Fire Risk Management
Our qualified expert Fire Risk Assessors can undertake an 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 of the fire hazards and associated risks that are present in your premises. It allows you to determine if any action needs to be taken to either:
- Remove the hazard
- Reduce the risk of the hazard to an acceptable level
- Identify any management controls required to control fire related risks
- This will then help you 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 Fire Risk Assessment?
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.
Are you interested in In House Safety carrying out a Risk Assessment for your business? Get in touch today.