Fire is burning, not subject to control, causing material damage, harm to human health and life. During a fire, everything around is exposed to dangerous factors, such as open flames, sparks, smoke, toxic combustion products, falling parts of buildings, installations, units.
Therefore, undoubtedly, ensuring protection against fires is a paramount task of both the state as a whole and enterprises, the population in particular. At the national level, for these purposes, fire safety standards for buildings, settlements, structures and facilities for various purposes have been developed and approved.
The concept
Fire safety (PB) is a state of protection of a person, his property, country and society from fires. Its provision is one of the priority tasks of the state. That is why, at various levels of power in Russia, legislative acts have been adopted that establish protection rules.
Fire Safety Standards - these are special rules, conditions of a technical or social nature, necessary to ensure the safety requirements.
Fire safety system
In the Russian Federation, there is a legislatively fixed system for ensuring fire safety, which is a set of measures, forces, means of legal, organizational, economic, scientific, technical and social impact aimed at fighting fires.
The main links in the organization of fire safety in the country are state authorities, local governments, enterprises, and the population involved in ensuring safety measures.
The fundamental objectives of a fire protection system are:
- legal regulation and implementation of state measures in the field of industrial safety;
- development of an air safety policy and implementation of activities in this area;
- creation and organization of fire protection activities;
- organization of training for citizens and fire propaganda;
- scientific, technical and information support;
- the production of special technical and intellectual products designed to guarantee protection against fires (equipment, protective equipment, communications, flame retardants, etc.);
- granting licenses in the area in question;
- assistance to voluntary firefighters, volunteers;
- implementation of fire supervision;
- establishment of a fire regime;
- fire accounting;
- extinguishing fires, liquidation of accidents and their consequences.
Fire Department and State Fire Supervision
Fire protection is a system of specially created governing bodies, organizations and units that are designed to conduct fire prevention, eliminate them, and implement emergency and rescue operations.
Fire protection includes public service, municipal, departmental, private and voluntary protection. In turn, the civil service includes the federal service and the services of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation.
In addition to the executive bodies, in the field of fire protection, there are controlling structures. So, the extent to which the requirements of fire safety standards have been complied with is checked in the Russian Federation by the state federal fire control.
The basis of inspections of organizations on fire safety is Federal Law No. 294 "On the protection of the rights of legal entities and individual entrepreneurs in the implementation of state control (supervision) and municipal control." Every year, the federal fire control authorities establish a specific audit plan, which indicates the organizations and enterprises to be visited.
Grounds for scheduled inspection supervisory authorities are the expiration of three years from the date of the last inspection, commissioning or the transformation of its functional class of safety rules, the expiration of one year from the date of the last scheduled inspection for some enterprises that operate in certain areas specified in the Federal Law.
The organization's compliance with fire safety standards can be verified supervisory authorities and unscheduled. Such visits to the enterprise are the result of:
- the expiration of the period of fulfillment by the organization of the order issued by the state supervisory authority to eliminate the revealed non-compliance with the requirements of the PB;
- establishing a fire special regime in the relevant area;
- receipt of information on the commissioning of the facility after construction, restoration, technical re-equipment, major repairs or a change in its functional fire safety class to the supervisory authority;
- receipt of information on violations of safety requirements by the supervisory authority;
- the presence of the order of the head of the state fire control body on the implementation of an unscheduled inspection issued by the Government of the Russian Federation or the President of the Russian Federation or on the basis of a claim by the prosecutor.
Russian law governing fire safety
In the Russian Federation, fire safety rules and standards are enshrined in legislative acts of various levels of government. The main ones are:
- Federal Law No. 69 "On Fire Safety".
- Federal Law No. 123 "Technical Regulations on Fire Safety Requirements".
- Federal Law No. 151 "On emergency rescue services and the status of rescuers."
- Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 390 "On the fire regime."
- SNiP 21-01-97 "Fire safety of buildings and structures."
- Order No. 645 "Fire Safety Standards" (EMERCOM of the Russian Federation).
- Order of the Ministry of Emergencies of the Russian Federation No. 313 "On approval of the Fire Safety Rules in the Russian Federation (PPB 01-03)".
All of the above laws and other regulatory legal acts related to fire safety are based on the Constitution of the Russian Federation. In the regions of the country, their own decisions and decisions on this issue are adopted, which do not contradict federal law. If in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation lower PB requirements are adopted than specified in the Federal Law, then they are considered invalid.
Order of the Ministry of Emergencies of the Russian Federation No. 645
On December 12, 2007, the Ministry of Emergencies of the Russian Federation issued Order No. 645, “Fire Safety Standards,” which is in force today with the latest amendments of June 22, 2010. The Order approves the NBP and establishes the rules for training personnel in organizations on safety measures.
In accordance with this act, the administration (owners) of the enterprise are obliged to organize and conduct timely relevant instruction and training of their employees on the issue of fire safety. Otherwise, management is directly responsible. Control over such activities is carried out by the state fire supervision authorities.
The Order of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation "On approval of Fire safety standards" Training on fire safety measures for employees of organizations "states that employees of the organization must listen to fire training and have a minimum of fire-technical knowledge.
Fire drill
The fire drill, which is mandatory in the organizations, should contain the basic requirements and fire safety standards, information about flammable production processes and the features of the equipment used. In the briefing, the lecturer should explain the actions of employees in the event of a fire in the workplace.
Also, fire briefing should include information on:
- standards for the maintenance of the workplace and the territory of the organization, including emergency exits, water pipes, fire warning systems;
- rules for calling rescue services, using protective equipment and fire-fighting tools, evacuation in case of fire.
When conducting these lectures for employees, it is necessary to take into account the particularities of the enterprise. But an approximate list of issues addressed at the briefing is presented in the order of the Ministry of Emergencies.
Types of fire drill
Fire drill can be introductory, primary at the workplace, repeated, targeted or unscheduled. All measures taken are marked in the accounting journal, which is signed by the lecturer and the employee who completed the training.
Introductory briefing is carried out with newly arrived employees (with hired employees, with employees sent on business trips, seasonal workers, with student interns, etc.). This lecture ends with practical training, testing knowledge and acquired skills.
Initial briefing at the workplace is carried out for the same categories of workers as in the case of an introductory lecture, as well as for employees transferred from one department, unit to another, and for builders performing work on the territory of the organization. Such training is carried out with each employee separately, in practice, he is shown how to use special protective equipment, fire extinguishing, how to evacuate and help the victims. These skills should be obtained by all employees of the enterprise, which is a fire hazardous facility, or those employees who work in a room with a large stay of people (more than 50 people). Classes can also be carried out with a group of people, but only within the framework of a common workplace.
Repeated briefing should be carried out with all employees of the organization at least once a year, and with employees of fire hazardous facilities - once every six months.
Unscheduled briefing is necessary in cases where:
- the existing fire safety standards and rules, production processes,
- there was a replacement of equipment, materials, tools that affect the fire position of the facility,
- the employee was absent from the workplace for more than 30 days (for work for which special fire safety requirements are presented) or more than 60 days,
- the employee violated the airbag that could have served or caused the accident at the enterprise,
- fires occurred in similar organizations.
An unscheduled briefing may be appointed by the head or the state fire supervision service itself in cases where there is reason to believe that employees do not properly know the fire safety rules and regulations.
Targeted briefing is carried out during the implementation of one-time work with increased fire hazard when eliminating the consequences of accidents, emergency situations, natural disasters, when conducting mass events (with the participation of more than 50 people), field trips at the enterprise, when working with clearance clearance or hot work in explosive industries.
Fire technical minimum
The managers and employees of the enterprises responsible for fire safety should know the fire-technical minimum in the amount of knowledge of the requirements of legal acts regulating fire safety standards. The 645th order of the Ministry of Emergencies establishes compulsory training for employees of an organization whose activities are not related to explosive production within a calendar month after employment and with subsequent repetitions at least once a year. And for workers whose activities are associated with explosive activities, once a year.
Fire protection engineers (technicians), employees of the federal executive body authorized to solve problems in the field of safety, and teachers who train in the discipline of "fire safety", having uninterrupted work experience of at least 5 years, within one year after admission to new work may not be trained at a fire-technical minimum.
Organization of training for this minimum of knowledge is the responsibility of the head of the enterprise. It can be carried out both with a separation from production, and without it.
Fire-technical minimum training is carried out according to specially designed and installed programs. The heads and specialists of enterprises whose activities are associated with explosive production, it is recommended to study at fire centers equipped with special training grounds.
Testing knowledge of fire safety norms and rules among employees of an organization
After the employees of the organization have been trained in the fire-technical minimum, the head appoints by his order a special commission to check the relevant knowledge of the employees. The commission should consist of no less than 3 people, it may include chiefs, staff members providing training, and specialists from federal executive structures, executive bodies of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, local authorities and state fire control.
In order for the employees of the enterprise to verify the previously studied existing fire safety standards, employees must be aware in advance about the program and schedule for the upcoming inspection. The program of such inspections is developed in accordance with the specifics of production and necessarily includes the practical part.
Along with scheduled knowledge tests, there are extraordinary ones that are carried out when:
- The employee has not worked in his post for more than a year;
- workers were transferred to another service, and their new responsibilities require new knowledge in the field of fire protection;
- new equipment was commissioned or technological processes were changed that required new knowledge in the field of fire safety;
- fires occurred at the enterprise or any violations were detected;
- there is a requirement of officials of the fire supervision body or other departmental organizations when they establish violations or an insufficient level of knowledge of safety measures among employees;
- upon approval of new legal acts relating to fire safety, or amending them.
Responsibility for violation of safety requirements
Violation of fire safety standards entails the onset of liability, administrative or criminal. Based on the results of the inspection carried out by the inspector, organizations, company owners or its employees may be punished. An administrative fine may be imposed on them, in the event of criminal acts, the inspector can send materials for further investigation to an interrogator of the State Fire Service.
Another measure of impact on the company that violated the fire safety standards is the suspension of its activities for up to 90 days (Code of Administrative Offenses, Art. 3.12). Such a sanction can only be imposed by the court and canceled earlier than the deadline set by it in cases where the organization eliminates all violations and provides evidence of this fact.
As for administrative fines, these penalties can be imposed by the inspector himself on the spot by drawing up the relevant protocol and sending it to the chief inspector for approval. Only some violated fire safety standards require a court to establish a fine.
The size of the sanction imposed depends on various circumstances, for example, whether the enterprise was located on the territory of increased fire danger or whether a special fire protection regime was established by local authorities. The penalty will be added and confiscation of property if the organization provided services or produced, sold goods without a special certificate for compliance with fire safety standards, when its presence was mandatory.
If, as a result of non-compliance with the NPB, serious damage was caused to human health, the perpetrators are liable in accordance with the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, Art. 219.Namely, they are fined up to 80 thousand rubles or in the amount of the accused’s salary / income for six months or they can be deprived of their liberty for up to 3 years together with the deprivation of the right to engage in a certain type of activity or without it.
The guilty person will be punished under the same article of the code if fire safety standards were violated, and this entailed the death of a person. In this case, the accused will face up to five years of forced labor or imprisonment without the right to work in certain positions or engage in certain categories of activity for up to three years or without it.
The most severe punishment may be incurred by defendants who violated the fire safety standards of the Russian Federation, as a result of which two or more two persons were killed. Legislation deprives such offenders of their liberty for a term of up to seven years, together with the deprivation of the ability to occupy certain jobs or engage in certain activities for up to three years or without it.
Fire safety aims to find the most effective, technically sound and materially profitable means and methods of preventing and eliminating fires. And the fire safety standards of buildings, settlements, structures and facilities for various purposes are aimed at protecting citizens and the state as a whole.
