Fire Safety Officer

Job overview

A permanent position responsible for providing specialist fire safety advice to the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust on all fire safety matters relating to people and premises.

Working as part of the Fire Safety Team within the Estates and Facilities Department, you will ensure compliance with relevant Legislation, Regulation, Healthcare Technical Memorandum (HTM), Code of Practice and Technical Guidance. The post holder will act as the lead specialist in the field of fire safety on behalf of the Trust.

The role is instrumental in the development and implementation of the Trust’s Fire Safety Policy and Fire Safety Protocols, developing and delivering an extensive programme of general and specialist Fire Safety Training to a wide audience base and providing specialist fire safety advice for clinical teams, capital project planning, design, construction and commissioning teams.

The role is guided by national guidelines and legislation relating to fire safety.

Main duties of the job

Develop and implement effective communication systems within and between all identified key working relationships for the benefit of the Trust.

Assist the Director of Estates & Facilities and the Director of Capital Development in the development, dissemination and implementation of the Trust Fire Safety Policy / Strategy.

Work with operational managers to ensure fire safety is managed in line with the Trust’s policy.

Assist in the development of a strategy for reducing unwanted fire signals within the organisation and liaise with Local Fire Authority.

Assist operational managers in the arrangement of practical fire drills, audit the accuracy of staff training records and fire drills.

Advise on the planning and design of new or existing buildings/structures, with particular emphasis on specifications for fire precautions, compliance with applicable fire standards and legislation at both design and construction stages.

Ensure appropriate measures are developed and maintained to control the activities of contractors working on site.

Support and represent the role and function of the Capital, Estates and Facilities Departments on relevant Trust wide groups.

Take an active role in:

• Risk Management Group

• Trust Fire Safety Group

• Project Team and Capital, Estates & Facilities Management meetings

• National Association of Healthcare Fire Officers or similar professional Fire Safety Association

• Health and Safety Committees

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The role requires the creation, development and maintenance of a wide range of working relationships to deliver the services, including but not limited to:

Liaise with all levels of Trust Management to ensure fire safety is managed in line with Trust Policies.

Attend and contribute to the Trust Fire Committee Meeting.

Attend and contribute to the Trust Health and Safety Committee as required.

Develop and maintain a close working relationship with the Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service.

Maintain a close working relationship with the Estates and Facilities Capital Projects teams in order to ensure that Fire Safety considerations are incorporated in all new schemes, upgrade works and repairs to the Trusts building portfolio.

Maintain a close working relationship with the Estates Department and appointed contractors in relation to engineering systems, means of detection, alarm systems and first aid firefighting equipment provisions and maintenance.

To liaise with the UHL Health and Safety Service, UHL Staff Side and all other interested parties to ensure that fire safety does not conflict with or contradict Health and Safety requirements.

Work closely with the Emergency Planning and Business Continuity departments in relation to emergency response planning.

Build strong networks across other Trusts and external organisations with the intention of sharing best practice and benchmarking improvements.

Surveying and reporting on the standards of fire safety in Trust owned, leased or occupied premises and on the adequacy of staff training in fire precautions.

Advise on fire safety implications at the planning stage of all new building / engineering projects. Reduce interim risks by authorising alternative arrangements and approve condition / snagging prior to handover.

Responsible for undertaking Fire Risk Assessments as required by legislation and for identifying fire safety risks within the Trust controlled portfolio.

Assist and liaise with the local Fire Authority and Police in the investigation of fires and their cause(s). Keep a record of all fires, Support Managers, Fire Wardens in the preparation of Fire Reports.

Monitor the incidents of unwanted fire signals from fire alarm systems and identify measures necessary to control and reduce such signals. Keep records of these incidents and keep NHS statistical returns.

Provide fire safety advice with regards to the emergency planning and the impact within the Trust contingency plans.

Ensure that the Trust is kept fully informed of all major developments in Fire Safety Legislation and Department of Health Policy guidance and the organisation and management of fire precautions which affect the Trust.

Prepare suitable training programmes in Fire Safety and the organisation of fire drills or simulated table top exercises as appropriate. The post holder will undertake fire training at all levels and as far as practicable attend fire drills.

Ensure that records for all Fire Safety Training and Fire Drills are kept in order to provide assurance of adherence to policy and that lessons learned are communicated.

Carry out suitable and sufficient Fire Risk Assessments as per the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, Firecode and the Trust’s Fire Safety Action Plan.

Undertake specialist Fire Risk Assessments within clinical and non-clinical secure environments as required. Ensure the dissemination and practical application of Fire Risk Assessments to functional heads and staff with specific fire responsibilities.

Undertake specialist investigations of all fire incidents, producing appropriate reports for the Fire Safety Manager and the local manager with responsibility for fire safety issues.

Provide a specialist role in fire emergency planning, the impact with security issues and the organisation’s contingency plans. Maintain an effective site fire tactical plan with Security and the Fire and Rescue Service. Ensure the availability, currency and dissemination of fire strategy drawings incorporating fire hazards.

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.

For more details, please refer to the attached Job Description.