Fire and Safety Law
Monday 12 - Friday 16 December 2011

Overview

This course is a module on the MSc in Fire and Explosion Engineering and may be taken 'stand alone' as a CPD training course to meet personal needs for Continuing Professional Development.

This course deals with the legal framework of industrial safety law illustrating how the law operates using specific court cases; this takes the first two days of the week. Specific fire law and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order and associated guidelines is covered in detail on the Wednesday. High hazard safety law is covered on the Thursday. Manslaughter, Corporate Manslaughter and Negligence law in relation to safety and fire is covered on the Friday. Other recent law and regulations resulting from EC law are also covered.

Related courses are offered on the Fire Safety Design, Explosion Prediction and Mitigation, Fire Dynamics and Fire Investigation which cover the detailed technical knowledge that is required to comply with some of the fire and safety regulations (please see the 'CPD pages' details).

The course participants will be given an extensive set of slide copies on Fire and Safety Law prepared by Professor Gordon Andrews (participants will also be offered the opportunity of taking away an electronic copy of these slides via own memory stick).

The provisional timetable has two 'external' speakers this year - Mr Mel Grice (ex Deputy Chief Fire Officer for Devon) and Mr Steven Byles (Technical Director, Aurora Fireworks)

Provisional timetable

Provisional timetable

Monday
- Common Law
- Workplace safety law
- Negligence
- British and European Fire and Safety Law
- Health and Safety at Work with the application of each clause in legal cases.

Tuesday
- Regulations and ACOP based on the Health and Safety at Work Act
- Equipment and Workplace Safety, PUWER, COSHH, ATEX and DSEAR (Dangerous substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations)
- The Building Regulations App. Doc B.

Wednesday
- The Fire and Rescue Services Act 1947/2004
- European Fire Law
- The Regulatory Reform Act: Fire Safety Regulations with associated ACOPs.

Invited guest 'external' speaker : Mr Mel Grice
A retired fire officer's and consultant's view of the operation of the RRO using case studies.

Thursday
- Criminal Law - intention/negligence in fire and safety cases: Homicide and Manslaughter; and Corporate Manslaughter.
- Disasters and Enquiries
- Health and Safety Law in high hazards premises: development of the law; general duty; Special Premises Fire Certs; Offshore; and CIMAH and COMAH.

Invited guest 'external' speaker : Mr Stephen Byles
On Explosives regulations and guidance.

Friday
- Negligence law in fire and safety cases.
- Can inspectors be liable?
- Bradford Football stadium - Negligence Case
- Remoteness of damage in fire and safety.
- Digital Equipment Case
- Fire law and policy in the context of negligence with case studies.

Cost

For the full five days tuition & course materials, the cost is £535 (£185 for individual days).

This cost does not include lunches, coffees or other refreshments - the Houldsworth School's Coffee Bar is close at hand for purchases of food and drinks during the week.

It is possible for all the participants to undergo the same assessment of this module as the MSc students (and gain '15 credits' which may be put towards a postgraduate award programme at the University of Leeds or potentially elsewhere):

• The additional cost for this option is £400 i.e., a total of £935.
• The assessment is based on coursework (50%) and an 'open book' assessment (50%). The 'open book' assessment date is provisionally set as Friday 10th February 2012.

Please also note that delegates will also be responsible for booking their own hotels - a list can be provided.

Contact

For further information please contact:

Mr Peter Riley
Course tutor - Fire & Explosion Engineering MSc
School of Process, Environmental and Materials Engineering
University of Leeds
LEEDS
LS2 9JT

t: +44 (0)113 343 2793
f: +44 (0)113 246 7310
e: p.r.riley@leeds.ac.uk