Risk Assessment

 

An arson risk assessment should be carried out by a competent person as part of an overall fire risk assessment as required under fire safety legislation. The assessment should be formally documented and reviewed periodically.

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Denial of Fuel

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• Waste materials should be removed at the end of the working day, or more frequently as necessary, and held in bins/skips securely sited at least 10m from the buildings and at least 2m from the site perimeter.

• Where a 10m space is not achievable, waste should be held in lockable metal containers located as far away from doors, windows, canopies or overhanging roofs as possible.

• In unavoidable circumstances where plastic wheeled bins are used, ensure they are located away from doors, windows etc. as detailed above and secured in position to prevent movement by potential arsonists.

• External storage of timber pallets, plastic crates and other combustibles should be kept to a minimum and located a minimum of 10m from buildings and structures.

• Hazardous materials such as flammable liquids and gases should be located in secure storage facilities and petrol and diesel pumps immobilised.

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Premises Security

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Security measures should be driven by the arson risk assessment and should also incorporate any specific requirements of insurers. Protections may include:

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• Perimeter security fencing

• Physical protection to buildings

• Intruder alarm with remote signalling to an alarm receiving centre

• Security lighting

• Remotely monitored CCTV

• Manned guarding

• Access control

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In most cases, a combination of protections would be employed.

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The security of keys should be strictly controlled and the building fabric should be maintained in good repair. For example, gaps beneath external doors should be kept as small as possible and sealed where practicable, letterboxes should be fitted internally with metal receptacles and unused letter boxes should be permanently sealed.

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Staff Precautions

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Employees should be made aware of the risk of arson and encouraged to challenge any strangers on the premises and report suspicious behaviour.

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Care should also be taken in the recruitment of staff with references taken and verified.

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All contractors working on the premises should be adequately supervised.

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Closedown Procedures

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Effective closedown procedures are key to controlling arson, fire and theft risks

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Arrangements should include an inspection of all areas prior to closure each day to ensure that waste materials have been removed, flammable liquids and gases have been locked away, staff and visitors are accounted for and all fire and security protection systems are operative.

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Further guidance on the subject of arson prevention can be found in the RISCAuthority publication RC48: Arson Prevention, available at https://www.riscauthority.co.uk/public-resources/documents/resource/rc48-arson-prevention-390

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Note: RISCAuthority is an annually funded research scheme, supported by a significant group of UK insurers, that conducts research in support of the development and dissemination of best practice on the protection of property and business. Acting as a portal for communication between its membership and other stakeholders, RISCAuthority is well placed to offer advice and receive notification on all relevant subject matter. Underpinned by extensive research, RISCAuthority publishes through the Fire Protection Association (FPA), extensive guides and recommendations for risk mitigation in the areas of Fire and Security, most of which are available via a free document library - https://www.riscauthority.co.uk/free-document-library/

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