Workplace Law provides specialist advice and support in fire risk management. Following the introduction of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRFSO) in England and Wales, and the enactment of similar legislation in Scotland, employers find themselves with more responsibility than ever to ensure that the risk of fire is being actively managed and - importantly - to ensure that documentation is available and kept up to date in order to underpin their fire risk management systems.
Fire risk assessment
The law (RRFSO) is quite specific about the requirements for fire risk assessment:
“9. —(1) The responsible person must make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to which relevant persons are exposed for the purpose of identifying the general fire precautions he needs to take to comply with the requirements and prohibitions imposed on him by or under this Order.”
“11. —(1) The responsible person must make and give effect to such arrangements as are appropriate, having regard to the size of his undertaking and the nature of its activities, for the effective planning, organisation, control, monitoring and review of the preventive and protective measures.”
Workplace Law can carry out a fire risk assessment for you to help you comply with the law.
We carry out fire risk assessments for some of the UK's best-known organisations: manufacturing sites such as Johnson Matthey; office premises such as the call centres for Barclays Bank; and public buildings such as the Institute of Directors' UK premises portfolio.
Workplace Law's team of highly experienced fire risk assessors have all served within a local fire authority, and are fully conversant with the requirements of legislation as well as the practicalities of building management. Fire risk assessment undertaken by Workplace Law is detailed, comprehensive, and intrusive where necessary (for example examining above ceiling voids, below floors and into the building fabric). We work to a standard specification, but as with all our consulting services, the fire risk assessment we undertake is unique to your buildings, your organisation, and your needs.
Because no two buildings, and no two organisations are alike, we do not undertake "tick-box" fire risk assessments. For the same reason, we don't prepare quotes calculated on floor area. We do ensure that the work carried out is appropriate to your needs, and that the cost is proportionate to the level of risk. But you can always rest assured that our fire risk assessments will be carried out to a high standard, by qualified personnel, to give you maximum peace of mind.
The documentation produced during the fire risk assessment builds up into a complete compliance document that can be used as the basis of your fire log book. It includes a fire safety policy, an emergency plan, and a compliance action plan, together with reporting sheets that need to be completed during the year.
For further information about fire risk assessment, please contact us on 0871 777 8881.
Fire safety and disability
We advise members on access and egress for disabled people in the event of an emergency. Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1999 and 2005 premises managers were given additional responsibilities to ensure that access to (and from) premises was available equally to all, a principle further enshrined in Part M of the Building Regulations. From a fire safety perspective, however, the evacuation of buildings in an emergency in a safe manner and within satisfactory time limits is extremely difficult to achieve where disabled people are concerned.
We review fire safety policies and procedures, and can help you to address the difficult issues involved in fire safety and disability. This may include use of refuges, the preparation of Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) for disabled people, and training in the use of evacuation chairs.
For further information about fire safety and disability, please contact us on 0871 777 8881.
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