Fire Risk Assessment

What is a Fire Risk Assessment

If you are an employer, owner or landlord of a business or non-domestic premises you’re responsible for fire safety and are known under the regulatory reform order as the responsible person. The regulatory reform (Fire Safety) order brought about some of the biggest changes in fire safety for over 50 years, naming two key people in the fire precautions process; the responsible person (that’s you!) and the competent person.

As the responsible person your first task is to ensure a competent person carries out a fire risk assessment of the premises which would identify all the possible fire hazards in the environment and details what prevention measures are required.

Your Insurance provider will assume you are in compliance with the law when they give you a quote.

As the responsible person you are required by law (Regulatory reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005) to:

• Carry out and regularly review a fire risk assessment of the premises.
• Tell staff about the risks you have identified.
• Put adequate measures in place to maintain an adequate fire safety plan to remove or reduce risk
• Plan for an emergency
• Provide staff training and safety information.

You could get a fine or receive a prison sentence if you don’t follow fire safety regulations. Minor penalties can be up to £5,000. Major penalties can have unlimited fines and up to 2 years in prison.

Local fire officers can inspect your premises and if they consider your fire safety precautions are totally inadequate they may restrict access to your business until the issues are resolved.