Fire Safety / Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

A quick guide to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

Using this document in conjunction with RiskBase Lite will help you understand the fire safety legislation better, and ultimately allow you to more easily achieve a level of compliance over and above the legal requirements. Remember if you’ve any questions, get in touch.

Disclaimer: This document is provided as an outline only to the FSO; it is not a complete guide. Those wishing to understand the legislation in its entirety should read it here. (reproduce from: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2005/20051541.htm)

The FSO generally applies to any workplace, whether a fixed or temporary building (such as a marquee or Portakabin®). Road-going vehicles requiring a license under VED (e.g. a car or van) are excluded.

The Responsible Person (normally the employer, but otherwise whoever is in control of the premises or the owner) must take General Fire Precautions to protect the safety of employees or other relevant persons such as the general public.

General Fire Precautions means (in relation to the premises):

• Reducing the risk and spread of fire;
• means of escape and their effective and safe use;
• equipment to fight fires;
• detecting and giving warning of fire;
• action to be taken in the event of fire, including:
  • instruction and training of employees; and
  • measures to mitigate the effects of the fire.

The Responsible Person must make a suitable and sufficient assessment (i.e. a Fire Risk Assessment) of the fire risks to which ‘relevant people’ are exposed. In addition to the General Fire Precautions special consideration needs to be given to any Young Persons at risk and/or dangerous substances that may be present on the premises.

Where there are 5 or more employees, once the Fire Risk Assessment has been completed the Responsible Person must display the Significant Findings (including measures taken or to be taken) and any group of people especially at risk (especially the young, the elderly or the disabled).

The Responsible Person must also provide employees (and the parents of any child employee) with:

• comprehensible and relevant information on the risks identified;
• preventative and protective measures;
• procedures in the event of an emergency;
• the identity of the competent people managing the fire risks.

The Responsible Person must also appoint a Competent Person to assist in the undertaking of the preventative and protective measures. In small organisations this can be the same person.

The Fire Risk Assessment must be reviewed when risks or the people at risk (Relevant People) change, or when there is a reason to suspect that it may no longer be valid. Examples may include: changes to the premises, special, technical and organisational measures, or organisation of the work undergo significant changes, extensions, or conversions.

Dangerous Substances

Those potentially using or storing Dangerous Substances should take independent advice from a consultant or ensure they understand the RRO and other relevant legislation fully.

Dangerous Substances include but aren’t necessarily limited to substances classified or labelled as:

• Explosive
• Oxidising
• extremely flammable, highly flammable or flammable
• any dust which can form an explosive mixture;
• any other substance that because of its physico-chemical or chemical properties creates a risk.

Dangerous Substances need to be eliminated or the risks reduced as far as practicably possible particularly by control and mitigating the effects of a resulting fire. Procedures for the safe handling, storage and transport of all Dangerous Substances need to be arranged and followed.

Fire Fighting and Fire Detection

Premises must be ‘appropriately equipped’ according to their size, complexity and type of use with fire-fighting equipment, detectors and alarms. Any non-automatic equipment (e.g. extinguishers) must be accessible, easy to use and indicated by signs. See our PFE guide here.

Competent Persons must be trained in the appropriate use of equipment relating to the hazards.

Emergency Routes and Exits

• emergency routes and exits must lead as directly as possible to a place of safety;
• in the event of danger, it must be possible for persons to evacuate the premises as quickly and as safely as possible;
• the number, distribution and dimensions of emergency routes and exits must be adequate having regard to the use, equipment and dimensions of the premises and the maximum number of persons who may be present there at any one time;
emergency doors must open in the direction of escape;
• sliding or revolving doors must not be used for exits specifically intended as emergency exits;
• emergency doors must not be so locked or fastened that they cannot be easily and immediately opened by any person who may require to use them in an emergency;
• emergency routes and exits must be indicated by signs; and
• emergency routes and exits requiring illumination must be provided with emergency lighting of adequate intensity in the case of failure of their normal lighting.

Maintenance

Any safety related equipment (signs, extinguishers, alarms or otherwise) must be subject to a suitable system of maintenance to ensure they are in an efficient state, working order and repair.

Principles of Prevention

• avoiding risks;
• evaluating the risks which cannot be avoided;
• combating the risks at source;
• adapting to technical progress;
• replacing the dangerous by the non-dangerous or less dangerous;
• developing a coherent overall prevention policy which covers technology, organisation of work and the influence of factors relating to the working environment;
• giving collective protective measures priority over individual protective measures; and
• giving appropriate instructions to employees.

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