Who Is Responsible For Fire Safety In The Workplace?

Fire Safety Made Easy Issue 32 – 3rd February 2015
On the surface, the question “who is responsible for fire safety in the workplace?” may seem a bit strange.

After all surely it’s the responsibility of the people who design the fire exits, fire extinguishers and so forth? However, in legal terms if you are the owner, landlord, or occupier of a business then the person who is responsible for fire safety in the workplace is you.

I hope you find something useful in this month’s issue. Please forward it to a friend as they may appreciate it, too.

Talk soon

Jon Butt
Managing Director
Fire Protection Online – Fire Safety Made Easy

 

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Who Is Responsible For Fire Safety In The Workplace?

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It is important to be aware of what exactly your responsibilities are and ensuring that any risks to the health and safety of you, your employees, and anyone visiting your premises are minimised as much as possible.

If you don’t have fire safety equipment or procedures and a fire takes place then you could be fined or sent to prison. It is also important to note that local authorities have the power to inspect premises and issue fire safety notices if they feel your premises are not up to standard.

This means you need to know what is expected of you and to put procedures in place before you are asked to do so.

Your Responsibilities

Responsibilities as an owner/landlord/occupier include:

• Carrying out fire risk assessments and reviews on a regular basis
• Informing staff or representatives of any potential fire hazards as soon as possible
• Putting in place and maintaining fire safety measures that are appropriate for your particular premises
• Having a plan for an emergency (for example indicating the emergency exits and having a meeting point nearby where you can check to ensure everyone has got out safely)
• Give your employees the information and training they need so they are prepared in the event of a fire.
• With any building work or extensions put in, you must consider any possible risk of fire

In the event of having a shared premises (for example if there are multiple businesses in an office complex) then the owner of the building is the one who is responsible for the fire safety while the businesses involved need to coordinate their fire safety procedures.

Carrying Out Fire Risk Assessments

If you have five or more employees then you have to keep a written record of your fire risk assessment. The idea behind these assessments is to identify any potential hazards or people at risk and to reduce those risks accordingly.

For example, you should check that your fire extinguishers and that you have the right type for your environment. It is also worth looking around any emergency exits to see if they are clear and nothing is blocking them (as well as looking at access for people who have mobility issues).

Fire Safety Survey

If you are concerned about potential fire hazards in your workplace but are not sure if you have properly carried out a risk assessment then we offer a professional fire safety survey.

During this survey, a fully qualified technician will assess your premises, checking that your signage, extinguishers and so forth comply with current regulations. The survey can then be presented as a quotation to you (sent via email or another method) so that you can clearly see what needs to be done in order to improve the safety of your premises (if indeed anything does need to be done).

In summary, it cannot be emphasised enough-you are responsible for the safety of the people inside your premises. This means that you have to do all that you can to reduce risk. While accidents can happen, you have to be able to demonstrate that you did all you could to prevent something happening in the first place.

>>> Click here now to read more about our fire safety survey

If you have any questions call us on 0800 321 3145 or send us and email here.

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