Array
(
    [name] => fireregs
    [title] => What you should know about the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
    [content] =>    <p>
      If you hold a position of responsibility in almost any premises in England or Wales, Legislation will have important implications for you. The
      <a href="http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2005/20051541.htm" onClick="javascript:window.open(this.href);return false;">original document</a>, is nearly 80 pages long, but Safelincs customers will be pleased
      to know that we have outlined the most important points for you
      on this page. Our summary is not supposed to be a replacement for reading the original
      document, but we understand that lengthy legal documents can be confusing, so we hope that our guide provides you with a handy overview.</p>
<h3>Download our Free Fire Risk Assessment Form</h3>
<p>
If you would like to complete a self risk assessment why not use our <a href="https://www.safelincs.co.uk/files/safelincs-fire-risk-assessment.pdf">Free Downloadable Risk Assessment Form</a>. This assessment form must be used in conjunction with the official fire risk assessment guide(s)! For a free download of the guides go to <a href="http://www.communities.gov.uk/fire/firesafety/firesafetylaw/aboutguides">www.communities.gov.uk/fire/firesafety/firesafetylaw/aboutguides</a>.</p>

<h3>
      Who is responsible?</h3>
   <p>
      On <em>all</em> commercial premises there will be a "responsible
      person", who must carry
      out the provisions of the Order. In almost all cases, this
      is the <strong>employer</strong> and/or <strong>owner</strong> of the workplace or premises.
      Anybody who has any degree of control over the premises or a part of the premises
      can be designated a "responsible person".
      If this person is you, then you need to consider what you can do to protect yourself
      and the others using the premises from the risk of fire.</p>
   <h3>
      Who is affected?</h3>
   <p>
      Practically all premises in England and Wales, other than those that operate solely
      as a single private dwelling (e.g. houses) are required to comply with this legislation.
      This will include your workplace.</p>
   <h3>
      What's changed?</h3>
   <p>
      Most previous major Acts legislating on fire safety have been repealed and replaced
      with this single document. One of the important changes is that you now have to consider
      <em>everyone</em> who might be on the premises, including employees, visitors and
      members of the public. You should give particular consideration to ensuring that
      people with disabilities are protected to the same extent as people without.</p>
   <h3>What do I have to do?</h3>
   <p>
      The responsible person must observe a number of duties laid out in the legislation.
      These are:</p>
   <h3>
      Take general fire precautions</h3>
   <ul><p>
      <li>Take measures to reduce the risk of fire</li>
      <li>Take measures to reduce the likelihood of fire spreading</li>
      <li>Ensure a safe and effective means of escape from fire</li>
      <li>Provide means to fight fire. </li>
      <li>Provide means to detect fire and to alert all people in the building to its presence</li></p>
   </ul>
   <h3>
      Do a risk assessment</h3>
   <ul><p>
      <li>Make a sufficient assessment of the risks posed to all people on the premises</li>
      <li>This should identify  sources of ignition (e.g. heaters, naked flames etc.),
         sources of fuel (e.g. display material, paper and fabric, stocked products, waste
         etc.), sources of oxygen (e.g. compressed gases, natural ventilation, forced air
         circulation etc.)</li>
      <li>It should identify the people at risk (e.g. those working near to fire hazards,
         those working alone or in isolated areas, children, parents, elderly, infirm and
         disabled people etc.)</li>
      <li>Review the <a href="<?php echo createSectionLink(404); ?>">risk assessment</a> regularly, and <em>especially </em>, when there is reason
         to believe the risks present may have changed (e.g. if the premises have been rearranged
         or extended, or the organisation of work has changed)</li>
      <li>Record the information gained from the <a href="<?php echo createSectionLink(404); ?>">risk assessment</a>, if five or more people
         are employed on the premises</li></p>
   </ul>
   <h3>
      Introduce fire safety arrangements and equip the premises</h3>
   <ul><p>
      <li>Make arrangements to plan, monitor and review the measures taken to reduce the
         risks that were highlighted in the <a href="<?php echo createSectionLink(404); ?>">risk assessment</a></li>
      <li>Give effect to those arrangements</li>
      <li>Ensure that the arrangements are appropriate, given the size of the premises and
         the activities that take place there.</li>
      <li>The <em>minimum</em> requirement will include a fire detection and warning
         system that is able to warn <em>everyone at risk</em> in <em>all circumstances,</em>
          a way of fighting a small fire, <strong>and</strong> a suitable
         way to evactuate everybody, safely and quickly, from the premises. Note that larger
         premises, or premises where activities are carried out that increase the dangers
         posed by fire will need considerably more than this bare minimum.</li>
      <li>Record the fire safety arrangements, if five or more people are employed on the
         premises</li>
      <li>Equip the premises with fire fighting equipment, alarms and fire detectors to a
         level that is appropriate, given the size of the premises and the activities that
         take place there</li>
      <li>Ensure that any non-automatic fire fighting equipment (e.g. fire extinguishers,
         fire blankets etc.) is easily accessible, simple to use and indicated by signs</li>
      <li>Establish safety drills and procedures that should be followed in an emergency
         and nominate people to implement the procedures</li>
      <li>Arrange contact with the local emergency services as regards to fire fighting, rescue
         work, first aid and emergency medical care</li>
      <li>Provide sufficient escape routes and make sure they are clear and easy to open
         at all times. Note that emergency exits must open in the direction of escape, be
         adequately lit, even when normal lighting fails, and that doors, planned for use
         specifically in emergencies, must not be of the sliding or revolving type.</li>
   </ul>
   
   <table width="40%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px;float: right;">
     <tr>
       <th>More Information</th>
     </tr>
     <tr>
      <td>
        The government guides below may give you some extra ideas on how best to comply
        with the new legislation, depending on your individual situation:
       </td>
     </tr>
     <tr>
      <td>
         <ul>
           <li><a href="http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/fire/regulatoryreformfire" onClick="javascript:window.open(this.href);return false;">Entry level guide - a short guide to making your premises safe from fire </a></li>
           <li><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/14881/fsra-offices-shops.pdf" onClick="javascript:window.open(this.href);return false;">Guide 1 - Offices and shops</a></li>
           <li><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/14882/fsra-factories-warehouses.pdf" onClick="javascript:window.open(this.href);return false;">Guide 2 - Factories and warehouses</a></li>
           <li><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/14884/fsra-sleeping-accommodation.pdf" onClick="javascript:window.open(this.href);return false;">Guide 3 - Sleeping accommodation</a></li>
           <li><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/14885/fsra-residential-care.pdf" onClick="javascript:window.open(this.href);return false;">Guide 4 - Residential care premises</a></li>
           <li><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/14887/fsra-educational-premises.pdf" onClick="javascript:window.open(this.href);return false;">Guide 5 - Educational premises</a></li>
           <li><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/14888/fsra-small-medium-assembly.pdf" onClick="javascript:window.open(this.href);return false;">Guide 6 - Small and medium places of assembly</a></li>
           <li><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/14889/fsra-large-assembly.pdf" onClick="javascript:window.open(this.href);return false;">Guide 7 - Large places of assembly</a></li>
           <li><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/14890/fsra-theatre-cinema.pdf" onClick="javascript:window.open(this.href);return false;">Guide 8 - Theatres and cinemas</a></li>
           <li><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/14891/fsra-open-air.pdf" onClick="javascript:window.open(this.href);return false;">Guide 9 - Outdoor events</a></li>
           <li><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/14892/fsra-healthcare.pdf" onClick="javascript:window.open(this.href);return false;">Guide 10 - Healthcare premises</a></li>
           <li><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/14894/fsra-transport.pdf" onClick="javascript:window.open(this.href);return false;">Guide 11 - Transport premises and facilities</a></li>
          
           
</p>
         </ul>
       </td>
     </tr>
    </table>

 <P>  <h3>Set up a maintenance system</h3>
   <ul><p>
      <li>Make arrangements to monitor and maintain the facilities, equipment and devices
         that are used to comply with the fire safety legislation</li>
      <li>This should ensure all arrangements made to deal with the risk of fire are up to
         date and that all equipment used to detect, warn or fight against fire, or protect
         against fire is kept in good repair and efficient working order</li>
      <li>The owner and/or occupier of the premises, if not the responsible person himself,
         <em>must </em>cooperate with the responsible person to allow maintenance to take
         place.</li></p>
   </ul>
   <h3>
      Nominate competent persons to help</h3>
   <ul><p>
      <li>The responsible person must nominate competent persons to help him in the execution
         of these duties, and somebody who is under his employment is to be preferred over
         somebody who is not.</li>
      <li>Keep the competent persons nominated to help fully informed about all the measures
         put into place associated with fire safety and fire risk</li>
      <li>The time and means available for those compentent persons must be sufficient for
         them to fulfil their normal functions within the business as well as their duties
         with respect to fire safety.</li></p>
   </ul>
   <h3>
      Inform all people on the premises</h3>
   <ul><p>
      <li>Inform all employees of the risks identified in the <a href="<?php echo createSectionLink(404); ?>">risk assessment</a></li>
      <li>Inform all employees of of the preventative and protective measures taken to mitigate
         against those risks</li>
      <li>Inform all employees of the identities of those "competent persons" nominated to
         help</li>
      <li>Give the above information to the employer(s) of all other people working on the
         premises (e.g. contractors)</li>
      <li>Give adequate safety training to all employees when they are first hired and whenever
         they are likely to be exposed to new risks or different procedures. (e.g. extension
         to premises, moving or rearranging premises, changes in the nature of their job,
         new technology etc.)</li></p>
   </ul>
   <h3>
      Eliminate or reduce risks posed by dangerous substances</h3>
   <ul><p>
      <li>If possible, replace the use of a dangerous substance with the use of something
         safe</li>
      <li>Otherwise, control the risk and mitigate the detrimental effects that fire might
         have on the dangerous substance</li>
      <li>Provide anyone in the presence of, or responsible for, dangerous substances with
         information on how to identify hazards associated with those substances, and on
         the emergency arrangements pertaining to those substances</li>
      <li>Provide an adequate communication and warning system to enable the appropriate
         response to reduce the risk posed by the substance in an emergency</li>
   </ul></p>
   <h3>
      What do my employees have to do?</h3>
   <p>
      Most of the duties outlined in the  fire safety legislation pertain to the responsible
      person (usually the employer) but there are some general duties that are expected
      of every employee whilst they are at work.</p>
   <ul><p>
      <li>Inform the responsible person or any of the nominated competent persons of any
         situation which represented a danger to anyone on the premises, given their level
         of training and instruction</li>
      <li>Inform the responsible person or any of the nominated competent persons of any
         shortcoming in the current systems and equipment for fire safety.</li>
   </ul></p>
      <h3>What happens if I don't comply?</h3>
   <p>
      If an accident occurs on the premises, it is possible, even likely, that you will
      be held legally responsible and could face criminal or civil action for negligence.
      The Order gives Fire Inspectors and Fire Officers the authority to inspect your
      premises. If they feel an infringement of the new legislation has occurred they
      can either:</p>
   <ul><p>
      <li>Close down the premises until action has been taken to rectify the problem, if
         they believe the infringement of the legislation is serious and dangerous</li>
      <li>Or serve you an enforcement notice, which will give you a limited period of time
         (which could be as little as 28 days) to rectify any problems before further action
         is taken</li></p>
   </ul>
   <h3>
      Safelincs can help!</h3>
   <p>
      Safelincs can offer most products and services that businesses will need to comply with this legislation. Our knowledgeable advisors will be happy to suggest ways in which our
      customers can minimise the risks posed by fire. If you have any queries about what you can do to make your place of work (or your
      home) more secure against fire, please
      do not hesitate to <a href="contact.php">contact us</a>.</p>
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