Access Keys:

How do you rate this information / service?

Find My Nearest
Enter your postcode to find services and information for your area on a map e.g. schools, libraries and GP surgery
Translate this web page

Fire precautions in the workplace

The Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997, as amended 1999

The Fire Precautions (Workplace)  Regulations 1999 came into force on 1 December 1997 (as amended), applies to an employer who employs one or more workers in a workplace for which he\she is responsible.   

If your premises has a fire certificate, it will still be valid, but you must also comply with Workplace Regulations and carry out a fire risk assessment.   

Your responsibilities: 

As the employer, the Fire Regulations require you to:   

  • Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (as amended), employers are required to carry out a risk assessment of the workplace. All employees and other people who may be effected by a fire in the workplace, including those with special needs, who use or may be present at the premises must be considered in the assessment.
  • If you employ more than five people, record the findings of your risk assessment in a written form as it may be required as evidence of compliance.
  • Provide and maintain adequate fire precautions and safeguard those who use the fire precautions in your workplace.

There are six further legal duties:

  • To safeguard the safety of your employees, you must nominate people (or yourself), to undertake any special roles identified under the emergency plan.
  • You must consult your employees (or their representative bodies), about the nomination of people to carry out particular fire safety roles and about proposals for improving fire precautions.
  • You must inform other employers who also have workplaces in the building of any significant risks identified which might affect the safety of their employees. You must also co-operate with them about the measures proposed to reduce or control those risks.
  • If you are not an employer but have control of premises which contain more than one workplace, you are also responsible for ensuring that the requirements of the fire regulations are complied with in those parts you have control over.
  • You must establish a suitable means of contacting the emergency services and ensure that they can be called easily.
  • Your employees are required to co-operate with you to ensure the workplace is safe from fire and not do anything which will place themselves or other people at risk

How to do a Fire Risk Assessment 

Identify the fire hazards    

  • Sources of ignition
  • Sources of fuel
  • Work processes
  • Identify the location of people at significant risk in case of fire.

Evaluate the risks - Are your fire safety measures adequate?   

Consider   

  • Control of ignition sources/sources of fuel
  • Fire detection/fire warning
  • Means of escape
  • Means of fire fighting
  • Maintenance and testing of fire precautions
  • Fire safety training of employees

If the safety measures are not adequate, carry out improvements   

Record your findings and the action taken   

  • Prepare an emergency plan
  • Inform, instruct and train employees in fire precautions

Review the assessment - and revise it if the situation changes   

Your emergency plan   

You need to plan what action your employees and other people in the workplace should take in the event of a fire. If you employ more than five people you must have a written plan. The emergency plan should be kept in the workplace and be available to your employees and their representatives (where appointed). The fire authority will wish to see your emergency plan during routine fire safety visits.   

The purpose of your emergency plan is to ensure that people know what to do if there is a fire and to ensure that the workplace can be safely evacuated.   

The emergency plan will take into account the results or your risk assessment. In smaller premises the emergency plan may be some simple instructions included in a Fire Action Notice, whereas in larger or complex premises the emergency plan will probably be more detailed. If you share the workplace with other employees or occupiers the emergency plan should include everyone and it will help if one person co-ordinates this.   

You may find it helpful to obtain a booklet entitled "Fire Safety: An Employers Guide (ISBN 0-11-341229.00) which is available from the Stationary Office or any good bookseller, this clearly explains your duties and responsibilities in easy to read terms.