Technology rescues overworked fire risk consultants

In the past, fire safety consultants have been in a “Catch 22”situation.

They need to be out and about around the premises they are responsible for assessing risk, recording and investigating accidents and incidents carrying out audits and inspections to

generally protect their clients, employers and the business as a whole. In addition they are simultaneously expected to produce statistics, reports and quantifiable evidence to show that the organisation’s overall fire safety culture is helping to reduce risk. The need to compile reports at the computer conflicts with the need to be field based, which is for many the most fulfilling part of the job. With the adoption of the newer technologies available, it is now possible to record information in the field while carrying out the audit or inspection.

Personal digital assistants (PDAs), laptop computers and tablet computers allow data in a predetermined format, and configured by the client, to be captured at the point of audit. It can be automatically downloaded into a central database as soon as there is Internet access. This allows data capture in the workplace as well as access to the results from any Internet connection without the need to re-enter the information. An organisation which has maximised these software advances is Southern Safety Solutions, based in Bexley, Kent. Simon Brett provides fire risk assessment support to some of the large NHS Hospitals in the London area. He and his team have become great advocates of the organisation’s recently acquired PDA-based HS Manager Software from Croner Software. Based on the Norton Waugh Software which Croner acquired in 2000, this web-hosted solution has allowed Simon to configure his own audit and risk assessment templates to match his clients’ individual needs and transform his business. It has allowed him to dramatically improve the efficiency of his team of consultants. Simon, a former fire brigade officer with 15 years’ experience, says he has had very enthusiastic comments from former colleagues in the London Fire Brigade when he has explained how

he carries out the pre-inspection audits. The depth of detail and the specific elements Simon is able to cover in the audits are often far greater than fire inspection officers have seen before. Using HS Manager Software, Southern Safety Solutions is able to tailor the assessment for the client and not only record the findings but also allocate follow-up actions assigned to the client’s nominated fire officer. The link to e-mail (via Outlook or GroupWise) allows the consultant to allocate time frames to the actions needed and put in place an escalation procedure to ensure that management is aware of outstanding issues. This integrated action manager system allows Simon and his team to monitor progress at the

clients’ premises from the home and, if necessary, to phone relevant people to chase up outstanding issues, ensuring they understand what they need to do and why. After leaving the fire brigade five years ago, Simon decided to learn the skills needed to offer construction safety audits and understand the problems associated with joint tenanted buildings and refurbishment assessments. This training has enabled him to offer his clients a start-to-finish solution to fire risk assessment problems. The service includes liaison with the inspecting officer from the fire brigade. Southern Safety Solutions is able to analyse false alarms and modify processes and client activity to reduce such incidents by 30% in some cases. However, the capturing of the data is only part of the problem. Many organisations have limited capability of automatically producing reports and summaries that explain the facts for the appropriate recipients. Many organisations rely on manually produced spreadsheets to summarise the information. Being able to produce reports, graphs and charts at the touch of a mouse is an integral part of any worthwhile solution, and Croner’s HS Manager Software offers this. It also allows photographs and other graphical data to be uploaded and added to reports to give a full record of incidents. Combining data from various sites and users within an organisation can sometimes be more time-consuming than the audit itself. Using an integrated solution allows all users to access

agreed descriptions and templates. This ensures a consistency of detail, enables results that are easy to analyse. Standard scoring tables can then be used to measure the success of each site as a way of benchmarking progress towards agreed targets. Southern Safety Solutions uses language that is easily accessible to clients, rather than technical jargon. Simon sends reports and assessments to clients in electronic format if they prefer it. HS Manager from Croner Software is a hosted web-based solution; as long as the data is in the system, Croner provides backup and disaster recovery solutions. Benefits for clients using Southern Safety Solutions include the following. Clear concise and bespoke audits and assessments. Allocation of remedial action immediately to the person responsible means crucial details are not missed or forgotten. Reminders and escalation processes ensure that actions are completed on time. Greater interaction between Southern Safety Solutions and its clients allow for closer control and a more personal service. Analysis and recording of information allows the client to begin to plan ahead and be proactive rather than reactive. Inspections become a far less stressful process. In some cases Employer Liability Insurance costs have been cut by significant amounts when the client has been able to

demonstrate progress towards a safer business environment. Reduction in false alarms for all clients. The fire brigade can clearly see a logical process driving the fire risk assessment.