Focus on fire safety
December 1st 2006 The recently updated Fire Safety rules came into force in October.They affect all organisations in England and Wales.Now the responsibility for complying with the Fire Safety Order rests with a 'responsible person', usually the employer or the site manager, to carry out the fire risk assessment and provide information and training in fire precautions and emergency arrangements.Up to speed yet? Don't panic, help is at hand As part of the Government's commitment to reduce death, injury and damage caused by fire, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has introduced new Fire Safety rules that came into force on 1st October and which affect all organisations in England and Wales. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order is the biggest overhaul of fire safety legislation in decades. Jim Fitzpatrick, the Minister responsible for fire safety said:"The Government's over-riding aim is to save more people from death and injury by reducing risk and preventing fires." The new Fire Safety Reform Order, made under the Regulatory Reform Act 2001,is a consolidation of existing fire safety legislation and replaces the many references to fire safety in other acts with a simple, single Order. It should make the law easier to understand and comply with.The main effect of the change is a move towards greater emphasis on fire prevention in all non-domestic premises. It requires any person who exercises some level of control in premises to take reasonable steps to reduce the risk from fire and ensure occupants can safely escape if a fire does occur. What does it mean for you? What this means if you are an employer and in charge of premises is that you must carry out a Fire Risk Assessment and ensure the safety of all those who may be affected by the risk of fire. Responsibility for complying with the Fire Safety Order will rest with the 'responsible person', usually the employer or site manager, to carry out the fire risk assessment.They must also provide information and training in fire precautions and emergency arrangements. Dr Gary Mason from Praxis42, one of the UK's leading providers of health and safety services advises all companies to address these new responsibilities now or face potential prosecution. He says "In many premises, especially small businesses, achieving fire safety is often a matter of common sense, but the new rules mean that all organisations across the country – including anyone self-employed who is responsible for non-domestic premises – will have to ensure that sufficient time is put aside to work through the necessary steps in order to comply with the new regulations from October." What are the main requirements of the Order? The Order imposes duties on the reponsible person to establish general fire precautions to ensure the safety of employees and others who may be affected by the risk of fire. Dr Mason continues "These precautions also include training in fire safety emergency arrangements, fire prevention and fire safety procedures - all of which are now required by law." Responsible person The responsible person is required to: Carry out or nominate someone to carry out a fire risk assessment, identifying the risks and hazards.The responsible person must be competent. Consider who may be especially at risk. Eliminate or reduce the risk from fire as far as is reasonably practical and provide general fire precautions to deal with any residual risk. Take additional measures to ensure fire safety where flammable or explosive materials are used or stored. Create a plan to deal with any emergency and, in most cases, document findings. Review the findings as necessary Organisations that employ five or more people must now record the significant findings of the Fire Risk assessment. Getting help and additional guidance To help ensure premises comply with the new legislation, an online self-assessment form is available.This consists of a series of fire-safety related questions,which should take no more than 10 minutes to complete.At the end of the process, you will have the option to view your results and any suggestions for improvement that may be applicable, by means of a form that you can print or save for future reference. Visit www.fire.gov.uk The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has also produced a series of guides to assist those preparing fire risk assessments. All of the guidance documents are available to download free of charge:www.firesafetyguides.communities.gov.uk as well as via the Small Business Service website – www.sbs.gov.uk More articles from Praxis 42 Limited: | 
