Sep 21 2005
Expected changes to fire legislation will require those responsible for premises used by the public to take action to prevent fires, and protect against death and injury should a fire occur.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order is expected to come into force in April 2006 and will replace most existing general fire safety legislation. The new, risk-assessment based regime requires those persons responsible for premises used by the public (including the self-employed and employees) to take action to prevent fires, and protect against death and injury should a fire occur.
This is the same duty currently imposed on employers by the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997, but under the new Order the duty will be extended beyond workplaces to include the majority of premises to which people have access. To support the Order, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) will be publishing a suite of eleven guidance documents. They will give advice on most types of premises where the duty to undertake a fire safety risk assessment under the Order applies.
The guides will address the following categories of premises:
- Offices and shops
- Premises providing sleeping accommodation
- Residential care premises
- Small and medium places of assembly
- Large places of assembly
- Factories and warehouses
- Theatres and cinemas
- Educational premises
- Healthcare premises
- Transport interchanges
- Open air events.
The first guide, Fire Safety for Offices and Shops, has been drafted by ODPM in co-operation with a group of key stakeholders.
This guide will be used as a template for the subsequent guides so that there is a consistent approach across the whole suite. BRE has been contracted to draft guidance documents two to nine, on which the work is well advanced. Around forty stakeholders representing enforcers, industry and users, and representing all occupancy types, have been consulted. Each guide will be in two parts. The first part will explain how to undertake a fire safety risk assessment based on the five steps used in Fire Safety: An employer's guide which was issued to support the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997. The second part of each guide will provide further guidance on the fire precautions.
The guides are being written so as to be readily understood by those who have to comply with the requirements of the Order, not just fire safety experts.
It is intended that most of the above guidance documents will be published early in 2006, prior to the Order coming into effect.