

Control measure
Risk management: Environmental risks

Control measure
Risk management: Environmental risks
Control measure knowledge
Fire and rescue service risk management plans should consider environmental risk from polluting materials to the built or natural environment.
Planning may be supported through joint working with environmental agencies, to identify sites of risk and determine suitable response measures. This becomes essential when planning for sites that pose a high risk to the environment, for example where an incident could contaminate water supplies. This should be reflected in the environmental protection section of their risk management plans. For more information refer to Foundation for environmental protection - Fire and rescue service roles and responsibilities in pollution intervention planning.
Sites that have an environmental permit are required by environmental agencies to prepare accident plans. For high-risk sites that do not have environmental permits, fire and rescue services and environmental agencies should jointly carry out visits and inspections and share information about the potential hazards. For more information refer to Foundation for environmental protection - Roles and responsibilities in pollution intervention planning: Site operators.
Some sites may be subject to the gathering of Site-Specific Risk Information (SSRI). For more information refer to:
- Corporate guidance for operational activity – Site-Specific Risk Information
- Foundation for environmental protection - Site-specific risk identification and planning
Fire and rescue services should work with environmental agencies and other organisations to prepare Flood Risk Assessments. For more information refer to Geophysical hazards – Emergency response plans: Flooding.
Operational risk information plans should include information on pollution, prevention and control if a risk to the environment is identified. For more information refer to Foundation for environmental protection - Using an environmental risk assessment to inform operational risk information plans.
Evaluating the success of the measures covered by risk information and plans, and updating them based on learning from incidents, will ensure that these plans remain effective. If relevant, this information should be shared regionally or nationally. For more information refer to Corporate guidance for operational activity - Operational learning.
Strategic actions
Include environmental risk information within operational risk management plans
Carry out joint visits and inspections of high-risk sites with environmental agencies and share information about potential hazards
Tactical actions
Consider pollution prevention information contained in risk information
Implement the environmental protection measures identified in operational risk information
TRAINING SPECIFICATION
Knowledge and understanding
Control measure element | Learning outcome |
---|---|
Planning and joint working |
Understand:
|
Environmental permits |
Understand:
|
Site-Specific Risk Information |
Understand:
|
Flood Risk Assessments |
Understand:
|
Operational risk information plans |
Understand:
|
Learning from incidents |
Understand:
|
NOS knowledge and understanding
You need to know and understand: | |
---|---|
Health and safety 2976 |
|
K
Hazards and risks relating to hazardous materials and decontamination affecting people and the environment K
How to use risk assessment information to make decisions K
How to apply decisions based on the assessment of risk K
Your organisation's control measures to mitigate risk K
Guidelines, legislation and standard operating procedures that apply when dealing with hazardous materials and decontamination K
Your organisation's systems, tools and procedures for recording information and how to use them K
Types and sources of information about hazardous materials and decontamination and how to access these |
|
Health and safety |
|
K 2
Hazards and risks relating to hazardous materials and decontamination affecting people and the environment K 3
How to use risk assessment information to make decisions K 4
How to apply decisions based on the assessment of risk K 5
Your organisation's control measures to mitigate risk |
|
Organisational |
|
K 6
Guidelines, legislation and standard operating procedures that apply when dealing with hazardous materials and decontamination K 7
Your organisation's systems, tools and procedures for recording information and how to use them K 8
Types and sources of information about hazardous materials and decontamination and how to access these |
|
You need to know and understand: 2920 |
|
K
Hazards and risks of the workplace affecting people and the environment in relation to fire and rescue operational incidents K
How to make and apply decisions based on the assessment of risk in relation to fire and rescue operational incidents K
How to apply practices that maximise the health, safety and welfare of yourself and others during fire and rescue operational incidents K
Fire service or other legislation relevant to carrying out search, rescue and casualty care K
Record systems specific to your role and their use K
Sources and availability of information K
Methods and techniques for communicating with others K
The importance of treating others with respect and consideration, taking account of, and accepting, diversity K
How to recognise and support people in distress K
Lines and methods of communication and reporting in the workplace K
Roles, responsibilities and limits of authority of self, others and other agencies in relation to fire and rescue operational incidents K
Personal protective and operational equipment used in fires and other operational incidents including their capabilities, limitations and safe use K
How to select personal protective and operational equipment appropriate to type of fires and operational incidents K
Roles and responsibilities within incident command systems K
Methods and techniques to control and extinguish fires K
Causes, effects and behaviour of fire K
Different fire types and fire classes K
Different active and passive fire protection systems K
Building fire protection systems, features and facilities that contribute to firefighter safety while responding to incidents K
Building features and facilities that can cause risk to firefighters when responding to incidents K
How different building construction and design can affect fire development K
How to identify safe means of egress in the built environment K
The importance of identifying and preserving evidence at fire and rescue incidents K
Different types of evidence relevant to fire and rescue incidents K
How to preserve evidence at operational incidents K
How to gain access, effect entry and maintain exit routes at fire and rescue incidents K
The importance of limiting damage to property and the environment when resolving fire and rescue incidents |
|
Health & Safety |
|
K 1
Hazards and risks of the workplace affecting people and the environment in relation to fire and rescue operational incidents K 2
How to make and apply decisions based on the assessment of risk in relation to fire and rescue operational incidents K 3
How to apply practices that maximise the health, safety and welfare of yourself and others during fire and rescue operational incidents |
|
Organisational |
|
K 4
Fire service or other legislation relevant to carrying out search, rescue and casualty care K 5
Record systems specific to your role and their use K 6
Sources and availability of information |
|
Personal and Interpersonal |
|
K 7
Methods and techniques for communicating with others K 8
The importance of treating others with respect and consideration, taking account of, and accepting, diversity K 9
How to recognise and support people in distress K 10
Lines and methods of communication and reporting in the workplace K 11
Roles, responsibilities and limits of authority of self, others and other agencies in relation to fire and rescue operational incidents |
|
Technical |
|
K 12
Personal protective and operational equipment used in fires and other operational incidents including their capabilities, limitations and safe use K 13
How to select personal protective and operational equipment appropriate to type of fires and operational incidents K 14
Roles and responsibilities within incident command systems K 15
Methods and techniques to control and extinguish fires K 16
Causes, effects and behaviour of fire K 17
Different fire types and fire classes K 18
Different active and passive fire protection systems K 19
Building fire protection systems, features and facilities that contribute to firefighter safety while responding to incidents K 20
Building features and facilities that can cause risk to firefighters when responding to incidents K 21
How different building construction and design can affect fire development K 22
How to identify safe means of egress in the built environment K 23
The importance of identifying and preserving evidence at fire and rescue incidents K 24
Different types of evidence relevant to fire and rescue incidents K 25
How to preserve evidence at operational incidents K 26
How to gain access, effect entry and maintain exit routes at fire and rescue incidents K 27
The importance of limiting damage to property and the environment when resolving fire and rescue incidents |
|
Health and safety 3028 |
|
K
Your organisation's geographical area of responsibility, including;
K
How different building construction and design can affect fire development K
How to access internal and external resources and support |
|
Technical |
|
K 16
Your organisation's geographical area of responsibility, including;
K 20
How different building construction and design can affect fire development K 24
How to access internal and external resources and support |
|
You need to know and understand: |
|
K
How to access, interpret and provide relevant information, including feedback K
Sources and availability of information |
|
Organisational. |
|
K 5
How to access, interpret and provide relevant information, including feedback K 12
Sources and availability of information |
Practical application
Control measure element | Learning outcome |
---|---|
Consider pollution prevention information contained in risk information |
Demonstrate the ability to:
|
Implement the environmental protection measures identified in operational risk information plans |
Demonstrate the ability to:
|
NOS performance criteria
You must be able to: | |
---|---|
You must be able to - TO BE ARCHIVED 2947 |
|
P
Identify risks affecting your tasks and duties in line with your organisation's risk assessment procedures P
Use appropriate control measures to mitigate risk in line with your organisation's procedures P
Provide reports on hazardous materials to relevant others in line with your organisation's procedures, including:
P
Identify risks which may affect the safety of other people or property in line with your organisation's risk assessment guidance P
Work with others including colleagues and other agencies in line with your organisation's communication procedures |
|
Minimise damage to the environment from hazardous materials |
|
P 4
Identify risks affecting your tasks and duties in line with your organisation's risk assessment procedures P 5
Use appropriate control measures to mitigate risk in line with your organisation's procedures P 6
Provide reports on hazardous materials to relevant others in line with your organisation's procedures, including:
|
|
Support operational incidents |
|
P 15
Identify risks which may affect the safety of other people or property in line with your organisation's risk assessment guidance P 17
Work with others including colleagues and other agencies in line with your organisation's communication procedures |
|
Respond to fire and rescue incidents |
|
P 1
Confirm with relevant others your tasks and duties in relation to fire and rescue incidents in line with your role and responsibilities P 2
Establish key factors about fire and rescue incidents and inform others in line with your organisation’s procedures, including:
P 3
Establish risks affecting fire and rescue incidents in line with your organisation’s risk assessment procedures P 4
Use agreed methods and techniques to control and reduce fire in line with your agreed tasks and duties at an incident P 5
Operate within appropriate risk control measures in line with your organisation's procedures P 6
Use resources, equipment and personal protective equipment at fire and rescue incidents in line with their limitations, safety and operating instructions |
|
Respond to fire and rescue incidents 2889 |
|
P
Use agreed methods and techniques to control and reduce fire in line with your agreed tasks and duties at an incident P
Operate within appropriate risk control measures in line with your organisation's procedures P
Use resources, equipment and personal protective equipment at fire and rescue incidents in line with their limitations, safety and operating instructions P
Provide support to others at incidents in ways which promote calm, compassion and consideration for others P
Restrict the view of incidents to avoid additional suffering in line with your organisation's procedures P
Report anything which may adversely affect people's safety to others in line with your organisation's procedures P
Operate in a safe manner within your agreed level of responsibility and expertise P
Work with others in ways that:
P
Preserve evidence to meet the needs of investigations in line with your organisation's procedures P
Inform relevant others when people's possessions and property are identified P
Return equipment and resources after use and make sure they are secured and stored in line with your organisation's procedures P
Keep accurate records and provide these to others in line with your organisation's requirements |
|
Support people involved in an operational incident |
|
P 7
Provide support to others at incidents in ways which promote calm, compassion and consideration for others P 8
Restrict the view of incidents to avoid additional suffering in line with your organisation's procedures P 9
Report anything which may adversely affect people's safety to others in line with your organisation's procedures |
|
For the whole standard |
|
P 10
Operate in a safe manner within your agreed level of responsibility and expertise P 11
Work with others in ways that:
P 12
Preserve evidence to meet the needs of investigations in line with your organisation's procedures P 13
Inform relevant others when people's possessions and property are identified P 14
Return equipment and resources after use and make sure they are secured and stored in line with your organisation's procedures P 15
Keep accurate records and provide these to others in line with your organisation's requirements |
|
You must be able to - TO BE ARCHIVED 2999 |
|
P
Identify risks affecting your tasks and duties in line with your organisation's risk assessment procedures P
Check the accuracy of existing information on actual and potential risks to your community using your organisation's risk assessment guidance and measures P
Check the accuracy of existing information about available resources in your community using local and national capability registers P
Identify features and facilities in the built environment which inform fire and rescue operational intelligence and report these to others in line with your organisation's procedures, including:
|
|
Collect information on risks in your community |
|
P 2
Identify risks affecting your tasks and duties in line with your organisation's risk assessment procedures P 3
Check the accuracy of existing information on actual and potential risks to your community using your organisation's risk assessment guidance and measures |
|
Collect information on resources in your community |
|
P 6
Check the accuracy of existing information about available resources in your community using local and national capability registers P 7
Identify features and facilities in the built environment which inform fire and rescue operational intelligence and report these to others in line with your organisation's procedures, including:
|
|
Plan action to meet the needs of the incident |
|
P 1
Collect information relevant to the known and anticipated risks to people, property and the environment P 4
Develop your objectives through risk assessment |
|
You must be able to: |
|
P
Develop your objectives through risk assessment |
- HazardPolluting materials
- Control measureRisk assessment at an incident: Environmental risks