Wednesday, April 02, 2008

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety Order) 2005

 This Order came into effect in October 2006, replacing a range of regulations with one single piece of legislation.

Businesses may well find that insurers will be reluctant to pay out in full for damage to property caused by fire where no Fire Action Plan has been put in place; whilst fire authorities now have increased powers to take action against employers who do not comply.      

Now, local authorities no longer issue a Fire Certificate to business premises but a “Responsible Person” must be assigned to carry out a risk assessment and produce a Fire Action Plan. All business premises are now required by law to produce such a plan.

A fire action plan is a written document which includes the action to be taken by all staff in the event of fire and the arrangements for dealing with matters such as evacuation, fighting the fire, accounting for staff, visitors, etc., and calling the fire brigade.

A responsible person should carry out a risk assessment before producing an emergency fire action plan which takes account of the findings of the risk assessment, e.g. the staff and others who are significantly at risk and their location. In addition, employees should be given concise instructions of the routine to be followed in case of fire.

It may be necessary for staff to be trained in the correct procedures to cope with fire. Employers should nominate specific employees to implement the fire action plan and give them adequate training in fire fighting and evacuation procedures. The specific needs of disabled and sensory-impaired people should also be taken into account.

The fire action plan should be the subject of frequent training and review, so that all employees are familiar with its contents, and there should be regular fire alarm and evacuation drills. Employers are required to carry out this fire training and it is recommended that you keep a record of the results of that training; this will assist you if you are ever required to prove your actions in the future.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

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