Fire safety and risk assessment

Building evacuation plans and fire safety equipment

A fire in your premises must be detected quickly and a warning given so that people can
escape safely.

Fire detection and warning system

You must have an appropriate fire-detection and warning system. Whatever system you have,
it must be able to warn all people in the building in all circumstances.
You should consider which type of fire detector is suitable for your premises as part of your
risk assessment. It may be that one type of detector is suitable for one part of your premises
and another for the rest. Before installing a fire-detection system, you may wish to discuss
your proposals with your local fire authority or a fire safety expert.

Means of escape
The arrangements to evacuate your premises form an important part of your emergency plan.
You should:

Make sure the escape route is as short as possible.

Consider how many people are going to be using the escape route.

Consider the impact if one of the means of escape has been blocked.

Ensure there is a clear passageway to all escape routes - passageways should be one
metre wide. Passageways that are more than 30 metres long, or 45 metres in offices
and factories, should be subdivided into equal parts by fire doors.

Ensure escape routes are kept free of any obstructions, eg they are not used for storing
stock.

Make arrangements for the evacuation of elderly or disabled people. You must also
consider other less able-bodied people who may have access to the building, taking
into account both physical and mental impairment.

Inform and train all employees in how to escape the building.

Install an emergency lighting system.

Identify all escape routes with appropriate signs.

Ensure the place to which you are evacuating - the muster point - is safe.

Fire-fighting equipment
Your risk assessment may highlight that it may be appropriate to provide portable multipurpose fire extinguishers so that people on your premises can tackle a fire in its early stages.
These extinguishers should be installed, tested and maintained in accordance with
manufacturers' instructions. They will require a 'competent person' to instruct staff how to use
them.
In smaller premises, you may only need one or two portable extinguishers. However, larger,
more complex premises may require a number of portable extinguishers situated in suitable
locations. It may be necessary to show the location of extinguishers with suitable signs.

Depending on your type of business the size and complexity of your premises and the
outcome of your risk assessment, you may need other specialised fire-fighting equipment.
For more information, see the page on plan how you'll deal with an emergency in our guide to
crisis management and business continuity planning.

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Subjects covered in this guide

Introduction

Who is responsible for fire safety?

Duties of the 'responsible person'

Fire risk assessment

Building evacuation plans and fire safety equipment

Building work and fire safety

Arson in the workplace

Fire drills and training

Record, review and revise your fire safety plans

Here's how I introduced a fire safety policy

Fire safety and risk assessment

Introduction

Each year people die or are seriously injured as a result of fires at work. Besides loss of life,
fire costs UK business millions of pounds, from damage to property, loss of business, fines,
compensation claims and insurance premiums.
Many fires can be avoided by taking fire precautions. If a fire does break out, the effects can
be minimised by having effective controls and procedures in place.
Fire safety legislation applies to all commercial premises and other buildings to which the
public have access. It does not apply to private residential premises. The legislation allows
businesses the flexibility to remove, reduce and manage their fire risks on the basis of the
findings of a fire risk assessment.
This guide provides an overview of fire safety legislation and how to comply.

Who is responsible for fire safety?

Typically the employer, owner or occupier of the premises is responsible for fire safety. In
law, they are known as the 'responsible person'.
All workplaces, commercial premises and other buildings to which the public have access
must have a fire safety risk assessment carried out. The responsible person must carry out or
arrange for a risk assessment of the premises. They must also implement and maintain
appropriate and adequate fire safety measures to minimise the risk to life from fire.
See the page in this guide on the duties of the 'responsible person'.
In the case of blocks of flats and houses of multiple occupation, the fire safety legislation
applies to common or shared parts. In these cases the responsible person is usually the
landlord, freeholder or managing agent.
If you haven't done so already, you should establish who the responsible person is within your
business or premises.
In shared premises, there are likely to be a number of people - including the owner and the
employers within the building - with responsibilities under the fire safety legislation. Where
this is the case, they are expected to:

co-operate with each other

co-ordinate with fire safety measures

share information with each other to ensure the safety of those on or in the vicinity of
the premises

Duties of the 'responsible person'

The responsible person is someone who has the duty of carrying out or arranging a risk
assessment of their premises. They must also implement and maintain appropriate and
adequate fire safety measures to minimise the risk to life from fire.
If you are the responsible person you must make sure that fire risks are removed, reduced or
managed to an acceptable level to reasonably protect lives. You must also ensure that
everyone who may be in, or in the vicinity of, your premises can escape if there is a fire.
As part of the risk assessment you need to think about all the people who might be on your
premises, including employees, visitors or members of the public. You need to pay particular
attention to those who may need special help, such as elderly or disabled people or children.
You must:

carry out a fire risk assessment and identify possible dangers and risks

think about who might be particularly at risk - for example disabled employees, or
people who work with hazardous chemicals

remove or reduce the risk from fire, as far as reasonably possible

put in place fire precautions to deal with any risks that remain

make sure there is protection if you use or store flammable or explosive materials

have a fire management plan to deal with emergencies including evacuation

procedures, and appoint a suitable number of competent persons to help implement it

record your findings - if five or more persons are employed - and review them
regularly

You can appoint someone other than yourself - known as a 'competent person' - to carry out
the risk assessment for you, but in law you remain responsible for complying with fire safety
legislation.
In smaller and less complex premises you may be able to carry out the risk assessment
yourself. You can use the government's premises-specific guidance to help you do so - you
can find fire safety law guidance on the Communities and Local Government website - Opens
in a new window. You may need to get more complex premises assessed by a person who has
comprehensive training or experience in fire risk assessment.
The main enforcers of fire safety legislation are your local Fire and Rescue Authority (FRA)
who must be satisfied with your safety measures. If they are not satisfied, they will offer you
advice on what you need to do.
If the FRA finds major deficiencies they can serve an enforcement notice requiring you to
improve the measures in place to ensure there is a sufficient level of compliance on the
premises. In carrying out their enforcement duties you can expect FRAs, wherever possible,
to take a supportive and proportionate approach by helping and encouraging you to
understand and meet regulatory requirements.

Fire risk assessment

The 'responsible person' must manage any fire risk on your premises by carrying out and
maintaining an up-to-date fire risk assessment.
The recommended way to carry out a risk assessment is to follow a step-by-step process.

Step 1 - identify the hazards

Hazards include:

anything that can start a fire, such as naked flames, heaters or commercial processes
or equipment such as cookers or hot-air dryers

anything that can burn in a fire, including piles of waste, display materials, textiles or
other flammable products

oxygen sources such as air conditioning, medical products or commercial oxygen

supplies which might intensify a fire

Step 2 - identify people at risk

People at risk include:

people who work close to or with fire hazards

people who work alone, or in isolated areas such as storerooms

children or parents with babies

elderly people

disabled people

Step 3 - evaluate, remove or reduce the risk

To comply with fire safety legislation, you will need to:

where possible, get rid of the fire hazards you identified - eg remove build-ups of
waste - and reduce any hazards you can't remove entirely

replace highly flammable materials with less flammable ones

keep anything that can start a fire away from flammable materials

have a safe-smoking policy for employees or customers who want to smoke in a

designated area near your premises (smoking in enclosed spaces is banned) - read
about the smoking ban in England on the Smokefree England website - Opens in a
new window

Once you have reduced the risk as far as is practical, you should assess any remaining risks
that can't be removed and manage these with appropriate fire safety measures.

Step 4 - record, plan and train

You should:

record significant findings and action taken - this is a legal requirement if you have
more than five employees

prepare an emergency plan

inform and instruct relevant people, and co-operate and co-ordinate with others to
ensure fire safety

provide training

Step 5 - review the fire assessment

You should keep the assessment under regular review and revise it where necessary.
You can download a checklist for carrying out a fire safety risk assessment from the
Communities and Local Government website (PDF, 42K) - Opens in a new window.
For more information, see the page on how to assess the possible impact of risks on your
business in our guide on crisis management and business continuity planning.

Building evacuation plans and fire safety equipment

A fire in your premises must be detected quickly and a warning given so that people can
escape safely.

Fire detection and warning system

You must have an appropriate fire-detection and warning system. Whatever system you have,
it must be able to warn all people in the building in all circumstances.
You should consider which type of fire detector is suitable for your premises as part of your
risk assessment. It may be that one type of detector is suitable for one part of your premises
and another for the rest. Before installing a fire-detection system, you may wish to discuss
your proposals with your local fire authority or a fire safety expert.

Means of escape
The arrangements to evacuate your premises form an important part of your emergency plan.
You should:

Make sure the escape route is as short as possible.

Consider how many people are going to be using the escape route.

Consider the impact if one of the means of escape has been blocked.

Ensure there is a clear passageway to all escape routes - passageways should be one
metre wide. Passageways that are more than 30 metres long, or 45 metres in offices
and factories, should be subdivided into equal parts by fire doors.

Ensure escape routes are kept free of any obstructions, eg they are not used for storing
stock.

Make arrangements for the evacuation of elderly or disabled people. You must also
consider other less able-bodied people who may have access to the building, taking
into account both physical and mental impairment.

Inform and train all employees in how to escape the building.

Install an emergency lighting system.

Identify all escape routes with appropriate signs.

Ensure the place to which you are evacuating - the muster point - is safe.

Fire-fighting equipment

Your risk assessment may highlight that it may be appropriate to provide portable multipurpose fire extinguishers so that people on your premises can tackle a fire in its early stages.
These extinguishers should be installed, tested and maintained in accordance with
manufacturers' instructions. They will require a 'competent person' to instruct staff how to use
them.
In smaller premises, you may only need one or two portable extinguishers. However, larger,
more complex premises may require a number of portable extinguishers situated in suitable
locations. It may be necessary to show the location of extinguishers with suitable signs.
Depending on your type of business the size and complexity of your premises and the
outcome of your risk assessment, you may need other specialised fire-fighting equipment.
For more information, see the page on plan how you'll deal with an emergency in our guide to
crisis management and business continuity planning.

Building work and fire safety

If your premises are subject to significant alterations you will need to ensure they comply
with the Building Regulations. This includes when your premises are being built, extended,
materially altered or subject to a relevant change of use.
The Building Regulations affect how fire safety is designed into the building, as well as other
aspects of building design, such as structural stability, access, ventilation, energy efficiency,
etc.
You must provide appropriate early warning of fire and appropriate means of escape. You
must also provide measures to resist the spread of fire within the building and from one
building to another, and provide reasonable access and facilities for the fire and rescue
service. Guidance on what might be needed in a range of common building situations is given
in Building Regulations Approved Document B but the final decision rests with the relevant
building control body, either at the local authority or an approved inspector.
You should pass information on what fire safety measures have been provided as part of the
building work (eg fire doors, smoke detection, sprinklers) to the responsible person to help
inform their risk assessment.
Contractors are required to pass the details of fire safety measures implemented as part of
building construction work to help the responsible person with their risk assessment under
Building Regulations. Where this does not happen, the responsible person should actively
seek it.
Read the Building Regulations Approved Document B on fire safety on the Planning Portal
website - Opens in a new window.

Changes to premises
If you make any changes to your premises, you will be responsible for managing the risk you
create. You will still have to comply with the planning process and Building Regulations. You
will need to:

revisit your fire risk assessment

assess how the changes will affect the risk in your premises

decide whether your risk management measures are adequate and adopt further
measures if necessary

Alterations notices for high-risk buildings

In some high-risk buildings - requiring particularly complicated fire safety arrangements or

higher than normal risk to life - the enforcing authority - usually the Fire and Rescue Service
- may issue an 'alterations notice'. This means that if the responsible person intends to make
changes or 'alterations' to premises which would significantly increase the risk, they must
inform the fire authority.

Arson in the workplace

All types of business are at risk of a major fire and arson is often the cause, particularly in
shops and other retail premises.
There are steps you can take to reduce the risk of arson attack on your business. You will
need to consider all the ways in which someone could start a fire deliberately - inside or
outside your premises. For example, good security will help to prevent arson as well as
lowering the risk of theft.
There are some warning signs that you should look out for that might indicate that your
business is at increased risk of an arson attack - for example:

small fires in or around your premises previously - these could be a warning of worse
to come

fires occurring locally - you should make sure that the police are informed of these

other forms of vandalism - eg graffiti or damage

Your local Fire and Rescue Service can give useful advice, and local businesses can be
helpful in sharing information and experience of arson prevention.

Fire drills and training

You should carry out a fire drill at least once a year. It is good practice not to announce fire
drills in advance so you get a realistic idea of how effective your fire evacuation plans are.
Everyone must participate in the fire drill. You should record the result of each fire drill in
your fire log book.
You must nominate and train a sufficient number of staff to help you carry out your fire drills
and emergency evacuation procedures. This includes training on how to operate any firefighting equipment considered necessary.

Fire safety induction training

As the responsible person, you must provide all employees with instruction and training so
that they know what to do in the event of a fire.
Every employee, including those on temporary or short term contracts, and others likely to be
on the premises must know:

how to raise the alarm if they discover a fire

how to contact the fire brigade

how to use the fire-fighting equipment and in what circumstances

how to evacuate the building

where to assemble and who to report to

Record, review and revise your fire safety plans

If you employ more than five people, you must keep a written record of the significant
findings of your fire safety risk assessment. You should keep the following:

a record of the hazards you have identified, the people at risk, and any action you
have taken

an emergency plan designed for your premises, including the action you need to take
if there is a fire on your premises or nearby

records of fire-fighting arrangements in place to control the fire risk

Even if you have fewer than five employees, it is good practice to make a written record of
your risk assessment.

Maintenance records for training

These include details of fire training and instruction provided and details of fire drills carried
out, including the date, evacuation time and any problems encountered. You should give staff
and visitors to your premises instructions on what to do in the event of fire.

Maintenance and testing of fire equipment

All equipment, eg fire doors or fire-fighting equipment, must be regularly checked and
maintained. This includes checking that:

the control panel shows that all electrical fire detection and alarm systems are
working - if not, that all faults are recorded and dealt with immediately

all emergency lighting is working - if not, that all faults are recorded and dealt with
immediately

all escape routes and fire exits are clear of obstacles and the floor is in good repair

all fire escapes can be opened without any delays

all automatic fire doors close correctly when activated

all fire exit signs are in the correct position

Review your risk assessment

You must make sure that your fire risk assessment is reviewed regularly, is up to date and
takes into account any changes to your premises or business that may affect fire safety. You
should, for example, look again at your fire risk assessment if:

there was a fire which was caught in time

you are storing more flammable materials

you start a new night shift

you have more people using your premises

you make a significant change to your premises, eg adding an extension or

subdividing offices

Revise your risk assessment

If your review shows that there have been significant changes that might affect the fire risk in
your building, you may need to do another risk assessment. If you are in any doubt at all, it is
best to conduct the assessment, even if it turns out that your risk management measures are
adequate and there is no need for any further action. See the page in this guide on fire risk
assessment.

Here's how I introduced a fire safety policy

Nicola Newman is the managing director of Zooby's, a Fairtrade coffee bar and sandwich
deli, based in Sheffield. The caf premises are located in the 'Winter Garden' - a covered
public garden in the middle of the city. Nicola explains how she put her fire policy in place
and why it is important to the business.
What I did

Conduct a risk assessment

"Zooby's moved into its current premises when the business opened in December 2002. I
have a joint fire policy with the building I'm based in, which is council-owned. They had a
fire policy which I amended to make sure it looked at the particular risks faced by my
particular business activities.
"I carried out a risk assessment and realised I needed to ensure all staff were careful with the
equipment we use and that all air vents on the equipment are always kept clear. We have a
microwave that we use occasionally to heat soup, and a coffee machine. I get these checked
every year to ensure they are still in good working order and not a fire risk."

Put my policy into the company handbook

"Whenever a new member of staff starts, I go through any important fire safety information
with them verbally, because I think it is more likely to be remembered than if I hand them a
manual to wade through. I do still give each of them a copy of the company handbook
though, in which the fire policy runs to about four pages. The policy covers how to clean the
machines safely, such as what chemicals can be used, and what employees should wear while
doing it."

Ensure employees and customers are safe

"The handbook tells staff where to congregate in the event of a fire alarm being activated. I
have also given them instructions for making sure any customers they are serving at the time
get out safely. One of the good things about being in a shared building is that there are
appointed 'fire ambassadors' who would do a sweep of the building in the event of a fire to
ensure everyone is out. They also test the fire alarms every week.
"Another piece of equipment I am responsible for are the fire extinguishers that I installed
following my first risk assessment. Thankfully, I have never had to use them, but it is
important to be prepared."
What I'd do differently

Make regular updates

"Ideally we would carry out a fire risk assessment and update our policy every year, but as a
small business some things do get pushed aside and I don't do it as often as I would like."