Quick bit of advice - petty work related problem?

[aclivity]

We've just had an email round work telling us that one area of the building has been locked off for a certain team. This means a couple of things:

1. We will have to leave the building at the front and walk round to the rear to get to the canteen.
2. One of our fire escape routes is now being advised as "not to be used unless it is unsafe not to" (errr... isn't that the point of a fire exit?)

Is there any legal / H&S route to challenge this edict?

Andy

[Richard Mason]

Originally Posted by aclivity

We've just had an email round work telling us that one area of the building has been locked off for a certain team. This means a couple of things:

1. We will have to leave the building at the front and walk round to the rear to get to the canteen.
2. One of our fire escape routes is now being advised as "not to be used unless it is unsafe not to" (errr... isn't that the point of a fire exit?)

Is there any legal / H&S route to challenge this edict?

Andy

You normally require 2 possible alternate fire/emergency escape routes (If I remember correctly). If you had 3 but now have only 2, it's probably OK. Otherwise....

Might be worth talking to the fire brigade too.

[RogerViking]

if you want to keep your job, and boss happy you will keep the word opening closed for the moment...anyway how long is this happening for a day a week the rest of your life?

is it realy worth bothering about ? why.

[[BoB]Bandit]

Current health & safety regulations(notice i say regulations)

require any change in working practice/activity to be Risk Assessed and a Safe System of Work laid out--this is a must--so it could well be worth asking to see the
SSOW (safe System Of work)
and the Risk assessment.

HTH

Tommy

[aclivity]

Originally Posted by RogerViking

if you want to keep your job, and boss happy you will keep the word opening closed for the moment...anyway how long is this happening for a day a week the rest of your life?

is it realy worth bothering about ? why.

If it was happening for a day or a week, I wouldn't be so bothered, but we have had 30 minutes notice for "until further notice".

My boss is 200 miles away, so will not be bothered by my raising it as a concern (location issues are dealt with locally by a "facilities manager"), however as the new route takes an extra 10 minutes in each direction - it's a large building - he would be understandably peeved at getting 20 minutes less time out of me each day.

Anyway, as I said, it's a petty issue but there are a lot of fed up people here. Such is the way of things, big changes like 20% staff cuts go on, but it's little things that wind up the workforce and start to affect morale.

[warmwaterdiver]

if they're asking you to only use that particular passageway as a secondary fire exit route, that is perfectly acceptable

[IanD]

I'm about to do something very similar here by shutting the main corridor to the canteen for 3 weeks. I've posted notices advising that it will be shut and to use the alternative route described.
As long as the route they are asking you to use are is a suitable alternative then there's not a lot you can do. The key to this like anything really is good communication. Let people know what's happening when, why and for how long.
Did they say why the have shut it? From what you have said sounds like the big A to me.

[PW1664]

It might be petty, but your office/building should have a 'fire certificate' a part of which indicates the fire exits.

To change the fire exits must be approved by the issueing authority and the fire certificate changed.

If it truly does take an additional 10 minutes per one way then I would have thought your employer would wish to know and discuss it....

Mail him....

[IanD]

Originally Posted by PW1664

It might be petty, but your office/building should have a 'fire certificate' a part of which indicates the fire exits.

To change the fire exits must be approved by the issueing authority and the fire certificate changed.

If it truly does take an additional 10 minutes per one way then I would have thought your employer would wish to know and discuss it....

Mail him....

We do our own fire risk assessments, the fire authority do not need to be involved, unless we want them to.
As part of the project I'm currently managing we are removing hose reel permanently, we have removed 12 sprinkler heads for the duration of the project as well as shutting the corridor. We do the risk assessment and make sure there are appropriate alteratives, safeguards and controls in place. We then issue an impairment notice to our risk and insurance department and if they are happy then we do not need to involve the fire officer.

[Mrs F]

Hiya Aclivity,

Maybe look firstly into how long this diversion route is set up for - nothing like managing your expectations eh?

If it is a short while, then communicate to the other employees affected and it's something you might have to live with for a while.

If it is a more permanent closure of your usual exit, then I don't see any harm in challenging why it has been shut down (depending on reason though i.e. if building work, you can't do much about that!). If you are told nope, it's staying this way - then you can only accept that your usual routine is no more - you will eventually get used to the new one.

William Bridges - Managing Transition. Really good book on understanding how Change whether big or small can affect everyone differently - interesting read and can help if you work in an environment which regularly changes!

Hope that made sense!!

Rachael