In regard to all business premises, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 has simplified and replaced the Fire Precautions Act, plus many of the fire safety references from the Licensing and Housing Acts.
Owners, occupiers and operators of business premises must have an understanding of its content, for they have legal obligations within it.
Typical examples of premises affected by the fire safety order include:
offices and shops
factories and warehouses
premises providing care
community buildings
pubs, clubs and restaurants
schools
not for profit premises
hotels and hostels
tents and marquees
the sole exemption being purely domestic premises, occupied by a single family.
Under Regulatory Reform, the fire safety inspection of premises and the issuing of Fire Safety Certificates (by Fire Officers) has ceased. Instead the Fire Safety Order requires the nomination of a ‘responsible person’, who must be either the owner, landlord or operator of the premises.
The responsible person has specific legal obligations, for example, producing a documented fire risk assessment, which must identify all hazards/risks and the appropriate actions that need to be taken. For SME’s, where the appointment of a Safety Manager is not feasible, the necessary in-house expertise is often lacking and in such circumstances, outsourced professional assistance is commonly sought.
Also, within the detail of the Fire Safety Order, are rules and regulations pertinent to portable fire fighting equipment, eg quantities and types of appliance (to match the fire classifications identified in the fire risk assessment), plus the inspection, maintenance and certification of fire extinguishers.
Additionally, obligations relating to mandatory fire signage, means of escape, fire practice drills, fire alarm testing and fire safety training are laid down and must be followed.
Valley Fire Protection Engineers are able to ensure your compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
All equipment supplied by us is British Standards kite-marked, conforming to BS EN3 specifications. Valley Fire Protection does not supply cheap imported fire safety products, moreover all products supplied by us are guaranteed for 5 years.
For further fire safety law information, click here.
To see a list of our fire safety products and services, click here.
