Present a one-day

IS FIRE SAFETY IN NHS PREMISES WORKING?

held on

FRIDAY, 9TH JULY 2010
at
THE CONFERENCE CENTRE,
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust,
Wrightington Hospital, Hall Lane, Appley Bridge, near Wigan

Review of Event

Over 90 people attended this excellent one-day event, Chaired by Harry Evans, Chairman of the Estates TAG and Head of Operational Estates, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust.

Speakers included:

• Michael Kelly, Fire Officer, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service
• Peter Aldridge, General Secretary of NAHFO and Fire Safety Manager, The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
• Professor David Charters, Director of Fire Engineering, BRE (Building Research Establishment)
• Philip Gibbs, Fire Safety Inspecting Officer, London Fire Brigade
• Phil Smith, Strategic Estates Advisor, NHS London
• Andy Wapling, Head of Emergency Preparedness, NHS London

Some excellent comments recorded on the evaluation forms:

• Good standard of speakers with wide experience and knowledge
• Most informative conference, well done all facilitators
• Very enjoyable and well presented seminar
• Well presented day with good range of subject matter
• Very valuable day
• All very good presentations and topics very relevant

Details

During 2008/2009 the NHS saw five major fires within hospitals. Do you comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order & Firecode?

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (FSO) 2005 became law on 1st October 2006. This legislation replaced many other pieces of legislation; it instantly rendered void any fire certificate issued under the Fire Precautions Act 1971. This now totally removes the responsibility from the Fire Service and their systems we are familiar with; ‘fire certificates and plans’ which become invalid, replacing them with risk-assessments, originally introduced by the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997. The responsibility is now placed firmly with ‘the responsible person’ of the Trust. It is now recommended all Trusts have a ‘Board Level Director Fire’ a Fire Safety Manager, Fire Safety Advisor and an Authorising Engineer Fire along with associated deputies.

There has recently been five fires within healthcare premises namely: The Royal Marsden, University College, Great Ormond Street, North London Forensic and Chase Farm & Northwick Park Hospitals with such serious fires occurring within the NHS -  is this legislation working?

This conference will explore the findings from the above fires and explain the impact this legislation and Firecode, the NHS suite of fire safety guidance documents, is having on fire safety within the healthcare environment.  The conference is an opportunity to listen to acknowledged experts in the field of fire safety and an opportunity to ask questions and debate the above legislation and guidance.
 

The cost of attending the conference is £100.00 per person.  This includes attendance at the conference, a certificate of attendance, course handouts, mid morning coffee/tea, two-course buffet lunch and afternoon tea/coffee.

Programme

8.45 am  Registration. Coffee/Tea/Bacon Roll

9.15 am   WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION

Chairman – Harry Evans
(Chairman of the Estates TAG)
Head of Operational Estates, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust

9.30 am   REGULATORY REFORM ORDER AND FIRE SAFETY ORDER – REFURBISHMENTS AND BUILDINGS UNDER CONSTRUCTION (PFI)

Presenter – Michael Kelly
Fire Officer, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service

10.15 am  FIRE SAFETY ORDER FROM A TRUST FIRE OFFICER’S PERSPECTIVE

Presenter – Peter Aldridge
General Secretary of NAHFO and Fire Safety Manager, The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

11.00 am   Mid Morning Coffee and Tea

11.15 am   THE APPLICATION OF FIRE ENGINEERING TO EXISTING HEALTHCARE PREMISES

Presenter – Prof David Charters
Director of Fire Engineering, BRE (Building Research Establishment)

12.00 noon QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION

12.15 pm   BUFFET LUNCH

1.15 pm   FIRE – ARE YOU READY?

Presenter – Philip Gibbs
Fire Safety Inspecting Officer, London Fire Brigade

2.00 pm    FIRE FROM THE TRUST’S PERSPECTIVE

Presenter – Phil Smith
Strategic Estates Advisor, NHS London

2.45 pm    REVIEW OF THE FIVE LONDON HOSPITAL FIRES AND THEIR MANAGEMENT

Presenter – Andy Wapling
Head of Emergency Preparedness, NHS London

3.30 pm   QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION

4.00 pm   CLOSE OF CONFERENCE

Afternoon Tea and Coffee

SAFE JOURNEY HOME

About the Speakers

HARRY EVANS BSc (Hons) MRICS, MIHEEM, MB Eng
Chairman of the Estates TAG and Head of Operational Estates, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust

Harry is a chartered professional with over 25 years experience incorporating the design and maintenance of commercial and industrial premises. Harry has worked for the NHS since 2000 initially starting within the capital department of Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust before taking up his present role as Head of Operational Estates. Harry started his career as an electrician, before diversifying into building and engineering services.  Over the years he has gained qualifications, expertise and experience of a wide range of building and engineering services.

MICHAEL KELLY MBA, FdSc, M.I.Fire.E, Eng. Tech
Fire Officer, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service

Michael is a serving Fire Officer with 27 years experience in operational and specialist fire safety roles, he is situated in the Fire Engineering Department of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service. Michael supports Fire Safety Officers on various building projects within Greater Manchester and has personally been involved in two major projects Media City and Salford Royal, he also lectures part time at Salford University.  Michael is currently researching the issues surrounding the installation/type of construction of Green/Brown roofs on existing and new build designs.   

PETER ALDRIDGE
General Secretary of NAHFO and Fire Safety Manager, The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

Peter started his Fire Service career with the Royal Air Force Fire and Rescue Service, serving all over the world.  Peter finished his career with the RAF Fire and Rescue Service in 2000 when he joined the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust as Fire Training Officer, taking over as Fire Safety Manager in 2008.  As the Secretary of the National Association of Healthcare Fire Officers this gives an insight into national perspective with regards Fire Safety within healthcare across the UK.  Peter has just completed a Diploma in Healthcare Governance at Loughborough University and has just started a Masters in Healthcare Governance looking at issues related to Patient Safety Episodes and rates of False Alarms.

PROF DAVID CHARTERS
Director of Fire Engineering, BRE (Building Research Establishment)

David is currently Director of Fire Engineering at BRE (incorporating the Fire Research Station, FRS) where he has been responsible for drafting Firecode guidance, including HTM 05-03 Parts J and K on fire safety engineering and fire risk assessment (respectively). He has 20 years of fire safety experience. Prior to joining BRE, he was a Director of Arup Fire responsible projects including; Norwich and Norfolk, Wythenshaw and the Birmingham New Hospitals Project. Previously he was Chief Engineer and Manager; Fire and Safety at NHS Estates, Department of Health where he was responsible for policy advice to Ministers and the FIRECODE suite of guidance. Prior to this he was a Senior Fire Risk Assessment Engineer with the UK Atomic Energy Authority. In 2005/6, David was International President of the Institution of Fire Engineers. He was appointed Visiting Professor in Fire Risk Analysis at the University of Ulster in 2003. In 1994, David was awarded a PhD in Fire Growth and Smoke Movement in Tunnels. He chairs the British Standards committee responsible for BS7974 on fire safety engineering. David was also responsible for the quantitative fire risk assessments of London Underground stations following the King’s Cross fire and Tartan Alpha following the Piper Alpha disaster.

PHILIP GIBBS
Fire Safety Inspecting Officer, London Fire Brigade

Philip Gibbs is a Fire Safety Inspecting Officer with the London Fire Brigade. He is the officer specialising in hospitals for the Borough of Camden, which includes several large hospitals and numerous smaller healthcare facilities. His main duties are to carry out fire safety audits, offer fire safety advice and enforce the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

PHIL SMITH
Strategic Estates Advisor, NHS London

Phil started his health service career in 1980 working in several EFM roles until 2000 since when he has worked for DH, Great Ormond Street Hospital and the London SHA. Phil has worked on a number of national estates initiatives including PEAT, Premises Assurance, Delivering Single Sex Accommodation, Instrument Tracking and for London leads on the NHS Fire Safety Concordat with London Fire Emergency Planning Authority having established this in 2003. Outside the day job Phil actively supports estates networks and training and development and was London Branch Chair for HEFMA between 2006 and 2010

ANDY WAPLING SBSTJ, MSc, FICPEM
Head of Emergency Preparedness, NHS London

Andy Wapling is the Head of Emergency Preparedness for NHS London. The health service in London consists of 71 organisations of Primary and secondary acute care, mental health trusts and the London ambulance service.  Andy manages a team which supports planning, response and performance management of preparedness and business continuity. In addition to this, Andy is the NHS 2012 health service resilience workstream lead. Prior to joining NHS London Andy worked for the HPA for 4 years both in London and in Yorkshire and the Humber regions.  Whilst providing emergency preparedness advice and training to the health community he has been involved in the response to a number of incidents including the Paddington Rail Disaster, London Bombings, the 2007 Yorkshire flooding, the Polonium 210 events and many local incidents. Previously Andy was the full time Emergency Planning Officer for St. John Ambulance and was fundamental in the planning of many large events.  Examples are the Millennium Celebrations, Notting Hill Carnival, 2 Royal Funerals and many more. In 2001 Andy was admitted to the Order of St. John for his efforts towards the medical planning for the Millennium celebrations in London. Andy graduated from City University in 2006 with a Masters degree in Civil Emergency Management.  Andy has maintained his links with City University as he holds an honorary visiting Fellow position with the university. Andy is also a Fellow of the Institute of Civil Protection and Emergency Management. Andy has maintained his links with St. John Ambulance and holds the position of Deputy Assistant Commissioner, ensuring that he never looses contact with the operational nature of emergency management.

Further Information

VENUE:

THE CONFERENCE CENTRE,
THE LECTURE THEATRE,
WRIGHTINGTON, WIGAN AND LEIGH NHS FOUNDATION TRUST,
WRIGHTINGTON HOSPITAL, HALL LANE,
APPLEY BRIDGE, NEAR WIGAN, WN6 9EP

Wrightington Hospital is located ½ mile from Junction 27 of the M6 on the A5209 towards Parbold.