Legislation

Fire Safety Law: What Changed and What It Means for You

In October 2006, fire safety rules changed with the introduction of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. This law puts the responsibility for fire safety on the people who are in charge of buildings—mainly employers and those who manage or own premises.

Who is the “Responsible Person”?
The “Responsible Person” is someone who has control over a building. This could be:

An employer, if the building is used as a workplace.

A manager or occupier, if they run a business or organisation from the premises.

The owner, if no one else is in control of the building for business or other organised use.

What Does the Responsible Person Need to Do?
If you’re the Responsible Person, you must make sure your building is safe from fire risks. This means you need to carry out a fire risk assessment—or hire someone qualified to do it for you.

The 5 Steps of a Fire Risk Assessment
Here’s a simple checklist to guide you:

Identify Fire Hazards – What could start a fire?

Identify People at Risk – Who could be harmed if a fire starts?

Evaluate and Act – How can you reduce or remove the risk?

Record, Plan and Train – Write down your findings, plan what to do in a fire, and make sure people know what to do.

Review Regularly – Keep the assessment up to date and check it often.