Fire Risk Assessment
What constitutes a Fire Risk Assessment?
- Identifying fire hazards such as sources of ignition, fuel or oxygen
- Identifying all people at risk in and around the premises
- Evaluating the risk of a fire starting or the risk to people from a fire
- Removing or reducing fire hazards or risks to people from a fire
- Protecting people by providing fire precautions
- Recording any major findings and actions
- Preparing an emergency plan
- Informing and instructing any relevant people
- Providing training for staff and guests
- Reviewing the fire risk assessment regularly and make changes where necessary
- Keeping accurate fire risk assessment records
What records must I keep?
The responsible person must keep records on risk assessments, the current fire safety policy, procedures, training and drills. The routine maintenance of all fire alarm systems and emergency lighting and extinguishers must also be recorded.
What training must I provide?
All employees must be given fire safety training when they commence employment and refreshers as is necessary – this would include the use of extinguishers.
All people in your building must be considered as much as employees, visitors, members of the public - even trespassers!
How do I meet the order?
The order states that if you are the responsible person, you must make sure you carry out a fire-risk assessment although you can pass this task to a ‘competent person’.
How do I determine that a person is competent?
A specialist fire and safety consultant from a reputable company such as Channel Safety Systems would be defined as competent via industry fire standards.
Channel’s Fire & Safety Consultants:
- Are fully qualified through one of the Government’s liaison organisations
- Have Public Liability Insurance
- Have Professional Indemnity Insurance
- Carry out your fire risk assessment
- Assist you in keeping the records as required by law
- Assist the responsible person with all other aspects of the order such as staff training, fire drills, signs & notices and emergency lighting
Our industry qualified consultants are subject to regular assessments and checks to ensure the highest professional and performance standards are conducted to provide reassurance and compliance for the client/business owner – the responsible person.
Commercially can you afford not to comply?
Local fire and rescue services and in certain premises the Health & Safety Executive, MoD and local authority environmental health departments will administer the order. Inspectors will be allowed to inspect premises, question people and identify the ‘Responsible Person’ (RP) and the ‘Competent Person’ (CP). If you do not meet the requirements of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order, the fire authority can issue a formal notice to prevent all or part of your premises being used.
You could face two years in prison and also a heavy fine of £5,000 as well as carrying the moral burden of not appearing to care about your staff, customers and other visitors.This is in addition to having your business or building possibly closed down but certainly its effectiveness seriously compromised.
In the event of a fire at your premises, it is quite possible that your insurance company may dispute making payment if you haven’t got actioned and recorded risk assessments. Do not forget that the current (pre October 2006) fire certificates lose their legal status from 1 October 2006 onwards.
What action should I take now?
Whilst a fire risk assessment could possibly be achieved without the need for any specialist in some circumstances or formal knowledge or training, it will be a time consuming additional activity for the ‘responsible person’ as well as being a major potential risk to the viability of the business should an unforeseen incident arise. It is critically important that the responsible person is fully capable of reviewing all aspects of risk assessment should he/she decide to do so.
It may be more effective to consider calling in the help of an expert who is experienced at carrying out these risk assessments and will be able to provide you with advice on any necessary or desirable actions to be taken to ensure compliance with the order, but also to ensure employees, visitors and guests are safe and or able to escape in case of fire.
If you would like to find out more about the services that Channel Safety Systems Ltd can provide for you, please contact us or email rro@channelsafety.co.uk.
