Fire Safety In Universities

Providing students with housing means that the responsibility for ensuring that these facilities are safe and are fit for their intended purposes including fire safety in universities comes with a duty of care for the University.

Universities are in control of student housing properties because they either:

• own or operate such properties, or
• have approved such properties for student occupancy, or
• have certified that such properties meet the university’s minimum safety standards.

Owning or controlling student housing imposes on universities a “duty of due care” to ensure that the structures are safe for their intended purposes.  This duty is owed to those who may occupy or use such structures and requires that the university not act negligently in its ownership, operation, or control of them.

One party’s “duty” to another is shaped by the nature of liability under the law and the type of claims filed when fire loss occurs.   A duty is often equated with “what can reasonably be expected of a party in the circumstances, given that party’s knowledge, capability, and experience.”  Findings of negligence do not typically follow those who responsibly fulfill their duty.

College and university administrators are well aware of college age students’ propensity for reckless, ignorant, stupid, or drunken conduct, especially in off‐campus housing where supervision and rule enforcement are often absent.  There’s a certain predictability to student conduct (and misconduct), and universities are in the best position to observe and understand it.  It’s clear that, generally, these young adults are in many respects still children, lacking the life‐management skills, attentiveness, and experience needed to manage personal safety, especially regarding fire.  Moreover, the common characteristics and risks of the environments (on and off‐campus) in which students live are known or knowable.      Being in this position and having such knowledge arguably imposes a duty on colleges and universities to “govern” students in manner that responsibly addresses these known propensities and shortcomings.

American universities generally have a responsibility to provide a fire‐safe environment; the duty includes taking action reasonably likely to succeed in accomplishing the objective, and that demonstrates the exercise of “best efforts” to provide safe lodging for students.

The question at hand with regards to fire safety in Universities: what actions and policy work well, and which are just window dressing or going through the motions?  This distinction becomes critical in determining whether the university has fulfilled its duty.

The “duty of care” regarding fire safety in Universities includes the duty to:

Develop and implement policies and programs designed to effectively address and minimize the risk of fire.

• Provide housing structures for students that are compliant with applicable fire and life safety codes and standards.
• Only approve for student occupancy structures that meet such standards and codes (this includes fraternity houses and off‐campus student housing).
• Ensure that owned and non‐university‐owned student residences they approve for use as student dwellings are properly inspected for compliance with fire‐and‐life‐safety standards and codes.
• Implement technology to reduce the risk of fire and aid compliance, for example a fire extinguisher barcode inspection software system or life safety inspection system with a mobile app

The duty of ensuring a fire‐safe environment includes adequately publishing and disseminating all fire safety policy, instructions, rules, procedures, and information essential to fire safety both generally and as it pertains to particular buildings.

Fire Safety In Universities – The Higher Education Opportunity Act (Public Law 110‐315 – signed into law in August 2008) requires universities to include in their annual fire‐safety  reports to the Department of Education their policies on  fire‐safety education and training programs provided to  students, faculty, and staff.  Under that Act campuses are also required to publicly provide:

• Statistics for each on campus student housing facility, including the number of fires and causes; number of injuries and deaths related to fires; and the value of property damage caused by fires.
• Descriptions of each on‐campus student housing facility’s fire safety systems.
• The number of mandatory, supervised fire drills.
• Policies or rules on portable electronic appliances; smoking and open flames; evacuation procedures.
• Plans for future fire safety improvements, if needed.
• An annual report to the campus community.

Hazardous Waste Management Software

HazMat T&T is a hazardous waste management software solution designed for Environmental Service Companies and companies who generate a large quantity of hazardous waste. The solution tracks hazardous waste from cradle to grave aiding compliance, providing accurate waste inventory, increasing waste handling efficiency, reducing risk and also helps manage waste costs. HazMat T&T Hazardous Waste Management Software can be deployed in a number of deployment scenarios, from Large Hazardous Waste Generators, tracking their hazardous waste at their site to Environmental Service and Waste Management Companies using it track and manage hazardous waste at transfer and disposal sites.

Fire Extinguisher Barcode Inspection Software

Fire Extinguisher Barcode Inspection Software system can be used to manage monthly fire extinguisher inspections, annual inspections and 6 year and 12 year inspections and also general fire safety inspections. Allowing Managers to record safety observations while performing facility tours which can improve overall fire safety. A Fire Extinguisher Inspection Software system that can create corrective actions as a result of inspection failures and allocate these corrective active actions to the appropriate persons, with deadlines for resolution will greatly reduce the time, effort and cost of managing NFPA inspections. Implementing a Fire Extinguisher Barcode System, where users scan each fire extinguisher using a Mobile Fire Extinguisher Inspection Software App aids with compliance with NFPA and The joint Commission and other Authorities having Jurisdiction(ADJ’s)  within Universities, Colleges, Hospitals, Medical Centers, Manufacturing, Oil and Gas and many other sectors.

Easy to Use – Fire Extinguisher Barcode System

IMEC Inspection Software is am easy to use fire extinguisher barcode system which will schedule, manage, track and report on any type of inspection, including Facility, Equipment, People etc. Use Cases include fire extinguisher barcode system, equipment or asset inspection system or facilities inspection software. When used as a fire extinguisher barcode system Inspections are performed via the Mobile app which is available on iOS, Android and Windows devices. The user identifies the inspection point by scanning a barcode, or picking from a list based on location. The Mobile App which is part of the fire extinguisher barcode system will then display the list of custom Forms or Checklists.  The fire extinguisher barcode system inspections can be performed offline if no internet connection is available.

The IMEC Mobile Safety App can also be used as a Fire Door Inspection App and with the Web based flexible Forms Manager the solution can be used as a Fire Door Inspection Software Solution also. Fire Door Inspection Software is used is large facilities with large quantities of Fire Doors like Hospitals, Universities and also Cruise Ships.

Not Just A Fire Extinguisher Barcode System but a Complete Fire Life Safety Inspection Software Solution

IMEC Inspection Software can be deployed as a full Fire Life Safety Inspection Software solution that can be used to manage an organization’s full range of fire and life safety inspections.  The IMEC Fire Life Safety Inspection Software can manage any type of inspection, use cases include Fire Doors, Fire Pumps, Eyewash Stations, Emergency Lights, Emergency Showers, Grease Traps, AED’s and many more.  The IMEC Fire Life Safety Inspection Software can manage any type safety equipment or asset inspection. The user identifies the inspection point by scanning a barcode, or picking from a list based on location. The Mobile App will then display the list of custom Forms or Checklists. The solution can be used within Hospitals as a Hospital Inspection Software solution to manage all hospital inspections and Environment of Care Rounds. Hospital Inspection Software makes Daily, Weekly and Monthly Inspections more efficient and accurate. IMEC’s Hospital Inspection Software allows health care and facility managers to monitor the inspections across their entire organization to aid compliance and increase efficiency.

EH&S Inspection Software

IMEC’s EH&S Inspection Software can be used to manage any type of EHS Inspection and allows manager to record safety observations while performing facility tours which can improve overall workplace safety. This EH&S Inspection Software solution that can create corrective actions as a result of inspection failures for inspections performed using the Safety Inspection Software Mobile App. Corrective actions are allocated to the appropriate persons, with deadlines for resolution which will greatly reduce the time, effort and cost of managing compliance inspections. Implementing an EH&S Inspection software solution, where users using the Safety Inspection Software Mobile App can easily perform inspections in the field aids compliance, reduces risk and standardizes the inspection process within your organization.

Asset Inspection Management Software

IMEC’s Asset Inspection Management Software can be used to manage any type of Asset Inspection. This Asset Inspection Management Software solution can create corrective actions as a result of asset inspection failures for inspections.  Corrective actions are allocated to the appropriate persons, with deadlines for resolution which will greatly reduce the time, effort and cost of managing compliance inspections. Implementing an Asset Inspection management software solution, where users using a Mobile App can easily perform inspections in the field aids compliance, reduces risk and standardizes the inspection process within your organization.

Lock Out Tag Out Software Solutions

IMEC’s Lock Out Tag Out Software Solutions allow a LOTO procedure to be defined for each piece of equipment that requires LOTO to be managed within the system. Equipment can be managed from both Mobile and Web App. Isolation points for the each piece of equipment are managed, images associated with both the piece of equipment and isolation points can be annotated to include energy source icon, arrows, sequence etc. Lock Out Tag Out Procedures can be authored using the Mobile App with version control and with an approval workflow. Lock Out Tag Out Procedures are executed using the Mobile App on any Smart Phone or Tablet. Lockout Tagout procedures are initiated by the user identifying the piece of equipment by either scanning QR Code or selecting the piece of equipment from a list. A complete history of completed Lockout Tagout Procedures is recorded. The status for the piece of equipment can be updated after LOTO is complete – Locked / Unlocked. An Audit option on the Mobile App allows a procedure to be reviewed without performing LOTO on the piece of equipment. Corrective Actions can be created for any Non-conformances or changes required recorded during the Procedure Review. Data Analytics within the IMEC Lock Out Tag Out Software Solutions provide machine downtime analysis to aid in operational efficiency and investment decisions.

IMEC Technologies provides Safety Management Software to increase worker safety and aid compliance. IMEC’s Safety Management Software will manage inspections and audits, provides hazard identification, incident reporting, management of corrective and preventative actions from generation to closure. IMEC provides lock out tag out software solutions that will allow users to create lockout tagout procedures using an intuitive Mobile App and Manage Lockout Tagout Procedures, also the Review and Execution of those Lockout Tagout Procedures using the Mobile App. Annual Lockout Tagout Procedures audits are conducted using a Mobile App. The Mobile Inspection App allow users to perform inspections and audits, for example the system can be used as a Fire Extinguisher Barcode Inspection Software system to manage monthly fire extinguisher inspections and general fire safety inspections and also to record safety observations and manage corrective actions, anywhere and anytime. The solution can be used as a fire extinguisher barcode inspection software system or life safety inspection system to aid compliance in Higher Education, Healthcare, Industrial and Commercial Organizations. Benefits from a Fire Extinguisher Barcode System include the elimination of paperwork and reducing the burden of compliance with regulations such as NFPA, The Joint Commission. The Mobile App can also be used as a Fire Door Inspection App and with the flexible Forms Manager the solution can be used as a Fire Door Inspection Software Solution also. Fire Door Inspection Software is used is large facilities with large quantities of Fire Doors like Hospitals, Universities and also Cruise Ships. The Incident Reporting App allows users to easily and quickly report incidents, hazards and near-misses, these are then sent to the appropriate people for action and are managed to closure.  Web Apps provide features such as, setup, management, scheduling tools, analysis, reporting and dashboards etc with the ability to report incidents to government bodies such as OSHA and RIDDOR. HazMat T&T is a hazardous waste management software solution designed for Environmental Service Companies and companies who generate a large quantity of hazardous waste. The solution tracks hazardous waste from cradle to grave aiding compliance, providing accurate waste inventory, increasing waste handling efficiency, reducing risk and also helps manage waste costs. HazMat T&T Hazardous Waste Management Software can be deployed in a number of deployment scenarios, from Large Hazardous Waste Generators, tracking their hazardous waste at their site to Environmental Service and Waste Management Companies using it track and manage hazardous waste at transfer and disposal sites. For more information visit our website www.imectechnologies.com