Alliance early years development manager Alison Heseltine shares fire safety tips and best practice for baby and toddler groups
Running a community-based baby and toddler group means that, as leaders, you need to ensure that everyone – volunteers, paid staff, families and visitors – are kept safe when they attend one of your sessions. By working together, you can take the steps needed to protect people while still allowing them to enjoy the activities you provide.
A key element of group health and safety is fire safety procedures. Nobody ever wants to be put in danger by fire, so it's key to know what to do to eliminate or minimise the risks.
Have you ever had a fire practice at your group to ensure that not only does everyone know what to do, but also to highlight areas that may need further consideration?
Start by asking yourself four questions:
- Does everyone know what to do in the event of a fire?
- Does everyone understand what constitutes a fire hazard and how to minimise the risks?
- Do you have a procedure in place to check for fire safety at your sessions?
- How can you also support families to understand fire safety in the home?
A practice evacuation will:
- Ensure that all leaders and volunteers are familiar with how you will alert families of the need to evacuate in a calm but firm manner
- Identify those who may need additional help - perhaps you have families with more than one child, for example
- Recognise potential fire hazards such as clothing or paintings left on top of heaters, overloaded sockets, exposed wiring or leaving appliances switched on when not in use
- Build familiarity with the escape routes and ensure that the signing-in sheet, along with a phone, is taken to the nominated assembly point so checks can be carried out to ensure that everyone has left the building
- Allocate roles and responsibilities in advance to minimise uncertainty and help evacuations to be carried out calmly and safely
It’s essential that, alongside group leaders and volunteers knowing what to do, families and visitors are also aware of their responsibilities.
- Explain to them why buggies and bags can’t be left where they block exits.
- Make sure that they know why it is so important to sign in and out of the session.
- Discuss with them that fire evacuations are time critical and that their belongings may need to be left behind.
- Show them where the assembly point is.
- Explain that they mustn’t just leave and go home without leaders knowing that they have left the building safely.
Fire safety in hired venues
Many groups are run in hired venues that have fire safety measures in place already, such as smoke alarms, fire blankets and extinguishers. It’s important that you know where these are located and how to use them in the event of a fire. In case you ever see that one of these items is not working or needs checking, make sure you know who to inform to ensure any repairs or replacements are completed, and then follow up with them if necessary.
Prior to each session starting, check that fire exits are clearly signed and accessible – sometimes furniture and rubbish can unintentionally form a barrier to an escape route. There should also be a safe nominated assembly point that everyone makes their way to so that you can be certain that everyone is evacuated – a reminder at the start of each session is good practice.
Encourage child-friendly conversations
Prior to each session starting, check that fire exits are clearly signed and accessible – sometimes furniture and rubbish can unintentionally form a barrier to an escape route. There should also be a safe nominated assembly point that everyone makes their way to so that you can be certain that everyone is evacuated – a reminder at the start of each session is good practice.
Talking about fire and what to do to keep safe is a really good opportunity to support children and families to think about their home environment too. Start conversations with families and encourage them to think about electrical items being left switched on, candles, overloaded sockets and where matches and lighters might be kept at home.
Ask them if they’ve ever thought of practising what to do in the event of a fire and whether they’ve talked to their children about what to do? Often, when children are scared, they will hide which can make it harder for them to be found and rescued. There is a guide from the government campaign Fire Kills that can be downloaded for free and shared with families that has more information and advice.
Fire Kills Lets Prevent It: Fire Safety for Parents and Child Carers –
Plan for fire safety by having regular fire evacuation practices. Perhaps you could also contact your local fire service and arrange for a visit from a fire engine and firefighters? Or for someone from the service to attend the session with advice and guidance for yourselves and families that would support everyone to understand the importance of fire safety?
The Alliance Baby and Toddler Toolkit helps group leaders reflect on the service they offer to families, including ways to extend an inclusive and welcoming environment for all alongside building connections to other community resources. If you would like to know more, please visit: .