This document outlines the agenda and activities for a three-day fire risk assessment course. The course introduces participants to current law and processes regarding risk and fire risk assessments. It covers the risk assessment process in five steps and compares workplace practices to legislation. Activities include discussing strengths and weaknesses of current risk assessment practices, collecting examples from workplaces, and understanding roles and responsibilities. The course aims to help participants improve risk assessment procedures in their own workplaces and develop short and medium-term action plans.

1. TUC Three Day
Fire Risk Assessment
Course
1std Edition October 2015

2. Contents
1. Course Introductions
2. Current Law and Workplace Practice on Risk
Assessment and Fire Risk Assessment
Processes and Procedures
3. Overview of Health & Safety Framework in the
UK & Regulations Related to Risk
Assessment & Fire Risk Assessment
4. Workplace Activity – Finding Out Information
on Risk Assessment
5. Understanding the Risk Assessment Process
and Legislation
6. The 5 Steps to Risk Assessment
7. Workplace Activity – Finding Out Information
on Fire Risk Assessment
8. Understanding the Fire Risk Assessment
Process and Legislation
9. What is a Fire Risk Assessment
10. Action Planning & Course Review

3. Activity One – Course Introductions
Aims:
This activity will help us to,
 Break the ice
 Find out who is on the course
 Agree aims & objectives for the course
Task:
You will be split into pairs for this task, and should briefly interview your
partner and report back their information to the rest of the course. You should
find out their,
 Name
 Trade union
 Workplace and job
 Members jobs
 Any previous trade union or/and TUC courses
 Reasons for coming on this course

4. Interview Notes
Name
Trade Union
Workplace & Job
Members Jobs
Previous Courses
Reasons for Coming on the Course

5. Activity Two – Current Law and Workplace Practice on Risk
Assessment and Fire Risk Assessment Processes and
Procedures
Aims:
This activity will help us to,
 Review our experience of current workplace practices for
Risk Assessment and Fire Risk Assessment
 Understand the current legislation for Risk Assessment
and Fire Risk Assessment
 Identify strengths, weaknesses and areas for
improvement
Task 1:
In your group, and using your own knowledge and experience, discuss and
summarise the strengths and weaknesses of the current workplace practice
for dealing with
 Risk Assessments
 Fire Risk Assessments
Task 2:
In your group, and using your own knowledge and experience, identify,
discuss and summarise on a flipchart the current legislation used within your
workplace for dealing with
 Risk Assessment
 Fire Risk Assessments
Assessment Criteria:
Applying H&S Legislation 1.1 ; 2.1 ; 2.2

6. Activity Three – Overview of Health & Safety Framework in the
UK & Regulations Related to Risk Assessment & Fire Risk
Assessment
.
Aims:
 To help us understand the current framework of Health and Safety
legislation within the United Kingdom.
 To help us understand specific Regulations relevant to Risk
Assessment and Fire Risk Assessment
Task:
Your Tutor will lead a discussion on the current legal framework and specific
Health and Safety legislation for dealing with risk assessment and fire risk
assessment in the UK.
Take notes and be prepared to discuss any concerns you may have about the
legislation. Please note we will be reviewing the specific legislation in greater
detail as the course progresses, and a good set of notes may be useful.
Assessment Criteria:
Handling Members Problems 2.1 ; 2.2

7. Activity Four – Workplace Activity – Finding Out Information
on Risk Assessment
Aims:
This activity will help us to
 Find out how management carry out risk assessments and Fire Risk
Assessments in your workplace
 Establish how safety reps are involved
 Gather examples of completed risk assessment and forms
Task 1:
Talk to other union representatives, workers and management in your
workplace. Find out the procedures for risk assessments including:
 Who carries out the risk assessments on behalf of your employer
and how they are done
 The way that union safety representatives and workers are
consulted and involved
Task 2:
Collect information about risk assessment from your workplace, including:
 Management procedures, policies and methods for risk Assessment
 Copies of risk assessment forms/paperwork used for risk Assessments
 Examples of completed risk assessments (names could be deleted to
preserve anonymity)
Task 3:
Gather information produced by your trade union on Risk Assessment (bring
examples)
Assessment Criteria:
Handling Members Problems 2.1 ; 2.2

8. Activity Five – Understanding the Risk Assessment Process
and Legalisation
Aims:
This activity will help us to
 Understand where the risk assessment process comes from
 Establish how safety reps are involved
 Interpret some of the jargon used
Task 1:
In your groups and using the resources provided and information collected
from last weeks workplace activity identify some of the key points in relation to
the risk assessment process. Here are some points you might want to
consider
 Which regulation applies to risk assessment
 Who is responsible for carrying them out (legally & in practice)
 Who is involved in the risk assessment process
 Who is covered by the assessment
 Can it be reviewed, if so how
 Are there any special provisions e.g. high risk groups
 What is meant by the term “suitable and sufficient”
 What are the principles of prevention
Task 2:
In your groups and using the findings from task 1 identify some key points in
relation to the issues that were identified during the group discussions on your
own experience in the workplace.
Some of the issues identified were
 The availability of the risk assessment information
 Lack of consultation with safety reps
 Out of date or not reviewed risk assessments
 The use of generic and dynamic risk assessments
 Changes in the workplace
Assessment Criteria:
Handling Members Problems 2.1 ; 2.2

9. Activity Six – The 5 Steps to Risk Assessment
Aims:
This activity will help us to
 Understand the key stages of the risk assessment process
 Establish how safety reps are involved
 How to improve our current workplace risk assessments
Task 1:
In your groups identify the following
 What are the 5 steps to risk assessment
 Define each of these steps
 Is there a set way of recording the information
 Is this a one off process
 How to we decide if the risk assessment is suitable and sufficient
Task 2:
Now that we understand the legal framework for risk assessment and have
discussed the process, in your groups compare your workplace risk
assessments against each other.
Draw up a flip chart and summarise the findings.
Assessment Criteria:
Handling Members Problems 2.1 ; 2.2

10. Activity Seven – Workplace Activity – Finding Out Information
on Fire Risk Assessment
Aims:
This activity will help us to
 Find out how management carry out fire risk assessments in your
workplace
 Establish how safety reps are involved
 Gather examples of completed fire risk assessments and forms
Task 1:
Talk to other union representatives, workers and management in your
workplace. Find out the procedures for fire risk assessments including:
 Who carries out the fire risk assessments on behalf of your employer
and how they are done
 The way that union safety representatives and workers are
consulted and involved
Task 2:
Collect information about fire risk assessment from your workplace, including:
 Management procedures, policies and methods for fire risk
assessment
 Copies of fire risk assessment forms/paperwork used for fire risk
assessments
 Examples of completed fire risk assessments (names could be deleted
to preserve anonymity)
Task 3:
Gather information produced by your trade union on fire risk assessment
(bring examples)
Assessment Criteria:
Handling Members Problems 2.1 ; 2.2

11. Activity Eight – Understanding the Fire Risk Assessment
Process and Legalisation
Aims:
This activity will help us to
 Understand where the fire risk assessment process comes from
 Establish how safety reps are involved
 Interpret some of the jargon used
Task 1:
In your groups and using the resources provided and information collected
from last weeks workplace activity identify some of the key points in relation to
the fire risk assessment process. Here are some points you might want to
consider
 Which legislation(s) and regulation(s) apply to fire risk assessment
 Who is responsible for carrying them out (legally & in practice)
 Who is involved in the risk assessment process
 Who is covered by the assessment
 What is meant by the term “taking measures”
 Can it be reviewed, if so how
 Are there any special provisions e.g. high risk groups
 Any other relevant information
Task 2:
In your groups and using the findings from task 1 identify some key points in
relation to the issues that were identified during the group discussions on your
own experience in the workplace.
Some of the issues identified were
 The availability of the risk assessment information
 Lack of consultation with safety reps
 Out of date or not reviewed risk assessments
 Changes in the workplace
Assessment Criteria:
Handling Members Problems 2.1 ; 2.2

12. Activity Nine – What is a Fire Risk Assessment?
Aims:
This activity will help us to
 Understand the key stages of the fire risk assessment process
 Establish how safety reps are involved
 How to improve our current workplace risk assessments
 Interpret some of the jargon used
Task 1:
In your groups and using the resources provided identify the following
 What are the 5 steps to fire risk assessment
 What are the key elements the fire risk assessment (e.g. how do you
exit the building in a fire, fire extinguishers, policy etc. )
 Is there a set way of recording the information
Task 2:
Now that we understand the legal framework for risk assessment and have
discussed the process, in your groups compare your workplace risk
assessments against each other.
Draw up a flip chart and summarise the findings.
Assessment Criteria:
Handling Members Problems 4.2

13. Activity Ten – Action Planning & Course Review
Aims:
This activity will help us to understand the,
 Action plan for the short and medium term
 Review the fire risk assessment course
Task 1:
Individually fill in the action planning sheet with your short and medium term
objectives following the course. Your action plans should be relevant to the
course content of fire risk assessment, and should be realistic in what you
think is achievable.
Task 2:
Please complete the course evaluation and review form handed out by the
course tutor.
Assessment Criteria:
Handling Members Problems 3.1

14. Action Planning Sheet
Action Points for Risk Assessment
Action Point Short/Medium Term & Comments
Action Points for Fire Risk Assessment
Action Point Short/Medium Term & Comments

15. Notes