Workplace Guides

The primary objective of an evacuation plan is to make sure that in the event of a fire, the occupants of a building can reach a ‘place of ultimate safety’ outside the building. This is defined as a place in which there is no immediate or future danger from fire or from the effects of a fire.

If you are the responsible person and know that your fire evacuation drill is coming around again, it is worthwhile taking some time out to evaluate the objectives of the fire drill and why we carry out fire drills. The guidance states that fire drills should be carried out at least annually to make sure that all occupants are aware of building evacuation procedures. However, should you have staff within the building working of a night or different shift patterns, you will need to carry out more frequent fire drills to make sure that all shift patterns are covered at least annually.

After the devastating Grenfell fire disaster and the on-going enquiry, it has become apparent that some of the UK building stock is below standard.  The level of documentation now being reviewed by enforcement bodies during inspections or investigations, should anything go wrong, has increased, and evolved from this enquiry.

It is the responsibility of the appointed responsible person, under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order, for the building to provide a fire risk assessment that includes reference to any vulnerable persons on site.

Effective management alongside appropriate staff training is fundamental in fire safety. The responsible person’s duty is to make sure that a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment is implemented, and that there are adequate fire safety measures in place. This can only be achieved by making sure those with fire safety responsibilities have the required knowledge, training, and experience. 

The simple aim of a Fire Risk Assessment is to identify any significant fire risks in the workplace and work activities that could cause harm to people. It should confirm and promote the correct fire safety precautions that are in place, as well as where further action is required to avoid harm to people and property from fire. 

If you own, manage, or operate an organisation, you need to comply with fire safety law. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (RRFSO) 2005 came into force on 1st October 2006 and is the main legislation in England and Wales relating to management of fire safety.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (RR(FS)O) came into force in England and Wales on 1st October 2006. This also saw the repeal of many previous pieces of legislation, including the Fire Precautions Act 1971 and the need for fire certificates. In Scotland, the duty of fire safety management is imposed on every employer by Section 53(2) (a) of the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005, and in Northern Ireland, this is detailed in the Fire Safety Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010.

Part 1 of the RR(FS)O identifies general duties, including that of the "responsible person", "general fire practices" and premises which it is applicable to.

Part 2, Articles 8-22B, covers in detail the on-going requirements, including specifically in Article 9 the need to carry out a risk assessment.