The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 became law on the 1st October 2006, replacing 118 pieces of legislation, repealing the Fire Precautions Act 1971 and revoking The Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations.
Responsible person
It is now no longer the Fire and Rescue Service's duty to make sure the workplace is safe. Accountability now lies squarely and firmly with 'the responsible person' in any place of business.
For further information on the responsibilities of the 'responsible person', for accessible guidance. on-line tools and risk assessment forms to check compliance please see the 'Workplace Safety' section on the Fire Gateway website.
Fire Protection Officers
Our Fire Protection Officers (FPO) will audit the fire risk assessments and any relevant documentation relating to any premises and at the end of the audit the 'responsible person' will be informed of their compliance level. If there are matters of concern, then the FPO may use their powers of enforcement.
These powers vary from educating and informing (discussing action plans), notification of defects to be rectified, an alterations notice, an enforcement notice, a prohibition notice and possible prosecution.
What do you need to do
Inform your staff of what to do in the event of a fire, make sure they are familiar with the evacuation drill and escape routes for the building.
Test your fire alarm weekly.
Make sure you carry out a continuous fire risk assessment of your building ensuring the following points are followed:
- Never obstruct sprinkler heads and fire detectors
- Unsafe storage of waste packaging and pallets is a fire risk
- Never leave waste containers close to buildings
- Guard all sources of ignition
- Ensure that flammable liquids are stored safely
- Make sure that machinery and equipment is maintained
Further information
For further information please select the following links: