Regulatory Reform (Fire
Safety) Order 2005
New fire safety rules affecting all non-domestic
premises in England and Wales will come into force on 1 October 2006.
If you are:
- responsible for business premises
- an employer
- self-employed with business
premises
- a charity or voluntary organisation
- a contractor with a degree
of control over any premises
...then you will need to act by October
2006
What is the Regulatory Reform (Fire
Safety) Order 2005?
It replaces most fire safety legislation
with one simple order. It means that any person who has some level of
control in premises must take reasonable steps to reduce the risk from
fire and make sure people can safely escape if there is a fire.
Where does the order apply?
The order applies to virtually all premises
and covers nearly every type of building, structure and open space.
For example, it applies to:
- offices and shops
- premises that provide care,
including care homes and hospitals
- community halls, places of
worship and other community premises
- the shared areas of properties
several households live in
- pubs, clubs and restaurants
- schools and sports centres
- tents and marquees
- hotels and hostels
- factories and warehouses.
What are the main rules under the
order?
You must:
- carry out a fire-risk assessment
identifying any possible dangers and risks
- consider who may be especially
at risk
- get rid of or reduce the risk
from fire as far as is reasonably possible and provide general fire
precautions to deal with any possible risk left
- take other measures to make
sure there is protection if flammable or explosive materials are used
or stored create a plan to deal with any emergency and, in most cases,
keep a record of your findings
- review your findings when
necessary.
Who is responsible for meeting the
order?
Under the order, anyone who has control
of premises or anyone who has a degree of control over certain areas
or systems may be a ‘responsible person’. For example, it could
be:
- the employer for those parts
of premises staff may go to
- the managing agent or owner
for shared parts of premises or shared fire safety equipment such as
fire-warning systems or sprinklers
- the occupier, such as self-employed
people or voluntary organisations if they have any control
- any other person who has some
control over a part of the premises.
Although in many premises the responsible
person will be obvious, there may be times when a number of people have
some responsibility.
SD Fire Alarms can provide your
organisation with all the services to meet these requirements, including:
- An accurate fire risk assessment
- Adequate staff training
- Evacuation procedures
- Fire fighting and detection
equipment
- Escape lighting
- Escape signage
Our team comprises of both serving and
former Fire Safety Officers all of whom have been trained at the nation
fire service college at Morton-in-Marsh.
If you're situated in Devon we can provide you with a free initial visit* to
assess how much work needs to be done to bring your organisation into line with
the legislation and to provide you with a quote for the risk assessment and
any staff training that is required.
*a fee is chargeable for other areas
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