A Guide to Operational
Risk Assessment
A Fire Service Guide
Volume 3
1 INTRODUCTION TO VOLUME THREE

1.1 Content
1.2 Index to Generic Risk Assessments (GRA's)
1.3 How to use Generic Risk Assessments
1.4 Arrangements for Monitoring and Review

1.1 CONTENT

Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (MHSWR) 1992 states that:

'a risk assessment must be carried out by a competent person for the purpose of identifying the measures that employers must take in order to comply with their duties under all applicable health and safety legislation'

Due to the size and nature of the Fire Service there are a wide range of activities to cover, potentially making risk assessment a very time-consuming activity. To minimise this and avoid the 'reinventing of the wheel', or even worse having an inconsistent approach and outcomes, generic risk assessments have been produced to help brigades in their response to regulatory requirements.

This approach has been endorsed by Government Ministers for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The GRA's are presented as one volume of a four part suite of comprehensive guidance comprising:

  • Volume One
  • Volume Two
  • Volume Three
  • A Pamphlet
A Guide for Senior Officers
A Guide for Fire Service Managers
A Guide to Operational Risk Assessment
Dynamic Management of Risk at Operational Incidents

Arguably volume three is the most keenly awaited guidance for the fire service. It initially contains some 32 "Generic Model Risk Assessments" and provides practical guidance on how the assessments may be used by brigades. Further assessments will be developed and issued in loose leaf form over time. It is envisaged that the total number of GRA's may eventually increase to a total of approximately 45.

The risk assessments themselves are ordered into five sections:

  • Responding to Emergencies
Individual assessments cover turning out, proceeding to incidents and arriving and getting to work.
  • Carrying out Rescues
Nine individual assessments cover the key rescue situations including trench pit collapse, rescue from height and the rescue of animals.
  • Fighting Fires
Again, nine separate assessments deal with fire fighting activities in a number of key areas, for example, in buildings, using PPV, in rural areas etc.
  • Incidents involving Transport
There are currently three individual assessments which cover Roads (including fires and RTA's) Railways and Aircraft. The assessment that covers incidents involving Marine situations is awaiting the production of a CACFOA "best practice" document.
  • Generic Hazards
Eight individual assessments cover the common significant hazards that firefighters face on a day to day basis. These include flashover and backdraught, electricity and working in confined spaces
Each Generic Risk Assessment (GRA) has three sections:
  1. A prose discription of:
    • · the scope of the activity covered
    • · the significant hazards and risks
    • · the key control measures
    • · technical refer_ences
  2. A bullet pointed list of considerations (which can be customised to provide aide memoires for incident commanders.)
  3. A summary produced in table form of the risk assessment The structure and contents of the generic risk assessments have been formulated to:
    • · Accord with the risk assessment principles set out in MHSWR.
    • · Be authoritative and simple to use
    • · Utilise the wealth of accumulated knowledge of the service
    • · Provide a framework that can:
      • · be co-related to existing risk information
      • · be adapted by brigades
      • · be developed for the future
      • · allow for a phased introduction and review process
      • · provide a sound basis for the development of additional control measures
    • · Be effective in enabling brigades to optimise safety at operational incidents
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