Food Safety and Health and Safety Consultancy, Training and Services.
01933 626444
Email: info@inhousesafety.co.uk
In House
Unit 6 Blotts Barn, Brooks Road, Raunds, Wellingborough, Northants NN9 6NS.
Fire Risk Management
Our qualified experts can undertake a Fire Risk Assessment of your building to ensure you meet the requirements of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 Section 3 [2] and Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
Why Have a Fire Risk Assessment?
A fire risk assessment helps you to identify all the fire hazards and associated risks in your premises. It allows you to determine if any action needs to be taken to reduce or control fire related risks and keep any employees, students, and visitors safe.
As well as increasing the safety of those in the building, having a fire risk assessment for non-domestic premises is a legal requirement under the RR(FS)O 2005.
What is the Regulatory Reform Order 2005?
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 came into force on 1st October 2006. The order amended primary legislation concerning fire safety and added to legal obligations. The significant changes over old legislation were:-
- The identification of a ‘Responsible Person’ in writing who is legal obligated to fulfil legal requirements.
- The emphasis is now on the ‘responsible person’ to make the premises safe by using ‘preventative measures’. The fire service cannot do this for the ‘responsible person’.
- When the preventative measures have been implemented and significant fire risks remain then the ‘responsible person’ is required to implement ‘protective measures’.
- The Responsible Person must nominate competent persons to implement the measures for fire fighting in the premises. The competent persons must be suitably trained, have adequate equipment available to them, and the number of competent persons must be adequate for the premises and hazards.
- Breach of a duty imposed on an employer by or under this Order, so far as it causes damage to an employee, confers a right of action on that employee in civil proceedings.
- Duties under the old Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997 now extend beyond ‘workplaces’ to include the majority of premises to which people have access.
- Duties also extend to non-employees (e.g. contractors, visitors).
What are the 5 steps of a risk assessment?
Identify who is at risk
We’ll consider all persons who may be at risk if a fire were to break out in your building.
Identify the hazards
We’ll determine what and where the fuel sources and ignition sources are around your property.
Evaluate the risks
We’ll evaluate everything related to the fire safety of your building and employees including your existing fire safety processes, staff training, fire detection and fire extinguishing systems, and escape routes.
Record the findings
You’ll be given a full audit summary with a breakdown of the recommended actions to mitigate any risks and bring your premises up to regulation standards.
Review and revise
We’ll let you know when you should next review your fire risk assessment and will be here to help when the time comes.
More Fire Risk Assessment FAQs
The ‘Responsible Person’ is responsible for ensuring that a fire risk assessment is completed. This obligation will default to the primary duty holder if a person is not defined. The risk assessment can be carried out by a ‘competent person’ who can complete a suitable and sufficient assessment of your premises. If you are unsure of how to carry out a risk assessment or not confident in doing so then we recommend seeking advice from an experienced risk assessor to ensure a thorough and unbiased assessment. Our expert risk assessors can complete your fire risk assessment and provide advise on any required remedial action.
In some instances, a risk assessment may state when the following review must be carried out. However, there is no specific timeframe for how frequently a fire risk assessment must be reviewed. The responsible person must review the fire risk assessment if:
- They have reason to believe it is no longer valid.
- There have been significant changes since the last assessment was completed.
Examples of times when it may be necessary to review the fire risk assessment include if the premises undergoes major building works such as structural changes, or if the company has a growth spurt and employs a larger number of staff.
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, all non-domestic premises including workplaces, commercial properties, and premises that the public have access to, must have a have a Fire Risk Assessment performed by a competent person. The HSE website has more information on fire safety and your responsibilities as an employer or owner of a non-domestic building.