their exit;
- Communicate with Fire Department
For further details on the tasks involved with evacuation please see evacuation procedures. A Ground Manager should be appointed for the Area assist as required.
Ground managers must be familiar with:
- the operation of the fire alarm system, the emergency warning system and any other equipment used to assist in the operation of emergency procedures for the building;
- the area (floor or zone) they represent, including;
- all means of egress and alternative escape routes;
- the existence and position of rooms leading off blind passages; doors leading to dead-ends and any other confined areas in which persons could be located;
- potentially hazardous materials or operations undertaken in their zone;
- the location and operation of fire doors, smoke doors, fire blankets, portable fire extinguishers and fire hoses in their area;
- the number and location of mobility-impaired persons in their area;
- It is important that a Ground Manager be available for each area during periods of normal occupancy.
- To assist building occupants and emergency services personnel to identify ECO personnel during an emergency the Ground Manager to correspond with emergency services
First Aid Personnel -On hearing the alarm will make contact with the Ground manager and make his or her way to the building Assembly Area with equipment to render first aid as required.
Other Specialists- Depending on the area (building or otherwise) a specialist may be required in the case of special hazards that may arise in the event of a fire in the area. An example would be a chemist who can assist on the assessment on the effects of certain chemicals in a fire environment.
Training
· Training of Emergency Control Organisation Members
The following points should be noted by the ground manager in planning and implementing an evacuation drill:
- if appropriate; coordinate the timing of the drill with President and committee of the club
- invite the Safety and Health to attend, sound the alarm and assess the evacuation;
- make a special effort to organise the drill when both the president and other senior management are present in the building. The cooperation and active participation of senior management is essential to ensure the wholehearted support of comittee.
- ensure that all comittee recognise the ALERT and EVACUATION signals and know the relevant procedures, exit routes, and assembly area;
- The Ground manager should superintend the drill, record the time required to complete the evacuation, and note any problems and deficiencies;
- After each drill a meeting of Ground manager, the Safety and Health and senior management (if available) should be held to evaluate the success of the drill and to solve any problems that may have arisen.
Emergency Evacuation Procedures in Case of Fire
You discover a fire:
-
- Help people in immediate danger
- Warn others by shouting "Fire, Fire, Fire", raise the alarm if not already sounding and telephone 2222.
- Decide if you can put the fire out. If you are not sure, do not attempt to.
- Don't attempt to use a fire extinguisher if you have never been instructed on how to use one.
- If you can put out the fire then do so, if not proceed to evacuate the building.
You hear the fire alarm ringing; you must prepare to evacuate the building:
-
- Switch off all computers, printers and electrical appliances.
- Close all windows and doors.
- Gather your personal belongings in preparation to immediately evacuate the building.
- Organise/help other people in the room.
Evacuate the building and proceed to your Building Assembly Area:
-
- Move at a quick walk, do not run.
- If you have to move through a closed door that you cannot see through:
- Feel the door to see if it is hot;
- Look for smoke coming under the door;
- Open the door slowly and look around it to see if there is a fire behind it;
- If there is no fire on the other side, proceed through and close the door behind you;
-
- Move to the Building Assembly Areaas quick as possible;
- Report to your Warden that you/your group is there and if you know of anyone trapped in the building;
- Remain in the Assembly Area until you are informed that you may leave or move by either the Building Warden or a member of the emergency services
You notice someone on the verge of panic:
-
- Give them a task or responsibility;
- The person will still require constant monitoring;
- Do not hit them;
- Take hold of one of their hands and guide them out of the building to the Assembly Area;
- If they will not cooperate or start to grab hold of things. Leave them where they are;
- Evacuate yourself and inform your Warden, the Building Warden, one of the security personnel, or the police or Fire and Rescue Services immediately.
Mobility impaired people
If you encounter a person with some form of physical disability that restricts their mobility. You may be required to assist them from the building. If you are unable to remove them from the building many stairwells have respite areas for mobility impaired persons. They can be left here, where they are shielded from the fire, and a person should wait with them until retrieved by emergency personnel on arrival. It is important to inform the emergency personnel or Building Warden of their location so that they can be retrieved as soon as possible.
If you are trapped in a room:
-
- Exit through a window if you are on the ground floor;
- If you are not on the ground floor:
- Close the door;
- Go to the window;
- If there is smoke in the room open the window a little so you can breathe fresh air. If not, do not open the window. This can assist in the spread of fire into your area from lower floors;
- Attract people's attention to your plight. This can be achieved by writing on a paper and sticking it to the window or calling out the window. If you open the window remember to close it again as this can be an entry point for fire. Do not open the window up fully;
- If the room is filling with smoke, stay close to the ground. The air is cooler and oxygen is more plentiful in this region;
- Wait for the Fire and Rescue Service to rescue you.
REMEMBER
-
- Fires spread rapidly;
- Fires produce thick black smoke that is difficult to see through and causes suffocation;
- The freshest air will always be near the floor;
- Move quickly. Do not run;
- Be decisive;
- Make a decision and follow that decision.
2. Definitions
Area - refers to a Faculty, Section, Centre or place where Hawkesbury members work.
Fire alarm system - The fire alarm system is designed to provide automatic notification of the presence of fire (by detecting heat or smoke) in the building. It is made up of fire detectors positioned throughout the building and wired to the fire indicator panel and fire bell. When a detector is activated, its location is shown on the fire indicator panel, the fire bell commences to ring continuously, a signal is sent automatically to the fire brigade, and the emergency warning system is started in the ALERT mode.
The fire alarm system can be manually activated using the break-glass switch adjacent to the fire indicator panel.
Emergency warning system - provides an audible signal throughout some buildings to warn occupants of a fire or other emergency situation. A two-stage system is used. The ALERT signal (repetitive 0.635 s-interrupted sound of 420 Hz frequency) is sounded automatically on actuation of the fire alarm or is manually activated in other emergency situations. The Area Warden manually activates the EVACUATION signal (repetitive signal of rising frequency 500 Hz to 1200 Hz) if required or, in the absence of manual override, the EVACUATION signal sounds automatically after a set time delay.
Emergency warning and intercommunication system (EWIS) for a large or multi-storied building also includes an intercommunication component that allows two-way conversation between the Building Warden at the master emergency control panel and Area Wardens in different parts of the building.
Emergency control organisation (ECO) - facilitates the safe and orderly implementation of the emergency procedures in a building, including the evacuation of the occupants from the building when appropriate. The ECO is a structured organisation of people employed within a building, which takes command in the declaration of an emergency in the building, pending the arrival of the fire brigade or other emergency service. The ECO comprises the Building Warden, Area Wardens, Deputy Wardens, and may also include chemical, biological and radiation safety officers, technical officers, first aid attendants, security attendants, communications officers, etc. The term Warden is used to signify a member of the ECO.
Last Modified on 09/04/2011 17:23