Site-Specific Risk Information

Fire and rescue authorities must make arrangements to obtain the information necessary to deliver their legislative responsibilities. This includes the requirement for site-specific assessment.

Developing Site-Specific Risk Information (SSRI) will also help to inform the wider topic of operational risk planning and management.

A site-specific assessment should take into account current legislation and regulations for inspections, and should include information on pre-planned fire and rescue service activities.

It may not be possible to identify and plan for all risks in a services area. Fire and rescue services should consider developing risk information for contexts with common hazards, such as a roadways, bodies of water or warehouses.

SSRI process

Fire and rescue services should establish a programme of work for developing and distributing SSRIs, which includes the following steps:

• Develop the criteria for requirement of SSRI
• Develop systems and processes to embed a culture of SSRI gathering, recording and communication
• Produce suitable templates to record and capture the SSRI
• Identify the sites to be inspected
• Assess the type, size and severity of identified risks
• Record significant findings
• Gain local specialist advice from partner agencies or other organisations
• Ensure that familiarisation visits and exercises are carried out at identified premises or sites; this may require participation from cross-border resources
• Establish a delivery method to present SSRI in a clear and timely manner
• Embed a quality assurance programme
• Schedule reviews and audits for the validity and accuracy of such information
• Ensure communication systems are in place to inform relevant personnel, stakeholders and partner agencies of the SSRI; this may need to include resources across borders or boundaries
• Make SSRIs available to personnel in accessible formats, to help them successfully plan for and resolve incidents
• Structure risk information so it is easy to identify risk critical content, such as evacuation arrangements and significant hazards
• Identify specific operational knowledge, equipment, skills and understanding, which may need to be incorporated into local training plans
• Encourage feedback from personnel about any errors or omissions in SSRIs
• Ensure inaccuracies in or omissions of SSRIs are resolved and systems updated

Communication about and distribution of SSRIs should be compliant with the data and information strategy of the fire and rescue service. For example, information about sensitive sites may need to be protected and distribution limited to personnel who have the appropriate security clearance.

SSRI content

This guidance provides some suggested topics for the development of SSRIs. However, each fire and rescue service should develop SSRIs for the qualifying sites in their area.

A SSRI gathering template has also been provided. Click the link below for access:

Site-Specific Risk Information gathering template

SSRI: Generic content

• Location of:
  • Specified access routes and points
  • Rendezvous points (RVPs)
  • Strategic holding areas (SHAs)
  • Areas that are unsuitable for vehicular access
• Contact details of:
  • Responsible person
  • Duty holder
  • Accountable person
  • Specialist resources for advice or assistance
• Environmental risk
• Ground conditions
• Presence of confined spaces
• Type and location of utility supplies
• Presence of hazardous substances, including UN number
• Presence of cylinders, including acetylene
• Presence of biological hazards
• Proportionate level of response
• Salvage plans
• Disaster plans
• Alarms or warning signals
• Noise hazards
• Animals held in a permanent or semi-permanent location
• Evacuation plans
• Facilities to evacuate or shelter large numbers of people
• Requirement for specific firefighting media
• Requirement for large volumes of firefighting media
• Water supplies, hydrants and alternative water supplies
• Appropriate locations for firebreaks

SSRI: Bodies of water

• Type of use
• Launch sites and safe entry points
• Water movement, including the impact of tides
• Upstream and downstream features
• Water temperature charts
• Contact details of responsible agencies

SSRI: Buildings

• Location of:
  • Secure information boxes
  • Building fire control room
  • Access, egress and designated evacuation routes
  • Firefighting lifts
  • Refuge points and protected zones
• Presence and control of:
  • Building systems
  • Engineered solutions and associated fixed installation systems
  • Fixed communications systems
  • Security features
• Design and layout of building:
  • Open-plan layouts
  • Atriums, including any fixed ventilation systems
  • Mezzanines, galleries, raised storage areas
  • Auditoriums or stadiums
  • Basements
• Occupancy type:
  • Vulnerable people
  • Presence of hoarding
  • People who may require assistance
• Evacuation:
  • Evacuation strategy
  • Evacuation alert systems
  • Personal emergency evacuation plans (PEEPs)
• Building design:
  • Structural elements, frames and materials
  • Construction materials
  • Compartmentation, including concealed spaces
  • Information about alterations or conversions
• Potential bridgehead locations
• Firefighting facilities
• Firefighting contingency arrangements

SSRI: Flooding

• Locations that are subject to flooding
• Links to flood response plans
• Potential sites for high volume pumps (HVPs)

SSRI: Industry

• Design and layout of site
• On-site vehicles
• On-site machinery
• Large volumes of hazardous substances
• Laser equipment
• Scanning equipment
• Pressure systems and equipment
• Silos and storage tanks
• Slurry pits and lagoons
• Combustible dust
• Extreme heat
• Extreme cold
• Electromagnetic field (EMF)
• Magnetic equipment
• Molten materials
• Munitions
• Sites with security features
• Waste sites

SSRI: Sites of special scientific interest

• Location and boundaries of the site of special scientific interest (SSSI) or other conservation area
• Environmentally-safe areas for deployment and movement of fire and rescue service resources

SSRI: Transport

• Transport networks:
  • Type
  • Likely modes of transport
• Evacuation from:
  • Transport networks
  • Modes of transport
• Agencies likely to respond to transport related incidents:
  • Availability of incident response plans
  • Roles and responsibilities
• Methods and routes for transporting hazardous material cargo
• Aerodromes:
  • Buildings
  • Infrastructure
  • Access arrangements
• Rail networks:
  • Provision of safe access for the fire and rescue service
  • Type and control of power supplies
  • Ownership and management responsibility:
    • The train operating companies (TOCs)
    • The freight operating companies (FOCs)
    • The responsible person for providing information relating to hazards, including rail freight
    • The responsible person who will attend tactical command briefings, including details of their jurisdiction
    • Contact details for TOCs, FOCs and responsible person
  • Underground routes
  • Tunnels
• Waterways:
  • Type of operation
  • Access and egress points
  • Isolation points

SSRI: Tunnels and underground structures

• Type, size and use
• Confined space working risk assessments
• Ventilation plans
• Compressed air working

SSRI: Utilities and fuel

• Uninterruptible power supply systems or standby generators:
  • Type and location
  • Emergency isolation
• Renewable energy systems, including photovoltaic (PV) systems:
  • Type and location
  • Emergency isolation
  • Battery storage
• Gases, liquids, flowing materials:
  • Type and location
  • Emergency procedures
• Presence of chemicals:
  • Type and location
  • Emergency procedures
• High-security features:
  • High fencing with barbed wire or razor wire
  • Electrified fencing
  • Anti-climbing guards on transmission towers and poles
  • High walls
  • Armed on-site protection
• Transmission network operators and distribution network operators
• Arrangements for high-voltage isolation requests

SSRI: Wildfires

• Locations that are subject to wildfires
• Availability of wildfire fire plans
• Agencies likely to respond to wildfires:
  • Roles and responsibilities
• Potential sites for high volume pumps (HVPs)