Fire Safety
Fire and the Law
Most workplaces are now subject to legislation as detailed
in the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1999 (as amended).
To comply with Health and Safety and Fire regulations you
will need to do the following:
Carry out a fire risk assessment
If you have 5 or more employees the findings of this risk
assessment will need to recorded and a written emergency plan
produced. The risk assessment will help you to ascertain the
chances of a fire occurring and the potential dangers involved.
This risk assessment should be regularly monitored and reviewed.
Ouch Training Team can offer training in Fire
Risk Assessment to help you fully benefit from the process.
Provide and maintain Fire Safety
The minimum provision includes:
- A means of detection and warning in case of fire
- A means of escape
- A means of fighting fire
- Fire safety training
Nominate people to fire safety roles
Certain people should carry out specific duties as detailed
by the emergency plan e.g. Fire Warden.
Inform employees
- Employees should be consulted regarding the nominations
of staff to carry out fire duties.
- Employees should also be consulted about improvements
to fire safety.
Emergency planning
- You must consult other employers sharing the same premises
about significant risks and the proposed methods to reduce
these.
- If you are not an employer but are in charge of premises
that contain several workplaces, you have responsibility
for ensuring that fire regulations are complied with
- You must ensure that the emergency services are easily
contactable by a convenient means
Provide employee information and training
Ouch Training Team can offer a range of fire
training courses to help your organisation become a safer
place and to comply with current legislation
As an employee you must comply with your employer to help
make the workplace safe from fire and not behave in a way that
would put you or others at risk.
Fire Certificate
Some organisations require a Fire Certificate, but this is
not a substitute for a fire risk assessment, which still needs
to be carried out.
You should have a fire certificate if your premises is or
has within a:
- hotel or boarding house where sleeping accommodation is
provided for more than 6 people (guests or staff) or if there
is some sleeping accommodation above the first floor or below
the ground floor;
- factory, office, shop or railway premises where more than
20 people are at work at any one time or if more than 10
people work elsewhere than on the ground floor;
- factory where explosive or highly flammable materials
are used or stored.
If a building contains two or more of these types of premises
(which can be whole or part of the building) you should include
the total number of people at work. You will need to contact
your local fire authority if you think you need a Fire Certificate.
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