Fire Safety Regulations for the Workplace

According to the new fire safety regulations, the health, safety and welfare of employees and others who may have access to the workplace are the responsibility of the employer. The fire safety regulations mandate that employees must carry out a fire risk assessment, and take general fire precautions, including:

• Installing a means of detecting and giving warning in case of fire
• Escape routes
• Fire fighting equipment
• Training of staff in fire safety

New fire safety regulations have recently been passed that will affect all workplaces in England and Wales. While many workplaces have the basic precautions in place, there are many that don’t. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, as it is known, is designed to turn almost all the earlier pieces of UK fire safety legislation into one all-inclusive law.

The Order brought new fire safety laws into force on 1st October 2006 and revoked former fire safety laws. The new law applies to all non-domestic premises in England and Wales and includes all charities and voluntarily run organisations. Northern Ireland and Scotland are to bring in their own laws. The definition of premises includes any vessel or vehicle.

Fire Safety Terms
Once you know the basics, such as how to assess the risk and what fundamental safety measures are required, fire safety is not a difficult topic, and the new fire safety regulations will be easy to implement. Here is a short précis of the important parts of the Order that concern all those who run a business or institution situated in a building, based on key words used and their meanings:

• Responsible Person: the person who owns or controls the business or premises
• Competent Person: this could be an employee or an outside contractor appointed and trained to carry out fire fighting duties, contact the emergency services, and assist in evacuations
• Enforcement: failing to satisfy the applicable articles of the Order may result in a fine or up to two years imprisonment
• Fire Risk Assessment: if the responsible person employs 5 or more people, or if the premises are licensed, or if the inspector wants it, this vital plank of the Order must be officially documented

The Fire Safety Order will apply to all buildings in use, except domestic premises and some kinds of premises that are a specific risk and where other regulations apply. The Fire Safety Order placed duties on a ‘responsible person’ not only to protect employees but members of the public. Consistent with most of the new regulations regarding health and safety, the Fire Safety Order requires that a Risk Assessment be done.

It is important to consider how a fire would affect the people in the building, starting with those immediately at risk from the fire. One of the reasons for Fire Risk Assessment is to lessen the chances of fire occurring. A fire prevention plan should be easy to put together and should be a matter of common sense for most workplaces. There are a number of general fire precautions required by the regulations.

Fire Prevention Made Simpler

So what’s new in UK fire? The Order in layman’s terms is anticipated to simplify fire legislation and above all to get rid of the overlap between the Fire Precautions Act 1971 and the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997. In particular the objectives of the Order are to:

• Establish a single system, which can be better understood and managed by both businesses and the appropriate authorities
• To establish a system clearly derived from risk assessment and fire prevention and alleviation measures
• To increase compliance
• To direct resources for fire prevention on those premises that present the greatest risk
• To ensure that fire safety facilities and equipment are well maintained

The government’s initiative to give the fire safety regulations a comprehensive overhaul came as very welcome news, since legislation on fire safety has always been complex and mystifying. The entire legislative picture has been made simpler, eliminating overlaps and discrepancies, and the same legislation will apply to most places, including almost all non-domestic premises.

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