Fire Safety Blog Post

Fire Risk Assessments and The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 - effective 1st October 2006.

This order applies to virtually all non-domestic premises in England and Wales and covers nearly every type of building, structure and open space. It recognises that fire is possibly the biggest threat to the future of your business operations and the emphasis of the new order.

It replaces most fire safety legislation with one simple order. It means that any person who has some level of control in premises (Responsible Person) must now take reasonable steps to reduce the risk from fire and make sure people (Relevant Persons) can safely escape if there is a fire.

If you are the 'responsible person' (see below) you must carry out a fire risk assessment which must focus on the safety, in case of fire, of all 'relevant persons'. It should pay particular attention to those at special risk, such as disabled people.

Fire authorities no longer issue fire certificates and those previously in force have no legal status. YOU MUST carry out a fire risk assessment and any fire certificates you have may be useful as a good starting point.

Use First Medical Training to help you comply with fire safety law and protect your future business interests.

You will benefit from a written risk assessment report with clearly identified priority issues that will provide you with a quantifiable checklist (scores in the doors) covering your business continuity issues (how to protect your business from the threat of fire and arson), as well as the normal assessment criteria to meet the requirements of fire safety law. It also includes guidance on the information required by firefighters to assist with their firefighting and salvage/damage limitation operations.

Working in Partnership

Establishing compliance with the Fire Safety Order

If your organisation employs five or more persons you must record the significant findings of the assessment. It is good practice to do this in any case. We will help you comply with the requirements of the new Fire Safety Order and to prioritise your fire safety management issues and in so doing, allow you to concentrate on your core business activities.

Included in our price is an undertaking to offer you support if the local authority (fire brigade) Fire Safety Officer questions any aspect of our risk assessment and significant findings following the risk assessment.

Determining your business fire survival factor.

We will help you to conduct a fire risk assessment that will measure the consequences of a fire and the likelihood of its occurrence against the statutory and business health, safety and environmental standards. It will also help prioritise the steps required to reduce to a minimum the effects of any fire on the running of your business.

Failure to comply with the Act is an offence!

Under the new Fire Safety Order, the Fire Authority will no longer issue fire certificates for premises. If there is a very serious risk to life, the fire authority can issue a notice preventing the premises being used for certain things (such as sleeping), or preventing people from using all or part of the premises.

The responsibility for fire protection will lie with the responsible person(s) of the premises.

If you are the responsible person, you must make sure you carry out a fire risk assessment and to then make the changes identified. Although you can pass this task to some other competent person you will still be responsible, in law, for meeting the order.

Anyone who has control of premises or anyone who has a degree of control over certain areas or systems may be described as a 'responsible person'.

For example, it could be:

• The employer for those parts of premises staff may go to.

• The managing agent or owner for shared parts of premises.

• The occupier, such as self-employed people or voluntary organisations.

• Any other person (or contractor) who has some control over a part of the premises.

Although in many premises the responsible person will be obvious, there may be times when a number of people have some responsibility.