Fire Safety Risk Assessments

The Fire regulations have now changed, do you comply?

After much deliberation, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 has now come into force. The legislation that preceded it has been confined to the scrapheap, and no longer applies. However the new order has an impact on all businesses, and failure to comply will result in prosecution.

How will this order affect you.

The new legislation has removed about 108 pieces of legislation, that relate to fire safety.

• Fire Certificates have been abolished.
  
  
• All employers are now responsible for their own fire safety, and for carrying out “Fire Risk Assessments”
  
  
• There is now a duty on the “Responsible Person” (normally the employer” to ensure the safety of all the individuals that person is directly or indirectly responsible for.
  
  
• The enforcing authority – usually the local fire authority, (with some exceptions for certain premises) – has the power to ensure that this responsibility is met, and if it is not, to penalize the offender by a fine or imprisonment or both. Offences under this order include failure to carry out necessary fire precautions, failure to carry out a fire risk assessment. And giving false information to an inspector investigating a failure to comply with the regulations.
  
  
• The employer must conduct a fire risk assessment regardless of the size of the risk. The identified “responsible person” will therefore take full corporate liability.
  
  
• Protection is explicitly extended to all occupants of a building, not just employees – including visitors, contractors and passers by.
  
  
• A requirement for coordination and full cooperation with other businesses occupying the same building.
  
  
• A greater emphasis on business continuity and preventing the spread of small fires
  
• The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 affects all businesses including the self employed and family concerns.

The order contains the phrases “The Responsible Person must… appoint one or more competent persons to assist him” and that the competent person must have “sufficient training, experience and knowledge” In the case of the competent person being an employee, the responsible person must ensure that they are properly trained.

In a nutshell the “responsible person” will be responsible for:

• Measures to reduce risk of fire occurring and fire spread.

• Detection and warning in case of fire

• Provision and protection of means of escape

• Any Maintenance of facilities, equipment and devices, necessary to safeguard human life.

• Consideration of dangerous substances

• Any Actions to be taken, in case of fire, including staff training and measures to mitigate the effects of a fire.

• Fire-fighting measures

• Provision of information to employees.

All business premises must undertake a Fire Risk Assessment, however, if you employ 5 persons or more your risk assessment must be documented and available for inspection.

Further information can be obtained by logging onto the ODPM website at WWW.ODPM.GOV.UK

N.B In the event of a fire occurring & the Regulatory Reform Law is not complied with, your insurance may be invalid.

Here at FireGuard Ltd, you can be reassured that you will be in the safe hands of  qualified fire safety specialists with 30 years experience & who is committed to providing high quality practical solutions that will allow you to meet your business objectives.

Discounts are available on application.  If you would like any further information about Risk Assessments, Fire Marshall/Fire Safety Awareness Courses, Live Fire Extinguisher training (with real fire simulation) and Fire Safety & Protection equipment please contact Fireguard Ltd. 
Tel: 01709 579991 Fax: 08709-22-36-49 Mobile: 07958 702 242