Fire Safety Advisor (XR06)

The successful candidate will join the Fire Safety Team and will work on ensuring fire safety compliance across the Trust. They will primarily focus on fire risk assessments, fire training, and day-to-day fire safety issues.

Main duties of the job

Provide fire safety training to LTHT staff. This will be a mixture of face-to-face training, Teams based training, and scenario-based training.

Support the fire risk assessment program and manage the significant findings.

Produce and update fire evacuation plans.

Deal with reactive fire safety issues.

Work closely with the Estates Team and Capital Projects Team.

About us

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is one of the largest NHS Trusts in the UK, employing more than 15,000 people across 7 hospitals over 6 sites. Our values, standards, and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues, and the wider community. We call this The Leeds Way, and its focus is on our values of being patient-centred, fair, collaborative, accountable, and empowered. As an employer, we always look after our people too. As part of your role with us here in Leeds, you'll enjoy significant investment in your professional development and personal development via training and career progression opportunities plus excellent rewards and benefits to ensure your NHS career in Leeds suits your aspirations and lifestyle perfectly.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals is committed to our process of redeploying 'at risk' members of our existing workforce to new roles. As such, all our job adverts are subject to this policy, and we reserve the right to close, delay, or remove adverts while this process is completed. If you do experience a delay in the shortlisting stage of the recruitment cycle, please bear with us while this process is completed, and contact the named contact if you have any questions.

Job responsibilities

Provide professional advice to the General Manager of Estates and Senior Management within the organisation on fire safety issues, including the compilation, prioritisation, and regular review of a fire precautions backlog and modernisation works schedule, prioritised using a risk-managed approach.

Be responsible for ensuring that current risk assessments are available for all areas and that a programme of reviews is in place and that assessments are re-validated if any structural alterations, changes of use, or occupancy occur. Ensure that risk assessment recommendations/actions are actioned appropriately by Trust management and auditable records are maintained. Ensure that the Facilities Risk Register is regularly reviewed and updated in relation to fire safety.

Ensure that all areas, and specifically those occupied by patients, have documented and agreed evacuation procedures that preserve the safety of occupants in the event of a fire alert.

Prepare regular programmes for modular fire training in conjunction with the Fire Officers / Fire Safety Manager / other training providers and participate in the ongoing education and training of staff at all levels on fire safety and evacuation techniques.

Ensure that appropriate managers and staff are aware of current legislation and any future changes that will affect the Trust.

Work closely with managers to achieve fire safety objectives in relation to capital and planned/unplanned maintenance work.

Ensure that training targets agreed with management are achieved and provide quarterly reports on progress. Ensure that systems are in place for the recording and distribution of staff training information.

Liaise with the Local Authority Fire Brigade Officers in the inspection of buildings; the investigation of outbreaks of fire; the implementation of action plans and fire matters of joint interest. Network with other Trusts and organisations on fire safety issues.

Ensure that adequate records of all fire-related incidents are kept and that the necessary reports are prepared for senior management and NHS Estates.

Ensure appropriate professional standards are maintained. Set objectives for oneself and all managed staff; undertake regular appraisal of performance and personal development needs. Conduct return to work interviews; manage leave of team in order to maintain sufficient cover and carry out other duties associated with staff management.

Act as Senior Safety Officer / Advisor in duties related to the operation of the LGI Helipad.

Liaise with other external bodies having mandatory or advisory fire prevention responsibilities.

Compile and prepare data relating to fire issues for the Fire Safety Assurance and Governance Groups and other ad hoc reports.

Ensure the following:

1. Fire alarm system log books are regularly checked to certify that the systems are maintained to the appropriate British Standard; that all maintenance checks/tests, defects, etc. are reported, acted upon, and the appropriate audit records are available for independent inspection.
2. Fire Safety Policies and Procedures are established for all Trust properties and reviewed on a regular basis.
3. Adequate appropriate fire fighting equipment is provided and installed throughout the Trust's premises and is maintained/tested in accordance with the manufacturers and DoH recommendations and a register kept of all tests.
4. Advise on all fire prevention requirements in new and existing buildings within the Trust, in accordance with the NHS Firecode, Fire Precautions Acts, and any other statutory requirements including liaison with appropriate consultants and external bodies.
5. Ensure that the necessary fire notices, signs, and emergency escape lighting are provided, fixed, and maintained where necessary.
6. Inspection of all means of escape is undertaken regularly to ensure that they are clear and maintained and to report all defects to the appropriate senior management/Fire Safety Leads.
7. Monitor and report on the compliance of CMTs/Directorates with fire policies and procedures.
8. Ensure that fire safety is managed in accordance with Controls Assurance standards and implement action plans to improve levels of compliance.
9. Ensure that adequate record drawings of premises showing fire compartmentation, fire alarms, emergency lighting, etc. are maintained by Estates and that appropriate processes are in place that ensures they are updated whenever necessary.
10. Ensure that current Fire Risk Assessments and any other approval documentation for Trust property are maintained and updated in line with any physical or operational changes.
11. Ensure a report which assesses the degree to which Trust premises and operational procedures comply with fire safety legislation, regulations, policies, and principles is presented annually to the Trust Board and that the annual Certificate of Fire Safety Management is completed on behalf of the Chief Executive.
12. Manage delegated financial budgets within agreed parameters.
13. Production of an annual fire safety report.
14. Completion of the Annual Certificate of Fire Safety Management.
15. Ensuring current risk assessments and evacuation plans are available for all areas of the Trust.
16. Maintaining statistical fire information for internal and external purposes.
17. Demonstrating that fire issues are dealt with in a timely and appropriate manner.
18. Ensuring that the Fire Safety Committee and Fire Safety Leads are effectively engaged in the operational management of fire safety.
19. Maintaining a current risk assessed schedule of backlog fire schemes.
20. Demonstrating effective team performance through objective setting and regular appraisal reviews.
21. Undergo any training that is considered appropriate and to identify the training needs of subordinate staff and to draw up a programme of these needs.
22. Participate in and manage an on-call fire rota for Trust properties; respond to any call within fifteen minutes and attend site if required within one hour if in future this is required.
23. Ensure that the appropriate line manager is informed on day-to-day issues that are ongoing, including outcomes on specific tasks/objectives. To identify fire safety related issues that are significant to Estates/Facilities and make management aware of their importance.

The post holder will be required to be flexible according to the needs and resources of the Division and may be requested to undertake other duties as appropriate to the grade of the post.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• A relevant science or engineering based technical qualification. Member of the Institute of Fire Engineers.
• Training - Building Regulations (Updates).
• Chartered Engineer.

Experience

• Risk assessment techniques. Knowledge of evacuation techniques. Fire Legislation. A thorough knowledge of fire fighting, fire prevention & fire safety. The post holder will hold a relevant technical qualification and possess a working knowledge of hospital fire safety and the Fire code suite of documents.
• Experience of healthcare fire safety issues or equivalent. Understanding of fire modelling techniques. An understanding of the proposed Regulatory Reform Order & its impact on fire safety.

Skills & Behaviours

• The post holder will need to work effectively as a member of a team. Effective and appropriate communication skills are essential. Able to deal with all levels of staff. Problem solving abilities and an attention to detail will be required in dealing with a multi-disciplinary organisation occupying buildings of varying ages and construction. Able to cope with changing priorities and moving goalposts. The post holder will be responsible for promoting best practice and aspire to continual, measurable improvements in fire safety management. A degree of persistence will be essential in upholding fire safety standards.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.