Don’t let your Fire Risk Assessment lapse.  Under UK Fire Safety Law, employers must carry out a Fire Risk Assessment that looks at removing and reducing the risk of fire.   Your Fire Risk Assessment should be reviewed and updated continuously to keep it a ‘live’ document.  In particular, it should be updated following any change in premises, processes or the number of people employed or if you've had a near miss or a real fire.  It is essential to review it at intervals not exceeding 12 months.

If your Fire Risk Assessment has lapsed don’t delay and make contact with the team at Alert Fire & Security today.

Everyone who enters your business premises - employees, customers, contractors or other visitors - should ensure fire safety.  However, each non-domestic premise now has a legally-designated 'responsible person' who must arrange for a risk assessment, identify any possible fire risks and deal with them.

It will usually be obvious who the responsible person is, although sometimes several people will share the responsibility - for example in shared premises or larger businesses.  The responsible person will be someone who has control over premises, or over some areas, departments or systems.  For example, it could be:

• the owner, employer or manager of a business
• the owner or managing agent of premises which are shared between a number of businesses
• individuals within a multiple-occupancy building, such as self-employed people or voluntary organisations, if they control someone within the premises

You should establish who the responsible person is within your business or premises.

Where there is more than one person responsible for a premise, they are expected to:

• co-operate with the other responsible persons so far as is necessary to comply with the Regulations
• co-ordinate with the other responsible persons' measures required to comply with the Regulations
• share information with each other

The 'responsible person' is someone who has control, or a degree of control, over premises or fire-prevention systems within premises.  If you are the responsible person, you must make sure that everyone who uses your premises can escape if there is a fire.  In the event of an incident the ‘Responsible Person’ for the premises will be held accountable.

The people you need to think about include anyone 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 risks
• think about who might be particularly at risk - you may have disabled employees, or people who work with hazardous chemicals
• get rid of the risk from fire, as far as reasonably possible
• put in place fire precautions to deal with any risks that remain
• make sure there is protection if you use or store flammable or explosive materials
• have a plan to deal with emergencies
• record your findings and review them as and when necessary

If you are the responsible person, you must make sure that the fire-risk assessment is carried out.  You can appoint some other competent person to do the actual assessment, but you are still responsible in law.

The enforcing authority, which is usually the local fire authority, must be satisfied with your safety measures. If they find major problems they can serve an enforcement notice requiring you to improve safety or even restrict the use of your premises or close them altogether until you deal with any problems they raise.

Below is taken from Lancashire fire rescue website

In all premises that are not single private dwellings, the responsible person must carry out an assessment to remove or reduce risks.

Providing the premises have been built and maintained in accordance with Building Regulations and the use of the workplace can be described as normal risk or lower, undertaking a risk assessment will be a simple matter and is unlikely to cause significant expenditure.  If, however, the premises are not in accordance with the above categories and are classified as a high risk, substantial action may be necessary and an action plan should be produced and implemented based on the complexity, size, occupancy and consequential risks.

The responsible person can enlist the help of other people who have the necessary experience or skills and competence to carry out part or all of the risk assessment.

This 'competent' person (possibly a current employee with knowledge of safety and company working practices) does not have to be an expert, but they need to have sufficient experience and training with regard to the problems they are advising on.

The responsible person always remains accountable for the outcome.  This is worth remembering should you require help with your risk assessment.

Employers are required to:

• Carry out a fire risk assessment
• Monitor & Review the risk assessment and revise as appropriate
• Inform staff or their representatives of the risks
• Plan for an emergency
• Provide staff information and training
• Nominate people to assist

Employers are required to provide and maintain (to the extent that it is appropriate as determined by the fire risk assessment) :

• Means for detecting and giving warning in case of fire
• Emergency lighting
• Means of escape
• Fire safety signs
• Fire fighting equipment