Fire Safety – What do I need to do?

One of the questions we get asked the most is "What do I need to do to comply with Fire Safety", we have compiled a short guide identifying how to comply with one of the aspects of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. The order states that you: ‘must make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to which relevant persons are exposed’. It is important to have a Fire Safety Risk Assessment in place, as a Fire Officer will ask to see these whenever he visits your premises. 

 

To complete a Fire Safety Risk Assessment, there are five steps outlined below, through a risk assessment you will develop an idea of areas in which your business needs improvement:

1. Identify fire hazards
2. Identify people at risk
3. Evaluate, remove or reduce, and protect from risk
4. Record, plan, inform, instruct, and train
5. Review the fire risk assessment regularly

Can you help with my fire risk assessment?
There are several ways in which CoLaw can help you in relation to Fire Safety. We can complete the Fire Risk Assessment for you and create a Fire Safety Improvement Plan. Alternatively, one of our experienced fire safety consultants can visit your premises and discuss your fire safety arrangements and advise on the types of records that you need to keep and on the type of training that you may need.

Contact us on 08456 588 703 for some simple, over the phone assistance.

What happens when things goes wrong? – A recent prosecution
The manager of a restaurant and a house in multiple occupation (HMO) has been fined over £20,000 for breaching fire safety regulations.

The HMO was an Indian restaurant on the ground floor and members of staff lived in the flats above. The manager of the restaurant pleaded guilty to the charges at Norwich Magistrates’ Court on Friday 28th October.

The breaches were discovered when an inspection was carried out by Norwich City Council on 9 February 2011. Investigators found that the manager had failed to provide adequate escape routes, fire doors and fire alarms.

The manager was fined £4,500 for each charge, totalling £18,000 and was also ordered to pay costs of £2,200.

A spokesman for Norwich City Council said: “These are serious breaches primarily relating to fire safety, which the council considers unacceptable. The prosecution was brought because he has a history of failing to maintain living conditions in a safe and proper manner at this property. He has been warned about conditions before but failed to improve and maintain the means of escape in case of fire. The aggravating factors are the number of occupants at risk from fire and living in poor conditions, and the length of time occupants were exposed to this risk.

A housing officer for Norwich City Council also commented on the case: “The result sends out an important message to people that the council will take action against those whose negligence puts others at risk. That a fine so close to the maximum was handed out demonstrates the seriousness of these offences.”