Fire Training Legislation

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 - Legislation

Enacted in late 2006, the legislation is intended to create a common approach to fire safety in the workplace, repealing or amending approximately 100 separate Acts and Regulations.

Based around 9 steps of Risk Assessment for each building and includes the following:

1. Building structure, processes carried out & persons in or likely to be in the building.
2. Identification of fire hazards and means for their control or elimination.
3. A subjective assessment of the risk of fire occurring.
4. Determination of existing fire protection measures within the building.
5. Obtain relevant information on existing fire safety management procedures.
6. Make a subjective determination of the potential consequences to people in the event of fire.
7. Make an assessment of the fire risk.
8. Formulate and document an action plan.
9. Determine the date of the next review.

The Regulatory Reform Order (RRO) extends the responsibility for fire safety in the workplace beyond those established in the Fire Precautions Workplace Regulations these additional requirements include the following:

• It will be the duty of a nominated 'competent' responsible person to ensure all premises are adequately addressed for fire safety including empty and derelict buildings.
• The responsible person will have a duty placed upon them to reduce the risk of fire occurring with a new extensive definition of the term 'general fire precautions'.
• Steps to be taken to mitigate the effects of fire should one occur; there is thus a requirement to provide fire prevention and protective measures within the workplace.
• A new requirement that fire fighting systems such as the building structure, lifts, stairs and water mains etc, are maintained.
• Consideration will have to be taken to mitigate the effects of fire to persons in the vicinity?
• Enforcing authorities to be provided with additional powers to require the production of records, taking samples and dismantling or testing any relevant articles.