RMG Fire Safety Week is again being deployed this year with the full support of the CWU and will therefore have the full involvement of Area and Workplace Safety Representatives who should now be proactively making contact with PiCs (Persons in Charge) and Area Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) Advisors to plan support and involvement during the week. See attached RMG Royal Mail Property & Facilities Solutions/CWU Joint Statement.
Here Dave Joyce, CWU's National Health, Safety and Envornment Officer writing in his letter to branches (LTB399/18) provides full details of RMG's Fire Safety Week taking place this year on 16th to 22nd July along with documentation which can be downloaded from the Unionsafety E-Library Database:
CWU Safety Reps are entitled to be involved, consulted and to input in, Fire Risk Assessment Reviews, Fire Evacuation Plans, Fire Drills etc.
CWU support has been welcomed by the Royal Mail Group Property & Facilities Solutions National Fire Safety Manager, so please make it happen locally.
The purpose of Fire Safety Week is to raise or keep fire safety in focus and ensure fire safety is understood and supported throughout Royal Mail Group.
Royal Mail must carry out fire safety risk assessments for their premises and keep them up to date. This shares the same approach as health and safety risk assessments. Based on the findings of the assessments, Royal Mail needs to ensure that adequate and appropriate fire safety measures are in place to minimise the risk of injury or loss of life in the event of a fire. The assessments need to be reviewed and kept up to date.
The purpose of this year’s forthcoming 2018 campaign is to follow on from the 2017 campaign of raising awareness of the role and responsibilities of RMG Persons in Control (PiCs) who play an important role when it comes to managing fire safety within the areas under their control, with this year’s launch of the new Royal Mail Group Fire Safety Training e-learning and ‘Content on Demand’ plasma screen training Packages. These consist of:-
- Person in Charge (PiC) Fire Safety Training Package (20 Mins). This gives an interactive experience of potential situations in the workplace, giving the participant the ability to make decisions and see the outcome of those decisions.
- Fire Warden Fire Safety Training Package (20 Mins). This is similar to the PiC training package and is an e-learning package accessed via ‘success factors’ on the Royal Mail Group Intranet.
- All Staff Fire Safety Training Package (10 Mins). This training package is available via ‘Content on Demand’ on the Unit’s plasma screen TV.
NOTE: There is a ‘mandatory’ requirement for all staff to undertake Fire Safety Training appropriate to their level of responsibility (as above) e.g. PiC and Fire warden with ALL Staff undertaking the All Staff Fire Safety Training. This is to ensure RMG’s legal requirements are met and to ensure the workforce and visitors to the properties/offices are kept safe at all times.
PiCs are required to complete the following key tasks:-
- Undertake the new PiC Fire Safety Training.
- Update and close out the Fire Risk Assessment Actions using the new Operational Fire Risk Assessment when rolled out in 6-8 weeks’ time.
- Check Fire Evacuation Plans and Personal Evacuation Plans.
- Ensure that all Fire Wardens and Employees have received their fire training.
- Carry out a fire alarm evacuation exercise before the end of August.
NOTE: Where Unit Managers are not the nominated Person in Control (PiC), then it is the responsibility of the Unit Manager to ensure the PiC is aware of Fire Safety Week and support them with completion of the tasks required of them.
PiCs will involve and consult with CWU Area and Workplace Safety Reps about: –
- The New Fire Risk Register.
- New Operational Fire Risk Assessment (to be introduced in 6 to 8 weeks’ time when RMG has changed over to Windows 10).
- Proposals for improving fire safety.
- Informing and instructing staff on fire risks and precautions.
- Nomination of Fire Wardens.
- Any Fire related issues or risks identified which might affect the safety of the employees and proposed remedial action.
The Work Time Learning should be used to ensure the workforce understands their duties and responsibilities toward fire safety, for example: understand emergency evacuation procedures, good housekeeping or where unacceptable working practices have been identified.
Any non-RMG occupants e.g. Quadrant, external tenants should be briefed on any changes of a joint fire evacuation plan.
Source: RMG / CWU /unionsafety
