Nursery fire risk assessment and evacuation plan

Policy statement

We ensure our premises present no risk of fire by providing the highest possible standard of fire protection. The management and staff are familiar with current legal requirements. When necessary, will we seek the advice of a competent person, such as our University of Dundee Fire Officer, or Fire Safety Consultant.

The Nursery Manager has overall responsibility for the fire drill and evacuation procedures and senior staff assists in the implementations of such procedures. These are carried out and recorded for each group of children every month or as and when a large change occurs, e.g., a large intake of children or a new member of staff or volunteer joins the nursery, we will do this as part of their induction. These drills will occur at different times of the day, on different days and may be on different scenarios to ensure evacuations are possible under different circumstances and all children and staff participate in the rehearsals. All information will be recorded signed and dated.

The fire Drill procedure will be clearly displayed in the Main Room, all home rooms, kitchen, office, in each staff room and both lobby’s, for all parents, visitors and helpers to read. Visitors will be informed of exits. If the fire alarm fails to go off to warn of a fire, a backup plan of a verbal warning or whistle will be given to warn the setting of the fire. Records are kept of fire drills and the servicing of fire safety equipment.

Registration

An accurate record of all staff and children present in the building must be always kept and children/staff must be marked in and out on arrival and departure. An accurate record of visitors must be kept in the Visitor’s book. These records must be taken out along with the registers and emergency contact list in the event of fire.

No smoking policy

The nursery operates a strict no smoking policy, which acts as a preventive measure of the starting of fire – please see this separate policy for details.

Fire drill procedure

The nursery staff will add to each child’s sense of security, predictability, and safety, and ensure all staff are familiar with an emergency evacuation procedure.

On discovering a fire:

• Calmly raise the alarm
• Immediately evacuate the building under guidance from the person in charge
• Using the nearest accessible exit, lead the children and visitors out and assemble at the rear of the car park or the rear of the garden area.
• Close all doors behind you wherever possible
• Adults and children present on the first floor should evacuate the building via the closest designated fire exit – caution must be exercised when escorting the children down the stairs.
• Babies or children that are not able to walk unaided should be evacuated from the building through the fire exit located in the Baby Room. If any practitioners are on lunch break during a fire drill the staff are to go immediately to the baby room to help with the children. Any staff present in kitchen must go immediately to the baby room to help with children. Evacuation cot bed is in baby room staff room. (Staff to be aware of that Evacuation cot bed must be always empty and be ready to use. Route for cot bed must be always clear. 
• Children or adults with mobility difficulties should be escorted from the building by the member of staff attending or caring for that individual/child. Additional support may be required, such as walking aids or another member of staff, depending on the person’s condition
• DO NOT stop to collect personal belongings on evacuating the building
• DO NOT attempt to go back in and fight the fire
• DO NOT attempt to go back in if any children or adults are not accounted for.

If you are unable to evacuate safely:

• Stay where you are safe
• Keep the children calm and together
• Wherever possible alert the manager of your location and identity of the children and other adults with you.

The person in charge is to:

• Pick up the children’s register, staff register, phone, keys, visitor book
• Telephone emergency services: dial 999 and ask for the fire service or use 2-way radio and contact University of Dundee
• In the fire assembly point area – (address as above) - check the children against the register
• Account for all adults - staff and visitors
• Advise the fire services of anyone missing and possible locations and respond to any other questions they may have.

All practitioners within the room must take with them

• Base room children’s registers
• Evacuation bag (containing emergency contacts list, nappies, wipes, and blankets)
• Any medication if needed
• Walkie talkie

In the event of fire, our first priority is to evacuate all children, parents, and visitors out of the building as quickly as possible. Below are the procedures we will calmly adopt should the need arise.

Emergency evacuation & fire safety procedures

Fire Risk Assessment

The Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1999 calls for all premises to carry out formal Risk

Assessments regarding fire safety in the workplace. A fire safety risk assessment (which is included in the overall daily risk assessment will be carried out every morning before the nursery opens by a senior member of staff).

Means of escape – Airlie Place building

The main exit routes are shown on a map which is located on the notice board just inside the white notice board. Generally, they are via the fire exits located on either side of the building.

Ground floor

• The Babies (Puffins) will use the fire exit door located towards the garden area, if during evacuation are in the garden or the main door is blocked.
• Room should exit via the main entrance if they are in the room and take all children safely to assembly point - at the bottom of stairs at the top of Airlie Place

First floor

• The Wild Cats Room will use the fire exit located towards the garden area, if they are in the garden or their exits are blocked.
• Room Should exit via the nearest exit entrance located next to their home room and take all children safely to assembly point - at the bottom of stairs at the top of Airlie Place. In case if children and staff are present in both rooms then they must use their exit located in their room and

Top floor

• Pine Marten Room will use the fire exit located towards the garden area, if they are in the garden or their exits are blocked.
• Room Should exit via nearest exit located on the first floor.

DUSA building

• Golden Eagle Room will use the fire exit located towards the garden area and use the path behind the shop, if they are in the garden or the other two inside the building fire exits are blocked. The Assembly Point is on green open space front of the shop opposite Enquiry Centre.  
• In case if room need to use the fire exit door leading to café, the assembly point will be in muddy garden to allow keep children safe and secured.
• If room will need to use fire exit located next to construction area assembly point will be on green open space front of the shop opposite Enquiry Centre.

Fire fighting equipment

Fire extinguishers are installed at key locations around the building and are maintained in efficient operating condition. Staff is not allowed to use fighting equipment. No member of staff should place himself or herself in any danger. Operating instructions are printed on each extinguisher and should be read carefully before use.

Responsibilities

Each room supervisor will have a primary responsibility for ensuring that all children, from within the room they are working at the time, are evacuated at the time the alarm is raised.

A “999” call will be made by the Senior/Junior Nursery Manager, or in their absence the next Room Senior responsible for checking both the children’s and adults’ toilets to ensure that no-one is left behind.

The Nursery manager or next person in charge will be responsible for picking up the signing in books and register from reception and will assist in evacuating the babies from the ground floor if possible. On their way from the office, they will check the staff room and toilets.

Room Seniors will take a “head count” once all the children from their rooms reach the assembly point and check that their register accounts for all the children, when the manager calls them out from the main register. The manager will be responsible for ensuring that all staff and visitors are accounted for. Any missing persons must be reported immediately to the manager. All personnel must ensure that their workplace is maintained in a clean and tidy condition, free of combustible waste materials. All waste bins are to be emptied at the end of each working day.

Fire safety training

All personnel will receive relevant fire safety instructions during the induction period, including:

• Fire risk areas
• Fire avoidance measures
• Fire detection, alarm & evacuation drills

Identifying the hazard

• wastepaper
• chemicals
• cleaning materials
• general waste
• bulky waste items
• excess furniture
• stationery
• art materials
• paint, stains, solvents - site maintenance materials

Identifying people at risk

• All staff
• All pupils
• Visitors
• Contractors on site
• Kitchen staff
• Disabled staff & visitors

 Evaluation and reducing the risk

• Chemicals are stored in a separate locked cupboard in their containers not loose
• Wastepaper is removed to recycling bin
• Cleaning materials Cleaning materials are stored in a locked cupboard.
• General waste Collected daily and stored in waste storage away from buildings
• Bulky waste items removed, broken up and stored away from buildings
• Stationery Kept in secure locked cupboards
• Art materials Stored in a locked cupboard outside the art room

 Fire safety measures - people

• Health and Safety Co-ordinator is a trained Fire Marshall. A list of other trained staff is available on request.
• Staff are given a briefing on Health and Safety including Fire Safety at their induction when they first start at Nursery  
• All staff and pupils participate in regular fire evacuation drills (minimum termly) and are assembled at the emergency assembly points. Locations are signposted

 Recording people on site

• All staff must sign in and out using Staff Register located at the Main Entrance
• All pupils are recorded in a daily register at the beginning of the day and after lunch.
• All visitors to the site sign in and out on the tablet located at the Main entrance and given a visitor’s badge to wear
• Fire Safety instructions for visitors are on the sign in screen

Fire safety measures – equipment

• Fire extinguishers have been deployed within the nursery with the correct signage. These are serviced and recorded annually
• Smoke alarms are installed and maintained in every building. Maintained and serviced by a contractor.
• Emergency Lighting is installed in each room.

Additional fire safety measures to reduce risk

• Each room displays a Fire Evacuation Plan stating the appropriate way of exit to and from room.
• Each building has the correct fire signs showing the way to the nearest fire exit these are checked on a termly basis.
• Senior Nursery Manager/Junior Nursery Manager visually checks fire exits are clear when unlocking in the morning.
• A classroom/office assessment is taken by a key user of the room annually
• Larger events held in the nursery are recorded by a separate risk assessment including emergency action planning  
• A prepared Emergency Plan is in place for use in the event of a major emergency

 Fire safety measures – means of escape

• In the event of a fire, prepared routes of escape are displayed in all rooms. These displays are checked each term and updated annually
• Fire exit signs are displayed showing the safe route
• Staff and pupils participate in fire drill practice termly. The results of these drills are recorded, and actions reviewed – drills are repeated if necessary

New staff are instructed in fire safety training as part of their induction to the Nursery specifically in:

• What action to take on discovering a fire
• How to raise the alarm and where alarms are located
• What action to take on hearing the alarm
• Fire Evacuation plan and means of escape

Means of escape for disabled staff, pupils and visitors

When the Nursery employs a disabled person or a pupil with a disability attends the nursery, the Health and Safety Co-ordinator will conduct a risk assessment to identify any special procedures or equipment required to ensure that person can leave the premises safely. See Additional notes below for individual arrangements. A review of the Emergency Action Plan will then be conducted to consider the modifications identified as necessary by the risk assessment.

Communication during emergency

Senior/ Junior Nursery Manager will ensure there is access to reliable communication in the event of an emergency by always maintaining access to a 2-way radio (walkie talkie). The main telephones are located in the office. If there is a complete loss of electricity and the telephone are not available, a mobile phone/using other near located office will be available to ensure that Early Years Practitioners/Room Seniors/Managers can make emergency contact.

Emergency communication plan

Senior/Junior Manager will regularly remind families via conversation, emails, newsletters that the nursery maintains an Emergency Contact list for each room – telephone numbers for families and we must have current contact information. The Emergency contact List is in folders in office as well as taken every single time with children’s registers and online on teams.

DUSA assembly point

Document information