Aviva: Risk management and prevention guidelines

Arson Prevention
Arson continues to be a significant risk to organisations in the UK and is one of the leading causes of fires within commercial premises, accounting for nearly half of all fires attended by the Fire and Rescue Services.


Insurance claims as a consequence of arson can be more expensive than non-arson claims, usually as a result of most of these incidents occurring during the night time and/or when the premises are closed.


They can develop quickly, involve accelerants such as petrol and have multiple seats of ignition.


Any fire has the potential to spread throughout a site, endangering equipment and stock as well as causing disruption to the business.


Even fires started in remote outlying areas have the potential to affect working operations, such as cutting-off roadways.


Although all properties can be potentially exposed to the risks posed by arson, frequent targets for arson can include: schools, animal research establishments, places of worship, industrial estate and Unoccupied/neglected buildings.
Robust premises security measures supported by good levels of housekeeping and management will reduce the opportunity for arsonists.


Identifying the susceptibility of the premises.
Is there a history of vandalism/malicious attacks/crime in the area?
Are there housing estates within walking distance which may attract youths?
Are there sections of the premises which are considered to be vulnerable such as, poorly lit and out of sight areas?
Identification of potential fire hazards such as :
Individuals who may be affected by a fire
Presence of combustible materials including waste, flammable liquids/gases etc.
Whether there are accessible ignition sources which could assist an arsonist in starting a fire
Aspects of the building structure which could assist the spread of fire. Examples include missing or open doors, breached fire compartment walls, open or accessible service risers or atria
Assessing risks from the different types of potential arsonist, including:
intruders,
disgruntled employees,
dissatisfied customers and visitors,
contractors
Persons with a history of Malicious Crime or Arson
Youths
Eliminating, reducing or controlling the identified hazards by deploying strategies to:
Prevent unauthorised access
Reduce opportunities for the arsonist to set items alight
Minimise the risks of fire spread should a fire be started
Formulate a response strategy with staff/keyholders or responsible person.
These strategies are explored later in this course
Review security and fire protection arrangements to determine whether they are adequate, including
Perimeter security
Systems for detecting intruders including response.
Systems for detecting a fire including response.
Systems for reducing the spread of fire and reducing fire loss
Arrangements to limit the amount of combustible and flammable materials that maybe access to an arsonist.
Record and review the assessment regularly.
This should be reviewed periodically or whenever you suspect there has been an attempted intrusion onto your premises or any attempted arson.
Please consider your own site specific hazards which may not be included in the list above.


The arson risk assessment should include the following but is not limited to:


Which of these should NOT be considered in the arson risk assessment?


Lesson 1: Introduction

ARSON PREVENTION
Lesson 2
Controlling the Hazards - Part 1


Management Procedures
Employees should be made aware of the risk of arson and be actively encouraged to report anyone on the premises not displaying the correct identification cards or who are behaving suspiciously to their manager or site security team.


Organisations should aim to maintain good staff relations as disgruntled or former employees can pose an increased arson risk.


All new employees should be vetted, and references sought and verified; this is especially important in respect of individuals who are likely to work unsupervised.


Visitors and contractors (including those working outside normal hours) should be adequately supervised, ensuring they do not have access to restricted areas, with all visits recorded.


Access control systems should be installed to monitor and restrict access for employees, contractors and visitors as appropriate.


All staff should receive fire safety awareness training including agency, temporary and/or volunteers.


Consideration should be given to designing the premises so to avoid the need for individuals to pass through storage areas or similar unmanned sections of the building.


Physical Security Measures
Installing a good level of security within a building commensurate with the organisation's arson risk assessment, will reduce the opportunity for a potential arsonist.


Perimeter fences, walls and gates provide the initial line of defence, and should be maintained in good repair, being tall enough and robust enough to deter unauthorised entry.


Where possible security fencing such as welded mesh or palisade should be utilised and installed to a height of 2.4m.


The number of building entrances other than fire escapes and/or emergency exits should be kept to a minimum, and all openings such as doors, windows and roof-lights must be adequately secured using good quality locks. A formal lock down procedure and/or checklist should be adopted.


Gaps beneath external doors should be as small as possible and sealed where practicable, to prevent lit materials being pushed underneath. The location of the premises' loading bays, doors and windows should be positioned away from the main site gates and other points of entry.


Letter-boxes which are integral to the building should have metal receptacles fitted to the inside of the slot to contain any fires from lit paper, rags, etc


Entry points to the premises should be supervised, and if this is not possible those left unattended should be adequately secured with special consideration given to designated fire exit doors. In addition CCTV can provide a useful deterrent.


All building keys must be safeguarded and accounted for to make sure none are missing, and lost keys must be reported immediately to a supervisor.


Security lighting is known as providing deterrence against intruders and so vandal resistant lighting should be installed in strategic positions around the premises, especially in vulnerable locations, establishing well-lit external areas.


End-of-day procedures and inspections undertaken by nominated personnel to ensure:
the premises are secured,
individuals are not concealed,
waste materials are removed,
flammable liquids and gases are locked away,
security and fire protection measure are operational.


Guard Services
If using the services of contracted security guards, they should hold a security licence issued by the Security Industry Authority
(SIA).


A permanent guarding arrangement is preferable, i.e. 24-hours a day, 7 days per week, to mobile patrol services.


Records and auditing should be maintained for:
All inspections and patrols
Contract personnel operating and any visitors
Any incidents or actions affecting the security or safety of the building
The issue and return of keys


Records and auditing should be maintained for?
(Select all that apply)


The supply, installation and maintenance of the intruder alarm can  be undertaken by anyone in the company.


Lesson 2: Controlling the Hazards

ARSON PREVENTION
Lesson 2
Controlling the Hazards - Part 2


Every year there are significant numbers of fires in buildings or on sites in which combustible waste materials are involved.


Poor storage and/or management of waste materials provide opportunities for potential arsonists who may try to start a fire within the wastes.


Fires can be prevented by introducing robust controls and effective management standards regarding the storage and disposal of these materials.


Storage of waste materials should be kept to a minimum by avoiding/reducing the amount of waste you produce in the first place. Then consider reusing, recycling or recovery options for the various waste streams you create. These options should be considered first before determining the safest way to store the wastes that are generated.


Arrange additional waste collections, particularly during peak periods, shutdowns and Bank Holidays, to avoid storing excessive amounts of materials over these periods.


Introduce designated external combustible waste storage areas including for the storage of idle pallets, skips and wheelie bins, with such items positioned at least 10m clear of any buildings and at least 2m away from perimeter fences (as fires in waste storage areas can spread to other buildings on site).
Any vegetation and undergrowth near waste storage areas should be cut short and the cuttings removed.


Such storage should not obstruct egress from any external escape routes or hinder any access roads that maybe used by Fire-Fighters.


Storage containers should be non-combustible, fitted with secure lids and kept in locked compounds.


When not in use and at the end of each working day, flammable liquids and gases should be stored separately in proprietary non-combustible and secure containers, with suitable spillage containment provided.
All fuel pumps should be isolated.


Lesson 2: Controlling the Hazards - Part 2

ARSON PREVENTION
Lesson 3
Unoccupied Buildings


Locality
Are there high levels of crime in the area?
Is the Site likely to attract youths, squatters or trespassers?
Is the site secluded or isolated?
What deterrent methods are in place?
Fire
Are there any skips or combustible items close to the skip?
Does the building have any combustible contaminants such as flammables or waste? If so these should be removed
How far away is the nearest wholetime Fire Rescue Service?
Is there an automatic fire alarm that includes remote monitoring to a permanently occupied location/Alarm Receiving Centre?
Are controls on works put in place by contractors?
Are all yard areas suitable and free from combustible materials, including foliage?
Building should also be stripped of combustible contents and items?
Security
Are perimeter fences and gates intact with no breaches?
Is access to the site controlled for unauthorised vehicles?
Is the site secluded or isolated?
Have all items of value been removed?
Do doors, windows and other accessible openings, such as roof hatches have suitable locking mechanisms?
Doors may require boarding and windows and/or securing letterbox openings?
Is there a fully operational intruder alarm with remote monitoring to an alarm receiving centre?
Is the site covered by fully operational, permanently monitored CCTV station?
Is there a 24hour service such as manned guarding?


Understanding The Hazards


Arson is often the cause of fires which occur in Unoccupied buildings.


Lesson 3: Unoccupied Buildings

ARSON PREVENTION
Lesson 4
Additional Information and Useful Links


Orbis Protect Ltd
With over 30 years of experience in vacant property protection and management, Orbis provide national coverage delivered by local teams. Their range of services includes commercial real estate, social housing, listed properties, building sites and open spaces. Click here for further details.


VPS
VPS secure, maintain and manage property across a wide range of customer and industry sectors, providing risk management and security solutions on property and construction sites nationwide. Click here for further details.


Secom
Secom specialise in tailored security solutions for: Automatic fire alarms, intruder alarms, CCTV and access control systems, plus keyholder response, maintenance and monitoring services. Click here for further details.


Vigilance
Vigilance specialise in tailored security solutions for Security in Residence Service, Guarding, Reporting & MI and Security Fundamentals.  Click here for further details.


For more information please visit: Aviva Risk Management Solutions Specialist Partners.


Additional Sources & Useful Links


Inspection/Auditing Tools iAuditor
Provides digital tools that work on mobile/tablet devices that enables your teams to carry out area inspections and can allow completion of a permit to work.
Contact Milly Wallace​ on aviva@safetyculture.com or call 0161 768 1124. Further information is available HERE .


You can also checkout the Arson Prevention Checklist - Aviva Loss Prevention Standard - Property V1.4 on iAuditor's Public Library.


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