Who needs a Fire Risk Assessment?
If you hold a position of responsibility in almost any premises in England or Wales, this relatively new piece of legislation could have important implications for you. The original document, is nearly 80 pages long, we have outlined the most important points for you on this page.This is a summary and is not supposed to be a replacement for reading the original document.
Who is responsible?
For all premises there will be a "responsible person", who must carry out the provisions of the Order. In almost all cases, this is the employer and/or owner of the workplace or premises. Anybody who has any degree of control over the premises or a part of the premises can be designated a "responsible person". If this person is you, then you need to consider what you can do to protect yourself and the others using the premises from the risk of fire.
Are we affected?
Practically all premises in England and Wales, other than those that operate solely as a single private dwelling (e.g. houses) are required to comply with this legislation.
This will include your workplace if you;-
- are an eployer of 5 or more people
- are responsible for a business premises
- are self employed with business premises
- are a charity or voluntary organisation
- are a contractor with any degree of control over any premises
if any of the above points are pertinent to you then you will need to act NOW.
What's changed?
Most previous major Acts legislating on fire safety have been repealed and replaced with this single document. One of the important changes is that you now have to consider everyone who might be on the premises, including employees, visitors and members of the public. You should give particular consideration to ensuring that people with disabilities are protected to the same extent as people without.
When do I need to start worrying?
Most of the provisions made in the order came into force in October 2006. That means if you haven't already taken action to comply with the new rules, you need to do so now! You are at risk of prosecution if you do not comply and your insurance may be useless.
Contact us now and let us take away the headache of completing your fire risk assessment.
01600 772317 / 07870 567676
