Rank: Forum user 
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Hi,
We have an area of the warehouse caged off where the contractors are working and they have blocked two of our fire escape exits with materials. I flagged this up but have been told its in their work area and no longer under our control and they are using the main area as an exit.
Was I incorrect in flagging this up?
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Rank: Forum user
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Yes, you should have.
If your business still requires those exits as part of your Evac Plan the contractors need to more their materials to somewhere more suitable ASAP.
How their works affects you and your staff should be part of the Safety Considerations for the work they are doing.
That said, if you've given that space over to the contractors for the duration of the work and suitable alternative arrangements for evac have been made, there shouldn't be an issue.
Andy
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Rank: Forum user
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Hi lisar,
Your warehouse, your contractors, your fire exits. The fire exits don't cease to be fire exits just because different people are working in that area.
You are correct to flag it up.
liz
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Rank: Forum user
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Hello lisar,
I've not seen the warehouse, of course, but my initial reaction is: if there's a fire in the warehouse, and your employees are trapped because the fire exit is blocked, who will take the blame? More importantly, how would you feel?
I would suggest that the blocking of fire exits in this way is not acceptable unless suitable alternatives are put in place to provide suitable and sufficient means of escape for all.
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Rank: Forum user
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As Andy says
"suitable alternative arrangements for evac have been made"
if not then the exits are still in play.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Have you reviewed/revised the fire risk assessment?
Have the contractors carried out a fire risk assessment for their area of works?
Have you liaised together your fire risk assessments?
All three above should have been done on day one.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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What does the Contractors Method Statement say?
Were access rights fully considered in the preparatory documents?
Who at your organisation "signed off" on these RAMS prior to any commencement of works and do they hold sufficient site awareness / competence to do so?
Who conducted the local site induction (If you have such a system)?
Don't blame the contractors if a suit on an Excel spreadsheet remote from the physical work location is making decisions months / weeks / days before the gang turn up at site, and more frighteningly keeping everyone else in the dark.
Your actual problem is not contractor related (blocked fire exits are the symptom) but more endemic within your own business and most likely the typical scenario that H&S isn't my problem we have "lisar" to do that... which "lisar" could, had she been consulted before hand.
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Rank: Super forum user
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What does the Contractors Method Statement say?
Were access rights fully considered in the preparatory documents?
Who at your organisation "signed off" on these RAMS prior to any commencement of works and do they hold sufficient site awareness / competence to do so?
Who conducted the local site induction (If you have such a system)?
Don't blame the contractors if a suit on an Excel spreadsheet remote from the physical work location is making decisions months / weeks / days before the gang turn up at site, and more frighteningly keeping everyone else in the dark.
Your actual problem is not contractor related (blocked fire exits are the symptom) but more endemic within your own business and most likely the typical scenario that H&S isn't my problem we have "lisar" to do that... which "lisar" could, had she been consulted before hand.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Hey just because someone in a suit might have made decisions doesn't mean the fire exits have to stay obstructed.
It is important for those exits to be made available, then sort out who said what to who?
That's allowing internal politics run the fire safety, and that is not a good idea?
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Rank: Super forum user
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Not the intention of my post to suggest fire exits remain blocked and I empathise wholly with the glorious distinction between advising and managing Safety at a premises.
Just moving the discussion on from the general consensus to clear exits or make alternative arrangements towards providing support in identifying and dealing with the root cause to prevent recurrence - "what could we do better next time..?"
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Rank: Super forum user
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Not the intention of my post to suggest fire exits remain blocked and I empathise wholly with the glorious distinction between advising and managing Safety at a premises.
Just moving the discussion on from the general consensus to clear exits or make alternative arrangements towards providing support in identifying and dealing with the root cause to prevent recurrence - "what could we do better next time..?"
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