The Fire Safety Expertise Your Business Needs
FIRE SAFETY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Know your responsibilities
FIRE RISK ASSESSMENTS
In Part 2, Section 9-(1) under The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 it states that ‘The responsible person must make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to which relevant persons are exposed for the purpose of identifying the general fire precautions he needs to take to comply with the requirements and prohibitions imposed on him by or under this Order.’
This is done in the form of a Fire Risk Assessment, and where there are 5 or more employees, this needs to be written down. This process consists of identifying the hazards within a premise, assessing how likely these hazards are to cause harm or this case cause a fire (the risk), and implementing control measures to either eliminate or significantly reduce the risks and hazards identified. It should be periodically reviewed and amended whenever there is a significant change, such as when a new work process is introduced to the workplace.
The ‘Responsible Person’ is either the employer in the case of a workplace, or in the case of non-workplace premises, the person in control of the premises who does not have control in connection with the carrying on by that person of a trade, business or other undertaking.
PASSIVE FIRE PROTECTION SURVEYS
Passive fire protection surveys are used to assess the fire safety measures in a building are suitable and comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (RRFSO).
This legislation places legal responsibility on the Responsible Person to provide safety to people in the building that they have control of, should a fire occur. This includes making sure that the fire safety provisions are sufficient and that they maintain the ability to withstand the passage and spread of fire throughout their working life.
However, the performance of fire resisting elements can be seriously compromised if they have not been installed and maintained by competent persons e.g. a fire door’s performance can be weakened if components such as hardware, glazing and intumescent strips are installed incorrectly or not to specification, or repairs have been carried out incorrectly.
It is therefore essential to make sure your fire safety provisions are checked by an competent individual who has the required level of knowledge and competencies; passive fire protection surveys are an effective and efficient way of ensuring this.