Fire Safety

Welcome to our Fire Safety Team

Fire safety is one of the most important aspects of keeping our workplaces safe. It’s not just about compliance – it’s about protecting lives, property and supporting better care in the NHS. Every precaution we take reduces the risk of harm and ensures we can respond quickly and effectively if an emergency occurs.

Fire Safety Advisors play a key role in this. We make sure our buildings meet safety standards, carry out risk assessments, and provide training so staff know what to do in the event of a fire. Our work helps us stay prepared and prevents incidents before they happen.

Our work is often behind the scenes, but it makes a huge difference. For us, the greatest reward is knowing that their efforts help keep people safe every single day.

What does our team do?

Go behind the scenes to find out more about out team and the work we do.

Tracey Sopp, our Managing Director, visited our team of Fire Safety Advisors who play a central role in keeping everyone safe across the Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust estate. They have a varied role which covers everything from training to ensuring buildings are safe and follow the latest safety regulations.

Their work begins long before a building is even constructed. They are involved at the design stage to ensure compliance with regulations, codes of practice, and specialist guidance for healthcare settings. This includes checking the number of escape routes, checking distances to exits, and even features such as ceiling height, which can affect evacuation times.

The team continues to work throughout the build process, carrying out checks and final inspections. They also review refurbishments and assess the impact of new works, where breaches in compartmentation requires remedial fire-stopping measures. Their remit even extends to property leases and acquisitions, where they ensure standards are met.

The team explained to Tracey about the fundamental differences in our approach compared to many other organisations which makes their role and expertise unique. First is the number of locked doors we have in inpatient areas and second is that evacuation, has to be carefully considered and controlled as a last resort. Easy quick evacuation through unlocked fire doors is a cornerstone of fire safety so the team’s understanding of both the physical environment and patient needs ensures a risk-based approach to safety.

The team brings a wealth of experience, with some members having previously worked in the fire service. They maintain strong links with specialist departments in local fire services to ensure compliance and share expertise. Fire safety regulations are highly complex and interlinked, and the team navigates these challenges every day.

Their responsibilities include fire risk assessments, audits, and staff training. This covers fire wardens, evacuation chair use, and hands on fire extinguisher training, which Tracey had a go at on the visit. They also investigate incidents and share learning to help staff prevent and respond effectively to fire incidents.

Tracey heard how their work is constantly evolving. For example, while reduced smoking rates have lowered some risks, new challenges have emerged from items like e-cigarettes which can have incompatible chargers, frayed cables and volatile lithium batteries if damaged or subjected to heat. They also handle unique requests, such as assessing whether personal bedding meets safety standards, balancing risk with patient wellbeing.

Ultimately, everything the team does is about keeping service users safe. Their depth of knowledge is invaluable and it’s their expertise that underpins our ability to keep people safe across our sites.

Interested in joining our team?

Are you interested in helping keep everyone on our sites safe?

We’re currently looking for people to join the Fire Safety Team. You could have a range of skills and experience that could help us and the people in the team have a range of backgrounds.

Whether you already know part of the role or you’re more interested in the training side, we can work flexibly to suit you. The most important thing is a passion for fire safety.

If you’d like to find out more or have a chat about what’s involved, please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.

Who are NTW Solutions?

NTW Solutions is proud to provide services to the NHS. We keep hospitals clean and patients fed and we keep buildings running and grounds tidy. Or digital teams support the vital systems the NHS relies on, our pharmacy team ensures patients get the medicine they need, and our workforce team recruits people onto the frontline. We transcribe thousands of important medical letters, provide a lease car service to keep people on the move, and ensure suppliers are paid on time.

We are dedicated to being a great inclusive place to work. We provide a wide range of benefits including a good rate of pay and pension and an extensive range of discounts. We care about health and wellbeing and offer a range of support for the people who work here.

We believe everyone has potential and welcome applications from people from a culturally diverse background, those who are LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, anyone who is unemployed or has been out of work for a period of time, or those who have served in our armed forces.

We were set up by Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust to provide support services. As a limited company we have built a commercial ethos onto our NHS values and now provide our services to other NHS organisations and beyond.

We make a difference to people’s lives and working here is fulfilling and rewarding. Our social purpose is also driving our plans to become net zero and to tackle discrimination and champion equality. Working here means joining a friendly bunch of people dedicated to supporting better care.