Naturally, fire safety in the workplace should be the first consideration for any business. A fire at work can break out at any time and in many cases can be avoided altogether. But who’s responsible? And what actions can you take in the present to avoid a fire in the workplace in the future?
The Regulatory Reform Order (2005) requires fire safety duties to be assigned to a “Responsible Person” to perform regular fire risk assessments and ensure the fire safety of their occupants. The “Responsible Person” is usually the employer or owner of the premises.
Why Is Fire Safety in the Workplace Important?
Although the obvious answer is “to prevent injury or death in the workplace”, the reality is that workplace fires in the UK remain alarmingly common. According to IOSH, around 22,000 fires occur in UK workplaces each year.
The most common cause of workplace fires is faulty or misused electrical equipment, while less common causes include lack of staff safety training and out-of-date risk assessments. It demonstrates that businesses should take fire safety in the workplace seriously by investing in fire safety training and prioritising their legal duties to ensure their business can continue as normal without the risk of fire.
It’s incredibly important that your organisation ensures its staff have the correct fire safety training to be able to not only act in the case of an incident or emergency, but also to consistently and confidently carry out fire safety responsibilities, as part of day-to-day operations.
So, Who’s Responsible for Enforcing Fire Safety?
The Law
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 is the primary piece of fire safety legislation in England and Wales. It requires a ‘’Responsible person’’, usually the employer or owner of the premises, to perform regular fire risk assessments and ensure the safety of their occupants.
For the majority of premises, the local Fire Authority is responsible for enforcing and ensures compliance with the Fire Safety Order. The main exceptions to this are on construction sites, and ships that are under construction, in which circumstances the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has enforcement responsibility.
Employers
As an employer, it is essential that you put fire safety at the top of the agenda. Businesses must be familiar with the UK fire safety law, which assigns duties to a “Responsible person”.
This is often the owner, employer or landlord, and failure to comply can lead to serious legal consequences, as well as the very real risk of endangering lives.
If, as an employer, you decide to delegate elements of fire safety to other members of staff, it remains your responsibility to ensure that they are properly trained, competent and able to fulfil the role.
You must also ensure sufficient resources are available to invest in fire safety equipment, fire risk assessments and training.
The “responsible person” is typically in charge of:
- Carrying out and reviewing a fire risk assessment
- Informing staff about identified risks
- Putting in place and maintaining appropriate fire safety measures
- Planning for an emergency
- Providing staff with relevant fire safety information
- Providing fire safety instructions
- Delivering fire safety training
Fire Wardens
Fire Wardens play an essential role in keeping people safe, and every workplace is recommended to have at least one trained Fire Warden who assists the Responsible Person.
In the event of a fire, the Fire Wardens role is to assist the Responsible Person in taking control of any evacuation and check that no one remains in the building. They should also help the Responsible Person in creating and maintaining fire safety procedures through measures such as training and fire drills.
The Responsible Person assisted by the Fire Warden should ensure that there is adequate fire safety equipment such as alarms, sprinklers, fire extinguishers and fire blankets, and that the appropriate fire extinguisher is in the right place. This can often be done with the support of the fire service.
Appointed Fire Wardens will need to undergo thorough training to ensure they know what to do to keep employees, visitors and customers safe.
The number of Fire Wardens required within a workplace is dependent on a few factors, including how many employees you have, the size and layout of your premises and the level of fire risk. A comprehensive risk assessment will determine the exact number of fire wardens needed.
Fire Risk Assessments
To protect your employees and your business from fire, you first need to understand what the risks actually are. This means carrying out a thorough fire risk assessment to identify fire hazards and work out the level of risk they pose, and who could be harmed.
You can then determine what can be done to mitigate that risk and put measures in place to keep everyone safe. You should remember that all electrical equipment poses a potential fire risk due to faulty wiring or overloaded plugs.
It is a legal requirement to carry out a Fire Risk Assessment for any business premises; this is regardless of the number of employees. A Fire Risk Assessment is not a one-off task and should be reviewed annually to ensure that any changes which may affect fire safety are still covered and revised/re-assessed in its entirety every three years – this by a competent person.
Whilst we all need to take some responsibility for our own safety, the ultimate responsibility for fire safety rests with the employer.
It is the employers responsibility to ensure that all procedures are robust and are followed, and that the correct health and safety training has been provided, and lastly that the right people have been put into applicable roles which oversee fire safety.
For more information on advice on workplace safety, head over to the Fire and explosion section of the Health and Safety Executive’s website.
Looking For Support with Your Fire Safety?
Protecting your employees and others that frequent your premises is not only a legal requirement but a responsibility that protects lives, assets and business continuity. Whether you’re an Employer, Landlord, Manager, or Fire Warden, ensuring clear fire safety measures are in place is crucial.
At Watson and Watson Health and Safety Consultants, we provide workplaces with bespoke Fire Risk Assessments and responsible persons with the essential fire safety training they need to keep your people and business safe.
For more information and assistance, call us on 01623 753 654 for a no pressure discussion on your requirements.
