Duties of a fire warden
A fire warden is a trained personnel, certified and employed by an employer to manage fire safety matters in that workplace.
Fire wardens are personnel who engage their input to control and manage the workplace environment to prevent fire emergencies and even act as responsible persons for fire emergencies.
Uncontrolled fire is a hazard. Hazards destroy lives and properties, so companies need to do everything to control the fire hazard.
This blog will explain more about the duties of a fire warden and what the fire warden can do to maintain a workplace free of fire.
What does a fire warden do?
The fire warden ensures the evacuation of all persons in the building during an emergency.
What does a fire marshal do?
The fire marshal ensures that all persons are accounted for outside the building during an emergency. The marshal conducts the roll call at the assembly or muster point.
What is the difference between a fire warden and a fire marshal?
The fire warden and the fire marshal are vital for the general safety of the workplace. There is no legal guideline in place to split the two roles. They are similar, and they have the same training. They are to protect and manage the workplace against fire hazards and emergencies.
In a workplace, the management can appoint a worker to fit into any of the roles depending on what that organization wants in their system.
The discrepancy in the name does not matter or is more or less unimportant. In some places where there is a big facility to manage by persons, the roles may split for persons to fill it in.
What training do a fire warden and a fire marshal need?
The fire warden has to undertake training on fire emergency procedures and other relevant fire safety topics, for example, training on what to do during an emergency, fire risk assessment methods, and use of fire equipment on site.
So, the training has to be on fire safety. However, the Fire Safety Order 2005 requires every employee to do workplace fire safety training.
How many fire wardens do we need in a workplace?
At least every workplace should have one trained fire warden to cater for all fire issues in that place. The HSE UK recommends that there should be a fire warden for every five workers in an organization.
Most times, the size of the premises and how many people are in the organization determines the number of fire wardens that should be in the workplace. If a workplace has many workers and vulnerable people or a large compound, then there will be a need for multiple fire wardens.
What is the legal requirement for having a fire warden?
The Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005 states that the duty to implement all fire safety measures lies on the responsible person. Now, the responsible person is either the owner of the business, the landlord, the manager or managing agent, or the person who has some control over the building.
The Fire Safety Order 2005 also requires the responsible person to appoint a competent person to assist in the preventative and protective measures, and that person is the fire warden. So, the fire warden is the Competent person who assists the responsible person.
What does a fire warden do?
A fire warden does a lot of duties in the workplace. The duties are
- Inspection of all the workplace to know the potential fire hazards
- Inspects, services and maintains all fire equipment in the workplace.
- Responsible for issuing hot work permits for all hot work activities before the start of the task.
- Assist in the evacuation of persons during the event of a fire emergency.
- Reports all fire hazards and control them effectively.
- Conducts periodic fire drills for all workers in the workplace and documents the record for reference.
- Ensures there are designated assembly points on the site.
- Ensures there is an evacuation route and they are free from obstruction.
- Inspect the emergency lighting.
- Know how to inspect fire doors and other necessary fire equipment.
- Implement the fire safety procedures in place for the company.
- Check the fire alarm and emergency kits available and update the records.
- Ensures that the safety signages are adequate and placed at the proper locations.
- Raises awareness for all fire hazards in the workplace and ensures that all workers are aware of them.
- Ensure that all fire extinguishers are mounted and are in good condition at all times.
- Ensures that all escape emergency routes are free of obstruction.
- Conducts a fire drill for workers
- The fire warden conducts regular checks and tests to ascertain if the fire emergency procedure is effective and in order.
- Ensures that all electrical connections comply with fire safety regulations.
- Updates the fire risk assessment for the company
Role of a fire warden when the fire breaks out.
- The fire wardens activate the alarm in place.
- Alert the authorities of the fire emergency.
- Ensures that all doors are closed correctly.
- Communicate with other emergency responders during the fire emergency time on site.
- Account for all workers during the fire emergency on site.
- Coordinate other emergency responders during the time of fire emergency.
- Ensure that all doors and rooms are closed during a fire emergency.
- Assist in making sure that everyone leaves the building in the event of a fire emergency.
- Uses fire extinguishers to fight a fire.
Conclusion: Duties of a Fire Warden
Fire warden plays a vital role in a company. It’s a legal requirement to have at least one fire warden, though the number of fire wardens may increase due to the size of your company and several other factors.
In addition, the key is that you can’t underplay their role because companies choose to protect their assets and employees from a fire emergency. Read also:
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Onyeka Emma is a QHSE Professional with more than 10 years of experience in occupational health and safety, which spans many industries such as construction, beverage, oil and gas, etc. He has many health and safety certifications, including NEBOSH IGC, ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, and ISO 45001:2018 Lead auditor certificate. A member of IOSH, ISPON, and Nigeria Red Cross Society. He is interested in business, entrepreneurship, Speaking, and motivating people to do better for themselves. He enjoys leisure with a good motivational book.
