A fire safety manual is a key document aimed at minimizing the risk of fire and ensuring the safety of people staying in a given facility.

A fire safety manual is a document that specifies procedures to be followed in the event of a fire hazard. Its legal basis is § 6 of the Regulation of the Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration of 7 June 2010 on fire protection of buildings, other structures and areas.

A fire safety manual should consist of a few key elements, here they are:

• Fire protection conditions: The instruction should address the methods of use, storage and technical conditions of the facility.
• Fire extinguishing equipment and fire extinguishers: A precise indication and description of the available fire protection equipment.
• What to do in the event of a fire: Precise instructions on what to do in the event of a fire, including evacuation, use of available extinguishing agents and contact with emergency services.
• Conditions and organization of evacuation of people: Determination of conditions and organization of evacuation procedures, including designation of evacuation routes and collection points.
• Information for facility users: Detailed information for people staying in the facility regarding fire regulations, safety rules and how to report emergency situations.
• Facility plans: Specific facility plans, referring to:
• area, height and number of storeys of the building,
• distance from neighbouring objects,
• fire parameters of the flammable substances present,
• the existing fire load density in the fire zone or in the fire zones,
• human hazard category, the expected number of people on each floor and in each room,
• location of rooms and outdoor spaces classified as explosion hazard zones,
• dividing the facility into fire zones,
• evacuation conditions, indicating emergency directions and exits,
• locations of fire protection equipment and fire extinguishers, main gas installation taps, fire-hazardous materials and locations of fire protection equipment controls,
• indications of access to cranes for rescue teams,
• external hydrants and other sources of water for fire-fighting purposes,
• fire roads and other access roads, with the entrances to the fenced area marked.

Fire safety instructions should be prepared in buildings or zones where there is a risk of explosion or the gross volume exceeds certain values, i.e. 1000 m3 and the gross volume of the livestock building exceeds 1500 m3. There is also an obligation to prepare a Fire Safety Instruction when the area of the fire zone of a facility other than a building does not exceed 1000 m3. An example of this would be an open landfill.

Fire safety instructions should be developed for public buildings, service buildings, shopping centres, supermarkets, office buildings, hospitals, schools, kindergartens, nurseries, hotels, dormitories, banks, multi-family buildings with underground garages, production plants, warehouses and other facilities.

Updating the fire safety manual is crucial to ensure that it continues to perform its function and increase safety. It is recommended that you update at least every 2 years to take into account any changes that have occurred at your facility and to adapt your procedures to new regulations and safety standards.

The fire safety manual should be kept in a place that is easily accessible to all employees and other users of the facility. It is usually placed in a visible place, such as an entrance hall or hallway, so that everyone can quickly read its content if necessary. If there is a porter or security guard in the building, the Fire Safety Instruction should be located near his workstation.

Drafting fire safety instructions is crucial to ensuring the safety of people and property. This allows for a quick and effective response in the event of a fire, minimizing potential losses and reducing the risk of an accident. In addition, having an up-to-date manual is a legal requirement, which means that failure to do so may expose us to legal consequences.

An important aspect of ensuring safety in facilities is the awareness of fire safety procedures, especially for employees, but not only.

Every employee should be familiar with the Fire Safety Manual. This is a key element of an effective response in the event of a fire emergency. Where there are special regulations, it may be necessary for even every person who enters the premises to read the instructions.

A person obliged to read the Fire Safety Instruction should confirm their knowledge by means of an appropriate statement. A template of such a statement should be available in the Fire Safety Instruction itself.

Source: https://www.bhp-center.com.pl/co-powinna-zawierac-instrukcja-bezpieczenstwa-pozarowego/

Supported by Norway through Norway Grants 2014-2021, in the frame of the Programme “Social Dialogue – Decent Work”.