Legalities of Fire Safety Advice

[Kladdkaka]

Hiya all, sorry this may be a bit garbled as it's all a bit jumbled in my head. My sister is visiting and has just told me about this and I need to check whether she is being given correct info or not. What she tells me has me really shocked.

She is a church warden and they are trying to get their fire safety stuff compliant. Last week they had a fire safety consultant (not fire brigade) come into the church to look at their set up and advise them of what they need to do. The area of advice that concerns me is evacuation in the event of fire. He's told them that, by law, they have to have a policy for how this is going to be handled. Fair enough, I can well believe that. These are the issues though:

1. He tells them (volunteer church wardens) that it is their responsibility to make sure everyone is out. Is this true? Where I used to work the fire wardens led/encouraged/helped people out, but they were explicity told that this should not interfere with them getting themselves out at the same time.
   

1. He's told them that in order to save the majority they have to let the fit and able people go first. Anyone 'weak or disabled' should not be allowed to leave until everyone else is out. This seems wrong on so many levels.
   

• it's seems like disability discrimination of the very worst kind. In the event of a fire the decision is taken that they will be sacrificed to save to others. Is a church warden really allowed to make this kind of life and death decision based on someone's physical ability?
  

• are they really allowed to prevent anyone from trying to leave a burning building? The consultant told them that if they try to take someone in a wheelchair out and this delays other, they will be open to prosecution.
  

• if this man is correct and they are not allowed to 'let' certain people out until this end, this means that they (the wardens) are being told they also have to stay in the building to the end. Is this correct?
  

My thoughts are that everyone goes out the doors as they get there. If you regularly have disabled people there then you have to be able evacuate everyone. It shouldn't make any difference what order they go because there has to be time to get everyone out regardless. If there isn't time then they need to increase the escape routes or increase the time available for evacuation (eg sprinklers, firedoors etc) or ultimately reduce the number of people allowed in the building at any given time. Not have a policy of sacrificing the weakest for the greater good.

What do you think?

[PeaceofCakeAndGoodWineToAllMN]

I think the best thing they can do is contact the fire service. They will come out (free of charge) and do a risk assessment. They will then give the appropriate advice. You have to call the local station to organise this, not 999 though.

[sneezecakesmum]

In the meantime, wade through this here
from what I remember from my recent work related update, disabled people on the premises need individual evacuation plans, though not sure if this would work in a church?....but no way would a church warden be expected to remain and put their own life if danger if for instance, a heavy disabled person was trapped in a stairwell. They are left for the fire brigade to rescue. Sounds awful but the emphasis is on no putting your own life at risk.

[Kladdkaka]

Thanks, that's really interesting.

[RedHelenB]

I believe that the now school of thought is that helping a slower/disabled person out first could ultimately slow everyone down. Like on an aeroplane you are advised to put your safety mask on first before helping anyone else.