Fire Safety Responsible Person and Workplace Fire Safety Advice

First and foremost it is the responsibility of the owner or occupier of any non-domestic building to ensure they are fulfilling their legal obligations towards their staff, visitors and building with regards to fire safety. The responsible person must ensure that the building is sufficiently protected against fire in terms of fire risk assessments and ensure that any recommendations that arise from the fire risk assessment are addressed and acted upon.

Under The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (Pro 2005) which covers the responsibilities of those who own a building towards occupants of said building it states:

Duty to take general fire precautions

8.—(1) The responsible person must

(a) take such general fire precautions as will ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety of any of his employees; and

(b) in relation to relevant persons who are not his employees, take such general fire precautions as may reasonably be required in the circumstances of the case to ensure that the premises are safe.”
- The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, Part 2 – Article 8

This is the responsibility of the person in charge of the building. If nobody is appointed then under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (PRO 2005) this responsibility automatically falls to the person who controls the premises. This should be established at the earliest convenience to make sure everyone is sufficiently protected within the building.

Article 9 states that:

‘The responsible person must make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to which relevant persons are exposed for the purpose of identifying the general fire precautions he needs to take to comply with the requirements and prohibitions imposed on him by or under this Order.’

In layman’s terms, this means that the responsible fire safety person must identify any systems already in place to protect the occupants of the premises. Furthermore, any measures that should be initiated to further protect and overcome fire risks should be established and put in place. All observations should be recorded and kept and this process should be reviewed, especially when any alterations are made to the building.

There is currently no legislation demanding a form of qualification to conduct a fire risk assessment. If you are the owner of the premises and feel confident that you can provide a coherent, inclusive fire risk assessment of your building then you are free to do so. However, there is a risk in doing this, therefore, we advise calling in an expert such as GR Electrical & Security to conduct a full, intensive fire risk assessment because the responsible person can be fined and face imprisonment if a fire risk assessment is deemed unsuitable.

BAFE – British Approvals for Fire Equipment (UK) are an independent register for third-party companies to provide fire protection. BAFE can provide you with information to ensure that you are following the correct rules and regulations for fire safety in your building.

GR Electrical & Security are a BAFE approved company meaning you can be rest assured your building will comply with all UK fire legislation should you call GR Electrical & Security out to assess and maintain your premises. We can assist with system design, installation, commissioning and handover/maintenance of your fire alarm system.