Professional Regulation Advice
There are certain things that any business must do to ensure that they and their staff are protected from fire and know what to do in the event of a fire.
For more information on fire safety legislation see our section on the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 for more details
Areas which need to be covered
Fire Risk Assessment
You should carry out a specific fire risk assessment of your premises. The assessment should be reviewed annually or when alterations take place. If you employ more than 5 people the assessment must be recorded.
For more information see our Fire Risk Assessment page.
Staff Training
New staff should be trained in your fire procedures ideally on the first day of employment. Thereafter staff should be trained every year.
Training should be more frequent if staff are employed in certain sectors and work at night e.g. hotels and care homes. Other staff with more specifc duties or responsibilities e.g. fire wardens or marshalls should have more comprehensive training.
Find out more about training your staff to deal with fire emergencies.
Fire Drills
Fire drills should be carried out on a regular basis at least once and preferably twice a year. The object of the drill is to test the response of your staff to the fire alarm and their ability to carry out your fire procedure.
Find out more about how we can help organise your fire drills.
Maintaining Your Fire Precautions
This entails making sure your fire alarm and emergency lighting (if fitted) and fire extinguishers are serviced and tested regularly in accordance with British Standards.
It also means ensuring that your structural fire precautions are maintained such as fire doors and also making sure that the fire resisting structure is not compromised by contractors making alterations e.g data cabling through walls and ceilings.