Health and Safety - Fire Response

Please visit the University Fire Safety webpages for information regarding the following:

University Fire Safety Policy & guidance
Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs)
Fire Safety Training
University Fire Responses across campuses

All staff and PhD students are required to complete the mandatory Fire Safety Awareness training.

The below information details emergency evacuation information for the buildings that the Physics Department occupies.

Fire wardens

The department has decided not to formally appoint fire wardens but to provide clear instructions to all staff about what actions to take in the event of an evacuation. The rationale for this approach is that some of the spaces within departmental buildings have restricted access for safety reasons and are not readily accessible by fire wardens. This means that an area cannot be effectively "swept".

Fire Response - Main Campus

The evacuation response process is similar across all buildings in the main campus and is summarised below.

When the fire alarm sounds, everyone should stop work and leave the building immediately by the most direct route, ensuring that others are also evacuating and ensuring that doors are closed as they do so.

Once outside everyone should proceed to safe place well away from the building (this approach is often referred to as Dispersal), keeping all roads and access ways clear for emergency responders. They must not re-enter the building until they Community Safety have confirmed it is safe to do so.

Community Safety staff respond to fire alarms to aid evacuation and investigate further if required.

The local Incident Response Team are designated persons from the occupying department(s), who assist the Community Safety staff in managing the incident and provide information to the Fire Service.

Full response for the Main Campus can be read here.

STEM Connect

Campus development for STEM Connect has commenced. Part of this work has seen the removal of car parks 9 and 10 near Physics and Physical Sciences and subsequently it’s availability as an emergency assembly point.

Car parks 9 and 10 are no longer available as emergency assembly points. Once outside everyone should proceed to safe place well away from the building as per the Fire Response - Main Campus.

Buildings affected by this change are: Physical Sciences, Physics, Chemistry, Materials and Analytical Sciences (MASB) and the Ramphal building.

Fire Awareness and Mitigation

To mitigate fire risk, everyone should know the following:

The route to the nearest fire exit and expected evacuation routes
The nearest manual call point (alarm)
Location of nearest fire extinguisher

There are staircases at each end of both Physics and MAS and an exit indicated off the concourse on level 3. There are two staircases in the Physical Sciences building. Buildings have security locks which are automatically released in the event of an alarm being sounded.

To reduce fire risk, the storage of flammable/combustible materials must be minimised. Flammable materials must be stored in fire-resistant enclosures and the location of gas cylinders in a laboratory highlighted on the laboratory notice board. Relevant information must also be uploaded into Quemis.

Fire exit routes must be kept clear at all times and fire doors must be closed unless fitted with an automatic door release. Posters must not be affixed to fire doors.

If you are hosting visitors or holding a teaching session, you are responsible for the people under your control to ensure you all leave the building promptly by the nearest escape route and go the nearest assembly area.

The fire alarm systems are tested weekly across campus.