Fire safety manager’s resource centre
Fire safety check list
1. a written risk assessment
2. a fire safety policy
3. an emergency evacuation procedure
4. an emergency evacuation plan
5. regular fire safety training program in place
6. provision of fire safety equipment
7. regular fire safety checks of all fire safety equipment and routes
8. an annual fire evacuation drill
9. a fire safety folder documenting all of the above is carried out
Download fire safety the basics and a 6 point check list in PDF Format
the government has produced booklets to help understand and carry out the new fire safety laws relevant to your own business type. Click the link below to download a free copy of the guide.
1. Offices and Shops
2. Factories and Warehouses
3. Sleeping Accommodation
4. Residential Care Premises
5. Educational Premises
6. Small and Medium Places of Assembly
7. Large Places of Assembly
8. Theatres and Cinemas
9. Open Air Events and Venues
10. Healthcare premises
11. Transport Premises and Facilities
Fire safety an employers guide
1. A written fire safety risk assessment, which should be carried out annually and show all significant findings and any action required to remedy them.
Below is a quick reference guide to help you carry out your own risk assessment
Five steps to a fire safety risk assessment
Fire Risk assessment Document
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2.3.4. Fire safety policy & emergency plan and procedure
New fire safety legislation requires the responsible person to ensure they provide relevant and comprehensible information on their fire safety arrangements (see legislation) the most practical and easiest way to provide this information it to have a well written and concise fire safety policy and emergency plan outlining all you expect from everyone in the event of a fire.
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5. Regular fire safety training program in place
The "Responsible Person" must ensure adequate safety training is carried out annually and it must include; suitable and sufficient instruction and training on the appropriate precautions and actions to be taken by employees.
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6. Provision of fire safety equipment
the responsible person must ensure that-
• The premises are to an appropriate extent covered with fire-fighting equipment and fire detection and alarms.
• Any non automatic fire fighting equipment provided must be easily accessible, simple to use and identified by signs.
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7.8.9. Regular fire safety checks of safety equipment, annual evacuation and records of all fire safety arrangements
All your fire safety arrangements should be documented and kept in one safe easily accessible place. Below are some templates to ensure you have all the correct fire safety paperwork in place.
Fire Safety Folder Documents
Annual fire extinguisher test record
Emergency lighting test record
Escape route and fire door test
Evacuation procedure notice
Fire safety test check sheet
Fire warning system test record
List of competent persons
Monthly fire extinguisher test record
Provision of fire safety training to individual staff member
Record of fire drill
Record of dangerous substance
Record of fire or potential fire
Record of significant findings
Smoke control system test record
Suppression system test record
System to aid fire rescue services
Useful telephone numbers
Visitors Log
Wet/dry riser test record
Further Information
Fire Safety regulations changed on the 1st of October 2006 and where taken over by the Regulatory Reform Order (Fire Safety) 2004.
This new Order has streamlined and refined the way fire legislation works, in essence the new Order will require that ALL premises or sites which employees or the public have access to, will have been subject to a fire risk assessment being carried out.
Fire certification will no longer have effect as the risk assessment will take its place, an emphasis on regular and appropriate safety training is highlighted and the penalties for non compliance, which in the worst case, could result in large fines and cessation of trading.
The order is splits businesses into two main groups: less than 4 employees and more than 4 employees (this number includes owners and directors).
If you have 4 or less at your place of work you still must comply with all provisions of this order but you are not required to have documented evidence of your risk assessment.
If you have 5 or more employees then you must not only comply with all the provisions of the order but also have documented evidence of your risk assessment to prove your compliance.
The order holds the person with overall responsibility for the premises 100% responsible for fire safety and calls them the “responsible person”. The responsible person is liable for heavy fines and even imprisonment if found to be guilty of contravening the order.
The responsible person may nominate someone else to carry out the companies fire safety, they would be called the “competent person” this should be an employee if they are suitably qualified but may be an external company if no one is suitably qualified.
So, what does the responsible person have to do?
They must take all measures that are reasonably practicable for the safety of all their employees. They must also ensure the safety of any person not an employee whilst they are on their premises.
The responsible person has a duty take “General Fire Precautions”, there are six main categories for this meaning and they must comply with all of them, they are:
1. Reduce the risk of fires on the premises and the risk of fire spreading.
2. Have means of escape from the premises
3. Ensure at all times escape routes and exits can be used
4. Have the correct firefighting equipment
5. Have a means for detecting and raising the fire alarm
6. Actions to be taken in the event of a fire including training of staff and measures to reduce the effects of fire
You also need to take into account any special requirements your individual business has and have measures in place to reduce there risk of contributing to a fire, such as the use of plant machinery and the storage of dangerous materials.
The fire risk assessment is the not only a necessity but carried out correctly will ensure your business meets all the criteria of the order you can download the government fire safety guides at the top of this page. These documents contain all the instructions necessary to carry out an excellent fire safety risk assessment.
A few people are exempt from this order, although it doesn’t mean they do not have to have good fire safety they come under different regulations. The chosen few are:
This order does not apply to:
1. domestic premises
2. an offshore installation
3. a ship
4. fields, woods or other land forming part of an agricultural of forestry undertaking
5. anything with wheels
6. a borehole site
By carrying out a risk assessment it will ensure you comply with the order fully if you are a small business with only a few employees its still good practice to have a written fire risk assessment. You are just as likely to have a fire as any other company but if you introduce good fire safety early you decrease the risk of it being you greatly.
Always think if your business had a major fire would you survive. Would you have the funds in place to restart? Also a small point on funding no insurance company likes to mention it but if you didn’t have a fire risk assessment or the correct fire safety arrangements in place, they would not pay out as you where at fault.
You also need to protect your most valuable asset, your staff. By ensuring good fire safety you ensure if the worst happens your staff know exactly what to do and how to escape or better, put out the fire then escape. Just by carrying out simple fire safety training once a year you could not only save the lives of your staff but potentially your business. Is it really worth ignoring fire safety?