New fire safety and risk assessment rules affecting all non-domestic premises in England and Wales came into force on October 1, 2006. If you need additional information on how you can ensure you are meeting your obligations under the new fire safety/risk assessment rules, feel free to browse this site, or alternatively, you can call your local fire brigade.

Under the new rules, you must make sure you carry out a fire-risk assessment, although you can pass this task to some other competent person. As far as is reasonably practical, the responsible person, either on his or her own or with any other responsible person, must make sure that everyone on the premises, or nearby, can escape safely if there is a fire.

Risk assessment is perhaps the most essential component of health and safety since it allows you to learn what can cause harm to people in your office or place of work. Hazards are those things in and around the workplace that can cause harm to staff, volunteers, visitors and other members of the public. Look around the building to find those things you consider a significant hazard.

Keep in mind that sometimes it is easy to ignore some hazards because they are familiar. It is also useful to ask people who use the premises if they know of anything they consider to be a fire hazard. Consider the people that use the building and how the hazard might affect them. Even if they use your premises every day, customers and service personnel must be thought of as members of the public. It is also important to consider how the hazard might cause an injury.

Risk is the chance that someone could be harmed. As a guide, “low” risks do not need significant attention. “Medium” risks need some attention to bring them to a “low” level. Of course, “high” risks should be dealt with immediately. Risks assessments must be done in writing if you have five or more employees, and this includes volunteers. Assessments should be reviewed periodically to ensure that they remain valid.

The assessment might also need to be reviewed if there are major changes, and this should be seen as part of the planning process of any new project or change. The guidelines above can help you with the fire risk assessment but you may need added information, particularly if you have large or intricate premises.

With some level of proper training or experience, a responsible person should be able to do a fire risk assessment. More complex premises will probably need to be assessed by a person who has comprehensive training or experience in fire risk assessment.

The risk assessment will help you make a decision on the nature and the extent of the fire precautions you need to provide. There are six other legal duties you need to know:

• You must designate people to take on any special roles required under your emergency plan where it is necessary to preserve the safety of your employees.
• You must seek advice from your employees about the appointment of people to fulfil particular roles relating to fire safety and about suggestions for improving fire precautions.
• You must notify other employers who have workplaces in the building of any significant risks you found which might affect the safety of their employees – and co-operate with them about the measures proposed to reduce/control those risks.
• If you are not an employer but have any control of premises that contain more than one workplace, you are also responsible for ensuring that the requirements of the fire regulations are complied with in those parts you have control over.
• You must establish an appropriate means of calling emergency services, and make sure they can be contacted easily.
• The law requires your employees to cooperate with you to ensure the workplace is safe from fire and its effects, and not to do anything that will place themselves and other people at risk.

Any responsible person, even with limited formal instruction or experience, can do a simple fire risk assessment. More complex buildings will need to be assessed by a person with full training and experience in fire risk assessment. Mainly companies and building owners will be affected by the new legislation but it could be anyone who has some control over premises. Fire certificates will no longer be valid.

Under the new regulations it is the responsibility of employers to do a risk assessment of their places of work, which must contain provisions concerning fire safety measures in the workplace.

The responsible person must go over the risk assessment frequently to keep it current, particularly if:

• There is reason to believe that it is no longer valid; or
• There has been a major change in the matters to which it relates, or there have been expansions or substantial changes in the organisation of work

The risk assessment should be done to make sure that appropriate fire precautions, maintenance and management measures are in place to guarantee the safety of anyone who might use your premises. The Fire and Rescue Authority will now examine premises and undertake audits of fire risk assessments to put into effect the requirements of the Regulatory Reform Order.

The Five Steps To Fire Risk Assessment:

Step 1: Identify fire hazards. Is there a system for controlling the amounts of combustible materials and flammable liquids and gases, including cleaning fluids, stationery and waste, kept in the workplace? Is the system working correctly? Are all combustible materials and flammable liquids and gases stored safely? Are all items of portable electrical equipment checked frequently and fitted with the correct rated fuses?

Step 2: Identify the persons at significant risk in case of fire. Think about who might be in or near your premises that would need to know about your fire protection systems – including employees, people in adjoining buildings, visitors or contractors. Is there an adequate number of proper exits of suitable width for the persons present? Do the exits lead to a place of safety? Are passageways and escape routes free from obstacles and tripping hazards? Are steps and stairs in a good state of repair? Are final exits always unlocked when the premises are in use?

Step 3: Evaluate the risks. Control sources of ignition and the use and storage of flammable materials. Do procedures and practices avoid the use of combustible materials or processes that use heat? Has thought been given to all cost-effective measures that can be taken to prevent the incidence of arson? Have employees been taught how to call the fire brigade, the use of the fire extinguishers and basic fire prevention?

Step 4: Record your findings and action taken. This depends on the size of your workplace and the likelihood of fire. If you employ five or more people have you recorded the findings of the fire risk assessment? Have you told your employees or their representatives about your findings? If you have prepared a final report has it been shown to your employees? If you share the workplace with others do they know about the risks you have identified?

Step 5: Keep assessment under review. Has a procedure been set up to go over the fire risk assessment at regular intervals?

The task of complying with the Fire Safety Order rests with the “responsible person.” Under Article 9 of the Order the responsible person must ensure that a fire risk assessment is carried out to identify the general precautions required. Detailed advice on carrying out a fire risk assessment is contained in the Home Office/Scottish Executive/Northern Ireland DoE/HSE publication, Fire Safety: An Employer’s Guide.

Undeniably, equipment that can sense fire hazards, give alarm, and contain fires in buildings is a significant part of the fire protection plan for any facility, but it should not be regarded as the only or final solution to defend your workplace from the devastating effects of fire. A responsible person must be designated to carry out certain procedures, such as identifying and dealing with fire hazards, and this should be the person most closely involved with all operational features of the property, and who, day after day, can offer the highest level of fire protection possible.

This person should have sound analytical skills, should hold a position of responsibility within the organisation, and should have an understanding of the systems/procedures involved, an appreciation for fire safety, and knowledge of the fire evacuation strategy. He or she should also be provided with the opportunity to get help if matters arise that fall beyond his or her level of competence.

Copiers, coffee makers and hot plates and other heat producing equipment and electrical appliances are frequently overlooked as possible fire hazards. A fire in the workplace can be a shattering occurrence. However, the presence of fire alarms and smoke detectors will decrease your chances of fire. You’ll considerably improve your chances of getting out without injury by practicing your escape routes.

Keep extension cords clear of doorways and other areas where they can be stepped on or chafed, and never plug one extension cord into another. Be conscious of all potentially flammable materials and heated objects in your workplace. Urethane, which is often used in upholstery stuffing, can emit cyanide. Many synthetic materials can also emit toxic materials during a fire.

Modern open office designs allow fire to spread rapidly and the inclusion of much synthetic and other flammable material in office furniture often makes “smoky” fires. Breathing these materials can severely hinder an office worker’s chances of getting out of a fire in time.

Hazards can be found all over the workplace. Any type of object or situation that can cause harm, sickness or fatality can be classed as a workplace hazard. So bosses and floor supervisors need to build up the correct mindset to identify hazards. A lot of facilities have workplace health and safety issues that are specific to their own industry. Circumstances that lead to slips, trips and falls are the single biggest cause of injuries at any workplace.

Listed below are some common safety issues found in the workplace. Most of the tips are easy and free to put into place immediately. These items are not listed in any specific order.

• Store items below shoulder height to prevent things falling onto people.
• Chairs should not be stacked too high otherwise they might topple.
• Take care that trailing cables are not a trip hazard. Use ‘gaffer tape’ or cable protectors.
• Keep cleaning chemicals and other substances in a locked cupboard.
• Certain equipment that you might have needs to be maintained and stored securely, such as lawnmowers, ladders and other maintenance tools.
• Wet flooring can be slippery so display a sign when the floor is wet (such as the free standing ones used in supermarkets).
• Ensure that lighting is adequate, which might need to include emergency lighting in some areas of the building.

Search for Workplace Hazards

Do you know if your workplace has fire hazards? You can prevent careless fires with one or two precautionary suggestions:

• Look out for careless smokers
• Ensure heating appliances are working properly
• Take care of your smoke alarms
• Develop an escape plan and have everyone practice it