Fire Risk Prevention Agency Ltd Fire Risk Assessment
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 is the legislation that applies to fire safety in England and Wales. The Order came into force on 1st October 2006 and applies to all commercial premises and the communal areas of residential premises. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, it is a legal requirement to carry out a fire risk assessment.
What is a fire risk assessment?
A fire risk assessment is the process of identifying any risk from fire and evaluating how likely these risks are to the premises. The fire risk assessment will also evaluate the consequences of fire to the premises.
The process is as follows:
- Identify the fire hazards.
- Identify people at risk.
- Evaluate, remove or reduce the risks.
- Record your findings, prepare an emergency plan and provide training.
- Review and update the fire risk assessment regularly.
Who is responsible?
In most circumstances the owner, employer or occupier of the premises is responsible for ensuring and maintaining correct fire safety and procedures - known as the "responsible person" in the Order. This could be the employer in a workplace or the owner of a premises. The Order states that following a fire risk assessment, the responsible person must implement appropriate fire safety measures to minimize the risk to life from fire, and to keep the assessment up to date.
Who can carry out a fire risk assessment?
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 states that the fire risk assessment is undertaken by a 'competent' person. At Fire Risk Prevention Agency Ltd, our fire risk assessors have both the relevant qualifications and experience to carry out fire risk assessments. All our assessors stay up to date with the latest changes to the fire and safety industry to ensure we provide you with the most accurate information and advice.
Enforcement of the Order
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 is enforced and supervised by local fire and rescue authorities. If you have not carried out a fire risk assessment or your risk assessment is deemed to be unsuitable, an inspecting officer can take further actions by issuing an enforcement notice, prohibition notice, improvement notice or even prosecution that could result in a fine and/or imprisonment.
A lack of suitable fire risk assessment could also invalidate your insurance policy.