Each year in the UK and Ireland over 40,000 fires occur in non-domestic buildings and over 69,000 fires in dwelling premises resulting in over 600 tragic deaths. Millions are lost from damage to property, loss of business, fines, compensation claims and increased insurance premiums.

Fire Safety Legislation

Under The Fire Services Act 1981 & 2003, The Safety, Health and Welfare Act 2005 and The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 the responsible person for the workplace has a duty to carry out a fire risk assessment. The fire risk assessment is a tool to assist organisations manage health and safety and must:

• Identify all fire hazards within a building (loading of combustibles, ignition sources, sources of oxygen etc.);

• Evaluate the existing fire detection and warning systems plus fire fighting equipment;

• Review the existing fire policy and emergency procedures, creating a regime based on Risk Assessment, Fire Prevention and Mitigation measures;

• Evaluate the risk to life taking into account current control measures, likelihood and level of exposure

• Produce further control measures to eliminate or minimise the risk

 

The result of a thorough fire risk assessment conducted by a competent person is:

• The reduction of the risk of injury and death

• Avoiding the loss of the business through losing the premises

• Avoiding criminal and civil litigation

Our fire risk assessment has been developed in conjunction with PAS79 and related Standards. It is designed to minimize the risk to life and covers the following fire safety issues including a comprehensive & detailed written document covering the:

• Identification of combustible loading

• Identification of ignition sources

• Identification of oxygen sources

• Means of escape

• Fire detection and communication

• Fire fighting equipment

• Structural precautions

• Fire prevention and management including provision of relevant instruction and training

• Fire brigade access

• Maintaining relevant records

• Recommendations, as necessary, to achieve satisfactory fire safety standards.

In summary, anyone who has control to any extent of any premises has a duty to ensure that those using or occupying the premises are safe from harm caused by fire. This is achieved by carrying out a suitable and sufficient Fire Risk Assessment on their property and implementing the findings. This must be conducted by a competent person and be reviewed on a regular basis or when change occurs.

A definition of ‘competent person’ is specified in the Fire Safety Regulations.

Deluxe Envirogroup Fire Risk Assessors are competent as defined within the legislative interpretation, in terms of training, qualifications, knowledge and experience.

Businesses should understand that in addition to an initial assessment, the person(s) responsible must provide an effective on-going management of the fire safety process to minimize the risk to life and with the associated benefits of avoiding huge financial costs through the loss of the premises and/or litigation.

Enforcement

The Fire Service has powers to enforce the Regulations, through the issue of notices and by criminal prosecution, which if successful would result in a fine, imprisonment or both.