Fire Risk Assessments
The Fire Service now run spot inspections to business premises as part of their ongoing enforcement of fire safety law. Their agenda for the visit will be to identify the ‘responsible person’ within the business (normally a person at board level) and to ask to see your up-to-date fire risk assessment that has been specifically tailored to your business (managing agents/landlords assessments do not apply). Since the Fire Safety Order 2005 became law in 2006 this is now a legal requirement and is enforceable through their enforcement/prohibition notice systems. The fire service do not use the crown prosecution service but instead use their own officers to prosecute through the courts. Insurance companies ask their clients to be compliant with fire safety law in the event of fire damage claims. A risk assessment is a tailored document for your company and its’ status in relation to Fire Safety completed by a person with the qualifications to undertake this task. Please note that having a suitable and sufficient risk assessment is not purely enough, the significant findings of the report must be acted upon and the assessment must be reviewed in document form on a regular basis.
The assessment is a methodical approach to analysing your workplace and working practices taking into account the following;
- Fire Prevention (House Keeping, Storage, Smoking, Heating and Electrical apparatus, Flammable and combustible substances)
- Communication (detectors, alarms, signs, emergency lighting)
- Escape (Escape routes, Escape plans, Drills, Vulnerable occupants)
- Confinement (Fire Doors, Fire stopping devices, Smoke dampers)
- Fire suppression (Portable and fixed fire fighting equipment and training)
- Training, Drills, Testing, Maintenance (Current status and required improvements)
Businesses are required to have available for inspection a fire risk assessment (article 9) which is tailored to your business and premises combined. The ‘responsible person’ (normally defined as a director at board level, article 3) has a duty of care to all staff and visitors and will be requested to produce the report when a ‘drop-in’ inspection is conducted by fire officers. To not produce the report is breaking the law and an enforcement/prohibition notice will be issued that will be followed up through court proceedings if necessary.
This is something that we can help you with if you wish . The assessment is basically a 2 step process. The first visit is for information gathering purposes. Our second visit comes approximately 1 week after the first where we bring with us the completed report. We can then explain to you (and your colleagues if necessary) the more significant findings of the report and give you a clear understanding of the action plan.
You may find the link below in understanding more about Fire Safety Order 2005 and how to stay within compliance.