According to the government, the responsibility for fire safety in the workplace in England and Wales falls to employers, owners and landlords, as well as anyone with “control of the premises” like building managers.
For any workplace, a nominated individual needs to be the ‘responsible person’. Your employer, where there is a large team of employees, might assign someone to be a fire warden or fire marshal who tackles company-wide fire safety issues and reports to the employer.
There can be more than one fire warden, but it’s ultimately the employer, landlord or building owner’s responsibility to ensure the legal aspects of The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 are upheld.
What are your responsibilities?
If you’re the owner of the building or an employer, there are several things you’re responsible for, including:
- Ensuring fire risk assessments are carried out regularly, with action taken based on the review
- Informing your staff or fire warden representatives of the risks identified
- Implementing and maintaining appropriate fire safety measures for your building (more on this in our next section)
- Creating a plan for emergency situations
- Providing staff and employees with instruction or training when it comes to fire safety
- Co-ordinating with the responsible persons in other businesses in any shared or adjoining buildings
Where your business has undergone a change, be it to staff levels, building purposes or actual structural changes, you are in charge of ensuring fire safety is reviewed and upheld.
Factoring in unique risks to your business
No two businesses are the same, which means every workplace will face unique fire safety requirements. Whether that’s in terms of the materials, stock or equipment held at your premises, or even the number of staff you need to plan safe evacuation for, you should always maintain fire safety standards that are right for your business to protect people.
If you operate a care facility, you might need to consider those with disabilities or mobility issues when creating your emergency plan. Likewise, schools will need a coordinated plan across a large site that accounts for any special requirements pupils or staff might have.
The differences between your workplace and a workplace next door could be as simple as fire extinguisher requirements. Since different fire classes require different extinguishers, you should assess the risks within your workplace to ensure you have the right extinguisher type to tackle the most likely fire type.
Electrical fires are a risk in offices, for example, and require a CO2 fire extinguisher to avoid creating further electrical risks.
Professional guidance from TVF (UK) Limited
Understanding the potential hazards within your workplace, as well as how any changes can impact fire safety for your business post-COVID can be tricky. But with professional expertise from the TVF team, you can ensure the safety of everyone in your business.
Fire risk assessments should be carried out by a competent, knowledgeable person as a legal requirement. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 outlines this legal duty, but there may not be anyone in your business skilled enough to carry this out.
That’s where our services come in handy: identifying risks, hazards, fire safety equipment and assets, and creating a document to outline any further action required. This helps you to uphold your responsibilities and protect lives.
Every business requires a nominated responsible person, and with fire warden training from our qualified team, you can give that person the skills to carry out their duty in full. Whether it’s for you or another member of your team, fire safety training courses can help to maintain high standards of fire safety with up-to-date, in-depth guidance and information.
We provide a variety of dedicated services for workplaces and commercial premises across High Wycombe, Watford, Slough and beyond.
If you’re unsure about fire safety regulations, your responsibility or fire safety compliance in general, contact our professional team today and we’ll provide expert guidance and advice.
Call us on Call 0175 3907 640 to speak with our team.
