Fire safety and risk assessmentBuilding evacuation plans and fire safety equipmentA fire in your premises must be detected quickly and a warning given so that people can escape safely.Fire detection and warning systemYou must have an appropriate fire-detection and warning system. Whatever system you have, it must be able to warn all people in the building in all circumstances.You should consider which type of fire detector is suitable for your premises as part of your risk assessment. It may be that one type of detector is suitable for one part of your premises and another for the rest. Before installing a fire-detection system, you may wish to discuss your proposals with your local fire authority or a fire safety expert.Means of escapeThe arrangements to evacuate your premises form an important part of your emergency plan. You should:Make sure the escape route is as short as possible.Consider how many people are going to be using the escape route.Consider the impact if one of the means of escape has been blocked.Ensure there is a clear passageway to all escape routes - passageways should be one metre wide. Passageways that are more than 30 metres long, or45 metres in offices and factories, should be subdivided into equal parts by fire doors.Ensure escape routes are kept free of any obstructions, eg they are not used for storing stock.Make arrangements for the evacuation of elderly or disabled people. You must also consider other less able-bodied people who may have access to the building, taking into account both physical and mental impairment.Inform and train all employees in how to escape the building.Install an emergency lighting system.Identify all escape routes with appropriate signs.Ensure the place to which you are evacuating - the muster point - is safe.

Fire-fighting equipmentYour risk assessment may highlight that it may be appropriate to provide portable multi-purpose fire extinguishers so that people on your premises can tackle a fire in its early stages. These extinguishers should be installed, tested and maintained in accordance with manufacturers' instructions. They will require a 'competent person' to instruct staff how to use them.In smaller premises, you may only need one or two portable extinguishers. However, larger, more complex premises may require a number of portable extinguishers situated in suitable locations. It may be necessary to show the location of extinguishers with suitable signs.Depending on your type of business the size and complexity of your premises and the outcome of your risk assessment, you may need other specialised fire-fighting equipment.For more information, see the page on plan how you'll deal with an emergency in our guide to crisis management and business continuity planning.PrevNext

Subjects covered in this guideIntroductionWho is responsible for fire safety?Duties of the 'responsible person'Fire risk assessmentBuilding evacuation plans and fire safety equipmentBuilding work and fire safetyArson in the workplaceFire drills and trainingRecord, review and revise your fire safety plansHere's how I introduced a fire safety policy

Fire safety and risk assessmentIntroduction

Each year people die or are seriously injured as a result of fires at work. Besides loss of life, fire costs UK business millions of pounds, from damage to property, loss of business, fines, compensation claims and insurance premiums.Many fires can be avoided by taking fire precautions. If a fire does break out, the effects can be minimised by having effective controls and procedures in place.Fire safety legislation applies to all commercial premises and other buildings to which the public have access. It does not apply to private residential premises. The legislation allows businesses the flexibility to remove, reduce and manage their fire risks on the basis of the findings of a fire risk assessment.This guide provides an overview of fire safety legislation and how to comply.

Who is responsible for fire safety?Typically the employer, owner or occupier of the premises is responsible for fire safety. In law, they are known as the 'responsible person'.All workplaces, commercial premises and other buildings to which the public have access must have a fire safety risk assessment carried out. The responsible person must carry out or arrange for a risk assessment of the premises. They must also implement and maintain appropriate and adequate fire safety measures to minimise the risk to life from fire.See the page in this guide on the duties of the 'responsible person'.In the case of blocks of flats and houses of multiple occupation, the fire safety legislation applies to common or shared parts. In these cases the responsible person is usually the landlord, freeholder or managing agent.If you haven't done so already, you should establish who the responsible person is within your business or premises.In shared premises, there are likely to be a number of people - including the owner and the employers within the building - with responsibilities under the fire safety legislation. Where this is the case, they are expected to:co-operate with each otherco-ordinate with fire safety measuresshare information with each other to ensure the safety of those on or in the vicinity of the premises

Duties of the 'responsible person'The responsible person is someone who has the duty of carrying out or arranging a risk assessment of their premises. They must also implement and maintain appropriate and adequate fire safety measures to minimise the risk to life from fire.If you are the responsible person you must make sure that fire risks are removed, reduced or managed to an acceptable level to reasonably protect lives. You must also ensure that everyone who may be in, or in the vicinity of, your premises can escape if there is a fire.As part of the risk assessment you need to think about all the people who might be on your premises, including employees, visitors or members of the public. You need to pay particular attention to those who may need special help, such as elderly or disabled people or children.You must:carry out a fire risk assessment and identify possible dangers and risksthink about who might be particularly at risk - for example disabled employees, or people who work with hazardous chemicalsremove or reduce the risk from fire, as far as reasonably possibleput in place fire precautions to deal with any risks that remainmake sure there is protection if you use or store flammable or explosive materialshave a fire management plan to deal with emergencies including evacuation procedures, and appoint a suitable number of competent persons to help implement itrecord your findings - if five or more persons are employed - and review them regularly

You can appoint someone other than yourself - known as a 'competent person' - to carry out the risk assessment for you, but in law you remain responsible for complying with fire safety legislation.In smaller and less complex premises you may be able to carry out the risk assessment yourself. You can use the government's premises-specific guidance to help you do so - you can find fire safety law guidance on the Communities and Local Government website - Opens in a new window. You may need to get more complex premises assessed by a person who has comprehensive training or experience in fire risk assessment.The main enforcers of fire safety legislation are your local Fire and Rescue Authority (FRA) who must be satisfied with your safety measures. If they are not satisfied, they will offer you advice on what you need to do.If the FRA finds major deficiencies they can serve an enforcement notice requiring you to improve the measures in place to ensure there is a sufficient level of compliance on the premises. In carrying out their enforcement duties you can expect FRAs, wherever possible, to take a supportive and proportionate approach by helping and encouraging you to understand and meet regulatory requirements.

Fire risk assessmentThe 'responsible person' must manage any fire risk on your premises by carrying out and maintaining an up-to-date fire risk assessment.The recommended way to carry out a risk assessment is to follow a step-by-step process.Step 1 - identify the hazardsHazards include:anything that can start a fire, such as naked flames, heaters or commercial processes or equipment such as cookers or hot-air dryersanything that can burn in a fire, including piles of waste, display materials, textiles or other flammable productsoxygen sources such as air conditioning, medical products or commercial oxygen supplies which might intensify a fire

Step 2 - identify people at riskPeople at risk include:people who work close to or with fire hazardspeople who work alone, or in isolated areas such as storeroomschildren or parents with babieselderly peopledisabled people

Step 3 - evaluate, remove or reduce the riskTo comply with fire safety legislation, you will need to:where possible, get rid of the fire hazards you identified - eg remove build-ups of waste - and reduce any hazards you can't remove entirelyreplace highly flammable materials with less flammable oneskeep anything that can start a fire away from flammable materialshave a safe-smoking policy for employees or customers who want to smoke in a designated area near your premises (smoking in enclosed spaces is banned) - read about the smoking ban in England on the Smokefree England website - Opens in a new window

Once you have reduced the risk asfar as is practical, youshould assess any remainingrisks that can't be removed and manage these with appropriate fire safety measures.Step 4 - record, plan and trainYou should:record significant findings and action taken - this is a legal requirement if you have more than five employeesprepare an emergency planinform and instruct relevant people, and co-operate and co-ordinate with others to ensure fire safetyprovide training

Step 5 - review the fire assessmentYou should keep the assessment under regular review and revise it where necessary.You can download a checklist for carrying out a fire safety risk assessment from the Communities and Local Government website (PDF, 42K) - Opens in a new window.For more information, see the page on how to assess the possible impact of risks on your business in our guide on crisis management and business continuity planning.

Building evacuation plans and fire safety equipmentA fire in your premises must be detected quickly and a warning given so that people can escape safely.Fire detection and warning systemYou must have an appropriate fire-detection and warning system. Whatever system you have, it must be able to warn all people in the building in all circumstances.You should consider which type of fire detector is suitable for your premises as part of your risk assessment. It may be that one type of detector is suitable for one part of your premises and another for the rest. Before installing a fire-detection system, you may wish to discuss your proposals with your local fire authority or a fire safety expert.Means of escapeThe arrangements to evacuate your premises form an important part of your emergency plan. You should:Make sure the escape route is as short as possible.Consider how many people are going to be using the escape route.Consider the impact if one of the means of escape has been blocked.Ensure there is a clear passageway to all escape routes - passageways should be one metre wide. Passageways that are more than 30 metres long, or45 metres in offices and factories, should be subdivided into equal parts by fire doors.Ensure escape routes are kept free of any obstructions, eg they are not used for storing stock.Make arrangements for the evacuation of elderly or disabled people. You must also consider other less able-bodied people who may have access to the building, taking into account both physical and mental impairment.Inform and train all employees in how to escape the building.Install an emergency lighting system.Identify all escape routes with appropriate signs.Ensure the place to which you are evacuating - the muster point - is safe.

Fire-fighting equipmentYour risk assessment may highlight that it may be appropriate to provide portable multi-purpose fire extinguishers so that people on your premises can tackle a fire in its early stages. These extinguishers should be installed, tested and maintained in accordance with manufacturers' instructions. They will require a 'competent person' to instruct staff how to use them.In smaller premises, you may only need one or two portable extinguishers. However, larger, more complex premises may require a number of portable extinguishers situated in suitable locations. It may be necessary to show the location of extinguishers with suitable signs.Depending on your type of business the size and complexity of your premises and the outcome of your risk assessment, you may need other specialised fire-fighting equipment.For more information, see the page on plan how you'll deal with an emergency in our guide to crisis management and business continuity planning.Building work and fire safetyIf your premises are subject to significant alterations you will need to ensure they comply with the Building Regulations. This includes when your premises are being built, extended, materially altered or subject to a relevant change of use.The Building Regulations affect how fire safety is designed into the building, as well as other aspects of building design, such as structural stability, access, ventilation, energy efficiency, etc.You must provide appropriate early warning of fire and appropriate means of escape. You must also provide measures to resist the spread of fire within the building and from one building to another, and provide reasonable access and facilities for the fire and rescue service. Guidance on what might be needed in a range of common building situations is given in Building Regulations Approved Document B but the final decision rests with the relevant building control body, either at the local authority or an approved inspector.You should pass information on what fire safety measures have been provided as part of the building work (eg fire doors, smoke detection, sprinklers) to the responsible person to help inform their risk assessment.Contractors are required to pass the details of fire safety measures implemented as part of building construction work to help the responsible person with their risk assessment under Building Regulations. Where this does not happen, the responsible person should actively seek it.Read the Building Regulations Approved Document B on fire safety on the Planning Portal website - Opens in a new window.Changes to premisesIf you make any changes to your premises, you will be responsible for managing the risk you create. You will still have to comply with the planning process and Building Regulations. You will need to:revisit your fire risk assessmentassess how the changes will affect the risk in your premisesdecide whether your risk management measures are adequate and adopt further measures if necessary

Alterations notices for high-risk buildingsIn some high-risk buildings - requiring particularly complicated fire safety arrangements or higher than normal risk to life - the enforcing authority - usually the Fire and Rescue Service - may issue an 'alterations notice'. This means that if the responsible person intends to make changes or 'alterations' to premises which would significantly increase the risk, they must inform the fire authority.

Arson in the workplaceAll types of business are at risk of a major fire and arson is often the cause, particularly in shops and other retail premises.There are steps you can take to reduce the risk of arson attack on your business. You will need to consider all the ways in which someone could start a fire deliberately - inside or outside your premises. For example, good security will help to prevent arson as well as lowering the risk of theft.There are some warning signs that you should look out for that might indicate that your business is at increased risk of an arson attack - for example:small fires in or around your premises previously - these could be a warning of worse to comefires occurring locally - you should make sure that the police are informed of theseother forms of vandalism - eg graffiti or damage

Your local Fire and Rescue Service can give useful advice, and local businesses can be helpful in sharing information and experience of arson prevention.

Fire drills and trainingYou should carry out a fire drill at least once a year. It is good practice not to announce fire drills in advance so you get a realistic idea of how effective your fire evacuation plans are.Everyone must participate in the fire drill. You should record the result of each fire drill in your fire log book.You must nominate and train a sufficient number of staff to help you carry out your fire drills and emergency evacuation procedures. This includes training on how to operate any fire-fighting equipment considered necessary.Fire safety induction trainingAs the responsible person, you must provide all employees with instruction and training so that they know what to do in the event of a fire.Every employee, including those on temporary or short term contracts, and others likely to be on the premises must know:how to raise the alarm if they discover a firehow to contact the fire brigadehow to use the fire-fighting equipment and in what circumstanceshowto evacuate the buildingwhere to assemble and who to report to

Record, review and revise your fire safety plansIf you employ more than five people, you must keep a written record of the significant findings of your fire safety risk assessment. You should keep the following:a record of the hazards you have identified, the people at risk, and any action you have takenan emergency plan designed for your premises, including the action you need to take if there is a fire on your premises or nearbyrecords of fire-fighting arrangements in place to control the fire risk

Even if you have fewer than five employees, it is good practice to make a written record of your risk assessment.Maintenance records for trainingThese include details of fire training and instruction provided and details of fire drills carried out, including the date, evacuation time and any problems encountered. You should give staff and visitors to your premises instructions on what to do in the event of fire.Maintenance and testing of fire equipmentAll equipment, eg fire doors or fire-fighting equipment, must be regularly checked and maintained. This includes checking that:the control panel shows that all electrical fire detection and alarm systems are working - if not, that all faults are recorded and dealt with immediatelyall emergency lighting is working - if not, that all faults are recorded and dealt with immediatelyall escape routes and fire exits are clear of obstacles and the floor is in good repairall fire escapes can be opened without any delaysall automatic fire doors close correctly when activatedall fire exit signs are in the correct position

Review your risk assessmentYou must make sure that your fire risk assessment is reviewed regularly, is up to date and takes into account any changes to your premises or business that may affect fire safety. You should, for example, look again at your fire risk assessment if:there was a fire which was caught in timeyou are storing more flammable materialsyou start a new night shiftyou have more people using your premisesyou make a significant change to your premises, eg adding an extension or subdividing offices

Revise your risk assessmentIf your review shows that there have been significant changes that might affect the fire risk in your building, you may need to do another risk assessment. If you are in any doubt at all, it is best to conduct the assessment, even if it turns out that your risk management measures are adequate and there is no need for any further action. See the page in this guide on fire risk assessment.Here's how I introduced a fire safety policyNicola Newman is the managing director of Zooby's, a Fairtrade coffee bar and sandwich deli, based in Sheffield. The caf premises are located in the 'Winter Garden' - a covered public garden in the middle of the city. Nicola explains how she put her fire policy in place and why it is important to the business.What I didConduct a risk assessment"Zooby's moved into its current premises when the business opened in December 2002. I have a joint fire policy with the building I'm based in, which is council-owned. They had a fire policy which I amended to make sure it looked at the particular risks faced by my particular business activities."I carried out a risk assessment and realised I needed to ensure all staff were careful with the equipment we use and that all air vents on the equipment are always kept clear. We have a microwave that we use occasionally to heat soup, and a coffee machine. I get these checked every year to ensure they are still in good working order and not a fire risk."Put my policy into the company handbook"Whenever a new member of staff starts, I go through any important fire safety information with them verbally, because I think it is more likely to be remembered than if I hand them a manual to wade through. I do still give each of them a copy of the company handbook though, in which the fire policy runs to about four pages. The policy covers how to clean the machines safely, such as what chemicals can be used, and what employees should wear while doing it."Ensure employees and customers are safe"The handbook tells staff where to congregate in the event of a fire alarm being activated. I have also given them instructions for making sure any customers they are serving at the time get out safely. One of the good things about being in a shared building is that there are appointed 'fire ambassadors' who would do a sweep of the building in the event of a fire to ensure everyone is out. They also test the fire alarms every week."Another piece of equipment I am responsible for are the fire extinguishers that I installed following my first risk assessment. Thankfully, I have never had to use them, but it is important to be prepared."What I'd do differently

Make regular updates"Ideally we would carry out a fire risk assessment and update our policy every year, but as a small business some things do get pushed aside and I don't do it as often as I would like."