The Fire Safety Order 2005 replaces previous fire safety legislation and requires all businesses to conduct a fire risk assessment and to put into place adequate fire prevention and evacuation procedures.

Any fire certificate issued under the Fire Precautions Act 1971 cease to have any effect.  If a fire certificate has been issued in respect of your premises or the premises were built to recent building regulations, as long as you have made no material alterations and all the physical fire precautions have been properly maintained, then it is unlikely you will need to make any significant improvements to your existing physical fire protection arrangements to comply with the Order.  

However, everyone running a business must carry out a fire risk assessment and keep it up to date to ensure that all the fire precautions in your premises remain current and adequate.

You must also display a Fire Action Notice.

If you have previously carried out a fire risk assessment under the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997,  as amended in 1999, and this assessment has been regularly reviewed then all you will need to do now is revise that assessment taking account of the wider scope of the new Fire Order.

If your premises are an HMO, flat or maisonette they will also be subject to the Housing Act 2004. Further information regarding the scope of the Housing Act can be found by contacting your local housing authority.

How do I know if my Fire Risk Assessment is up to date?

Is it dated within the last twelve months?
Have there been any significant changes to the premises since the last assessment?
Have you changed the nature of your business in a way that increases the fire risk or increases the number of combustible materials in your premises?
Are your fire extinguisher and fire detection checks and tests up to date?
Have you had a fire drill in the last six months?
Are the details in your Fire Action Notice up to date?

How can I tell if my Employer is Protecting Me from Fire Risks?

Check the date when the fire extinguishers were last checked. It is on the Fire extinguishers. Is it less than a year ago?
Is there a Fire Action Notice?
Have you had a Fire Drill in the last six months?
Have the alarms been tested in the last six months?

If the answer is "No" or you have no alarms or fire extinguishers then it is very unlikely that your employer is doing all that he should.

Fire Training - Fire Awareness in the Workplace - CD-ROM
Fire Training - Fire Warden & Fire Marshall Training - CD-ROM
Contact us to conduct a risk assessment of your premises

Additional Reading:

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Additional Booklets on Fire Safety Risk Assessments are available from the Communities and Local Government Website

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