Collection

Operational guidance for the fire and rescue service

• From: Home Office and Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser
• Published: 12 July 2013
• Last updated: 10 October 2014, see all updates

This collection brings together all documents relating to operational guidance for the fire and rescue service.

Fire and rescue service personnel operate in a dynamic and sometimes hazardous environment. The activities covered include incidents involving fire, water, height, road traffic collisions, chemicals, biological hazards, radiation and acts of terrorism.

Operational guidance provides a consistency of approach and forms the basis for common operational practices.

The generic risk assessments in this series have been produced to help fire and rescue authorities in England in drawing up their own risk assessments to meet the requirements of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations.

On 5 January 2016 responsibility for fire and rescue policy transferred from the Department for Communities and Local Government to the Home Office.

Generic risk assessments

1. Generic risk assessments: introduction

   • 16 September 2009
   • Guidance

2. Generic risk assessment 1.1: emergency response and arrival at the scene

   • 16 September 2009
   • Guidance

3. Generic risk assessment 2.1: rescues from confined spaces

   • 4 April 2013
   • Guidance

4. Generic risk assessment 2.1.1: rescue from sewers

   • 24 April 2013
   • Guidance

5. Generic risk assessment 2.1.2: rescues from confined spaces (silos)

   • 4 April 2013
   • Guidance

6. Generic risk assessment 2.1.3: trenches and pits

   • 29 January 2010
   • Guidance

7. Generic risk assessment 2.1.4: collapsed structures

   • 24 April 2013
   • Guidance

8. Generic risk assessment 2.2: ice and unstable ground

   • 30 December 2009
   • Guidance

9. Generic risk assessment 2.3: rescues from lifts and escalators

   • 29 November 2012
   • Guidance

10. Generic risk assessment 2.4: flooding and water safety

    • 6 December 2011
    • Guidance

11. Generic risk assessment 2.5: large-animal rescues

    • 6 December 2010
    • Guidance

12. Generic risk assessment 2.6: rescue of trapped persons

    • 6 December 2011
    • Guidance

13. Generic risk assessment 2.7: rescues from tunnels and underground structures

    • 4 April 2013
    • Guidance

14. Generic risk assessment 3.1: fighting fires in buildings

    • 24 March 2011
    • Guidance

15. Generic risk assessment 3.2: fighting fires in high rise buildings

    • 26 February 2014
    • Guidance

16. Generic risk assessment 3.3: fighting fire in domestic chimneys

    • 31 August 2011
    • Guidance

17. Generic risk assessment 3.4: fighting fires in open rural areas

    • 28 June 2011
    • Guidance

18. Generic risk assessment 3.5: fighting fires in farms

    • 28 June 2011
    • Guidance

19. Generic risk assessment 3.6: fighting fires using positive pressure ventilation

    • 10 October 2014
    • Guidance

20. Generic risk assessment 3.7: fighting fires in refuse

    • 31 August 2011
    • Guidance

21. Generic risk assessment 3.8: fighting fires in public entertainment venues

    • 4 November 2013
    • Guidance

22. Generic risk assessment 3.9: fighting fires in places of lawful detention

    • 4 November 2013
    • Guidance

23. Generic risk assessment 3.10: fighting fires in petrochemical plant and pipelines

    • 4 April 2013
    • Guidance

24. Generic risk assessment 4.1: incidents involving road transport systems

    • 30 October 2009
    • Guidance

25. Generic risk assessment 4.2: incidents involving rail transport systems

    • 31 January 2011
    • Guidance

26. Generic risk assessment 4.3: incidents involving air transport systems

    • 29 January 2010
    • Guidance

27. Generic risk assessment 4.5: working with helicopters

    • 6 December 2010
    • Guidance

28. Generic risk assessment 5.1: incidents involving electricity

    • 4 April 2013
    • Guidance

29. Generic risk assessment 5.2: incidents involving acetylene

    • 17 April 2014
    • Guidance

30. Generic risk assessment 5.3: incidents involving chemicals

    • 24 March 2011
    • Guidance

31. Generic risk assessment 5.4: incidents involving biological hazards

    • 12 October 2010
    • Guidance

32. Generic risk assessment 5.5: incidents involving radiation

    • 31 January 2011
    • Guidance

33. Generic risk assessment 5.6: public order

    • 12 July 2013
    • Guidance

34. Generic risk assessment 5.7: incidents involving explosives

    • 29 November 2012
    • Guidance

35. Generic risk assessment 5.8: flashover, backdraught and fire gas ignitions

    • 16 September 2009
    • Guidance

36. Generic risk assessment 5.9: incidents involving asbestos-containing materials

    • 12 October 2010
    • Guidance

37. Generic risk assessment 5.10: working at heights

    • 30 October 2009
    • Guidance

Operational guidance

1. Operational guidance: breathing apparatus

   • 14 January 2014
   • Guidance

2. Operational training guidance: breathing apparatus

   • 20 May 2013
   • Guidance

3. Hazardous materials: operational guidance for the fire and rescue service

   • 22 November 2012
   • Guidance

4. Guidance to the fire and rescue authorities: railway incidents

   • 23 March 2012
   • Guidance

5. Health, safety and welfare framework for the operational environment

   • 28 June 2013
   • Guidance

6. Fire and rescue protective security strategy 2012

   • 20 December 2012
   • Policy paper

Document information

Published: 12 July 2013

Updated: 10 October 2014

+ full page history

1. 10 October 2014 Added Generic risk assessment 3.6: fighting fires using positive pressure ventilation.
2. 17 April 2014 Added Generic risk assessment 5.2: incidents involving acetylene
3. 26 February 2014 Added 'Generic risk assessment 3.2: fighting fires in high rise buildings' and removed previous archived version.
4. 14 January 2014 Added operational guidance: breathing apparatus
5. 4 November 2013 2 generic risk assessments added: fighting fires in public entertainment venues, and fighting fires in places of lawful detention.
6. 12 July 2013 First published.

From: Home Office Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser