Improving fire safety in buildings
From October new fire safety legislation comes into effect imposing additional duties on businesses and building owners.
The Fire Safety Order (FSO) is the primary fire safety legislation in England and Wales, applying to all non-domestic premises, as well as the communal parts of residential buildings. Changes to this legislation have been introduced through the Building Safety Act 2022, and represent the next phase of the Government's fire safety reform programme.
This phase further strengthens fire safety in all FSO regulated premises by:
- improving cooperation and coordination between Responsible Persons (RPs)
- increasing requirements in relation to the recording and sharing of fire safety information, thus creating a continual record throughout a building’s lifespan
- making it easier for enforcement authorities to take action against non-compliance
- ensuring residents have access to comprehensive information about fire safety in their building.
These changes include requirements for businesses to record their fire risk assessment in full, regardless of the number of employees, enhanced requirements for cooperation and coordination between responsible persons and new requirements to provide fire safety information to residents.
The video below summarises the changes and the new duties for responsible persons under the new legislation:
The main changes introduced by the legislation are:
Written fire risk assessment and fire safety arrangements
The previous requirement to have a written fire risk assessment only applied in certain circumstances (e.g. where the responsible person employs five or more persons). This will no longer be the case, and if you are a responsible person, then you will need to record both your fire risk assessment and fire safety arrangement in full, regardless of the size or purpose of the business or premises.
Enhanced requirements for cooperation and coordination
In premises where there is more than one responsible person (e.g. in multi-occupied premises or buildings where the occupier and building owner are different entities), there are increased requirements for cooperation and coordination between responsible persons.
Provision of information to residents
In residential buildings with two or more domestic premises (e.g. blocks of flats) then the responsible owner must provide residents with information on the risks from fire within their building and the fire safety measures provided to keep them safe. This requirement expands upon legislation introduced earlier this year that required responsible persons to provide residents with information on emergency procedures and the importance of fire doors.
For further information on all the changes to legislation and what businesses need to do to comply, the government has published guidance on its website.
Below is some more information about fire risk assessments:
What is a fire risk assessment?
A fire risk assessment is a method to help determine the chance of a fire occurring in the workplace. This is accomplished by looking at the factors in your work activities and workplace which could cause harm. From this assessment precautions can be determined to ensure that risks are reduced to prevent fire from occurring.
- Identify any fire hazards, including any sources of ignition, fuel and any work processes, which may be potential fire hazards.
- Decide who, such as employees and visitors, may be in danger during a fire in the workplace or while they are trying to escape.
- Evaluate the risks from the identified hazards and decide whether the existing precautions are adequate. During this stage of evaluation decisions should be made on whether action is required to remove the hazard completely, if practicable, or to control and manage the risks more effectively.
- Record the findings and detail the actions taken and inform all employees of these actions.
- Review the risk assessment at regular intervals or when a change occurs in the workplace or work activities.
Who should carry out the fire risk assessment?
It is essential that the person conducting the risk assessment is competent to carry out the task and has access to relevant information and support. A competent person would be regarded as someone who is trained, experienced and skilled. If you do not feel confident that there is someone within your organisation that meets the criteria above, then you should seek help from someone with professional expertise in the field of fire risk assessments.
However, it is always worth ascertaining whether the company is independent, i.e. could they be using the risk assessment to sell additional products or services? Using an independent company to conduct your risk assessment will ensure that you receive unbiased results.
How can fire risks be reduced?
There are many ways in which the risk of fire can be reduced, from simple methods such as appropriate storage of flammable materials, to maintenance of equipment. It is also important that adequate fire detection and warning systems are in place as well as appropriate means of escape. All staff should be informed, instructed, supervised and trained in fire procedures and evacuation. Reducing fire risks ultimately requires good management.
Free workplace fire safety sessions
We hold regular workplace fire safety sessions, lasting around an hour and a half, that provide you with a better understanding about your responsibilities under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. The free sessions guide you through the main aspects of fire safety in the workplace.
More information about the sessions and how to book can be found in our Business Safety section.
There are three new fire safety guides that have been published on small non-domestic premises, small blocks of flats and for small sleeping accommodation. These replace the old short guide to making your premises safe from fire. These are available in the government's website.