Fire Safety

The government has announced the biggest single reform of fire safety legislation in over 30 years which will come into force in April 2006, consolidating existing fire safety law currently scattered across 70 pieces of legislation.

The aim is to simplify the law for businesses and key points include:

• responsibility for fire safety will lie with the employer or ‘responsible person’ for the building or premises
• the responsible person will be required to assess the risks of fire and take steps to reduce or remove them
• businesses will no longer need a fire certificate and these will cease to have legal status
• fire and rescue authorities will continue to inspect premises and ensure adequate fire precautions are in place.

These will inevitably add to the financial burden on many employers as they will either have to assume these responsibilities themselves or employ fire consultants to undertake audits and implement appropriate safety measures for them.