Major fire safety reform came into force in October 2006.

Does your business comply?

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order, made in June 2005, is the biggest overhaul of fire safety legislation in decades.

In today’s employment environment, it appears that the complicated, legislative jargon and requirements are introduced to confuse business managers. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a specialist deal with that confusion?

How does “Regulatory Reform” affect you?

The main effect of the changes is a move towards greater emphasis on fire prevention

• Fire certificates have been abolished and no longer have legal status.

• The Fire Safety Order applies in England and Wales. Northern Ireland and Scotland have their own laws.

• Responsibility for complying with the Fire Safety Order rests with the 'responsible person'. In a workplace, this is the employer and any other person who may have control of any part of the premises, e.g. the occupier or owner. In all other premises the person or people in control of the premises will be responsible.

• If there is more than one responsible person in any type of premises, all must take all reasonable steps to work with each other.

• Your fire risk assessment will help you identify risks that can be removed or reduced and to decide the nature and extent of the general fire precautions you need to take to protect people against the fire risks that remain.

• If you employ five or more people you must record the significant findings of the assessment.

Who is your responsible person & how will you comply?

To comply with the legislation the ‘Responsible Person’ i.e. Employer or person responsible for occupants must produce a risk assessment, which will identify the risks and hazards of a premises and will need to implement suitable fire precautions to reduce the risks to a tolerable level. Assessments must be done by a competent person. (Competence is defined in the guide as:

“… someone who has the necessary knowledge, training, experience and abilities to carry out the task”.)

How can we help your business?

A consultant from our specially selected risk management partner (Guardian Risk Management Ltd) will visit your premises and conduct a fire risk assessment. All you need to do is appoint a member of staff who you feel would be able to help conduct the assessments and offer site knowledge. The consultant and your representative will undertake fire risk assessments of your premises and activities. The consultant will then produce a fire risk assessment and Fire Management Strategy to a standard approved by the Luton and Bedfordshire Fire Service.

This will be supplied in Microsoft Word so you can update any corrective actions and PDF format.

Once the Fire Management Strategy has been produced, the consultant will forward an improvement programme (if required) that briefs your management team on the findings of the assessment and the corrective actions necessary.

Prices for this exercise are dependent on the size of the organisation, its premises and the length of time anticipated for completing the exercise.

Be prepared - For further information, call 01438 723755 now!