Workplace Law Magazine is available only to Premium Members of the Workplace Law Network. Produced 10 times each year, it is distributed in hard copy format in the first week of the month, and is also available online.
London’s burning, where’s the engine?
With the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 now firmly upon us, this issue we attempt to fill in the final missing pieces of the picture for businesses facing new responsibilities for fire safety in their premises. It’s not news (or at least it shouldn’t be by now!) to employers that fire certificates are being abolished and that they will have to take ownership of fire safety from 1 October, but what, perhaps, hasn’t been so well communicated to employers is, actually faced with a fire situation, how it will be dealt with by the fire service. In essence, the fire service has removed itself from protecting businesses from fire — not just in terms of assessing the risk in premises, but also how it responds to fire alarms and how it fights fire. Businesses will be responsible for ensuring they have an appropriate alar m installed if they expect to get a response from the fire brigade — and false alarms won’t be taken lightly either! Furthermore, firefighters will not be expected to fight fire at close quarters; instead, during a serious fire, they will fight only from the outside, possibly resulting in significant, or total, loss for businesses.In this issue…
Legal calendar
1 October has been designated as a Common Commencement Date. Check that you are ready for all the events and legal developments coming into force this month.
Fire, fire...
Employers looking for a complete picture of how moves to modernise the Fire and Rescue Service will impact on their business might find themselves asking, quite literally, where’s the engine? Katy Brown gets an inside view on how the pieces of this complicated puzzle will fit together.
The guides: burn them or use them?
Do the new fire risk assessment guides live up to expectation? We ask various fire experts, should we burn them or use them?
NEBOSH Fire Safety and Risk Management Certificate: a candidate’s view
Workplace Law gets an inside view on one candidate’s experience of the NEBOSH fire certificate, what he learnt, and how it will help him comply with new legal responsibilities.
Tick-box risk assessments
What are the risks in carrying out a DIY risk assessment, and just how useful are generic guides? Caroline Merz canvases expert opinion.
Houses in multiple occupation 24
Neil E Cheyne, Trainer and Technical Consultant with the Fire Protection Association, examines legislation, fire risk assessment and how it may apply to houses in multiple occupation.
Case law
Legal experts offer their advice to employers on the implications of recent case law.
Technical guidance
Intern(al) affairs: employment rights of interns; Health & safety and working time — implications for employers; and Consultation: changes to workplace exposure limits.
Clinic
Is a ‘zero tolerance’ health and safety policy the best one to have?
Analysis
Attitudes to Work and Families legislation.
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