We recent got asked this question so thought it would make a good article
Understanding the Stringency of Fire Safety Regulations in the UK
The United Kingdom's fire safety regulations have garnered worldwide recognition for their strictness and attention to detail. This might prompt a question: why are fire safety regulations in the UK so strict? The answer lies in the historical, socio-economic, and legislative factors that have collectively shaped the country's unique approach to fire safety.
Fire safety has been a major concern throughout UK history, with some catastrophic incidents serving as grim reminders of the significance of robust fire safety regulations. Perhaps the most noteworthy of these is the Great Fire of London in 1666, which destroyed the majority of the medieval city. This led to the introduction of one of the earliest fire safety regulations, requiring houses to be built of brick or stone instead of timber. In more recent history, the Grenfell Tower disaster in 2017, which led to 72 deaths, served as a catalyst for a comprehensive review and overhaul of UK fire safety regulations.
A Socio-Economic Perspective:
The UK's dense population, particularly in urban areas, necessitates stringent fire safety measures. Fires in densely populated areas can quickly become uncontrollable, endangering a vast number of people and properties. Additionally, the UK's significant investment in infrastructure and heritage buildings necessitates robust protection measures against potential fire threats.
The Legislative Landscape:
UK fire safety regulations are codified in various legislative documents that ensure a high level of safety in buildings. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 is the cornerstone of this framework, applying to all non-domestic premises in England and Wales. Under this order, building owners or employers are legally obliged to conduct a fire safety risk assessment and implement suitable fire precaution measures.
Following the Grenfell Tower disaster, the government introduced a new building safety regulatory system, the Fire Safety Bill 2020. This legislation clarifies that the responsibility for fire safety in buildings extends to the building's structure and external walls, including cladding and balconies, and any common parts. It also clarifies that building owners and managers of residential buildings of any height must manage and reduce the risk of fire for these areas.
A Culture of Prevention:
Lastly, it's worth noting that the strictness of UK fire safety regulations reflects a wider cultural emphasis on prevention rather than reaction. There's a deep-rooted belief in the importance of safeguarding life and property from potential hazards. In the realm of fire safety, this means implementing rigorous standards and regulations that can prevent fires from occurring in the first place.
In conclusion, the UK's strict fire safety regulations can be traced back to a combination of historical experiences, socio-economic factors, legislative decisions, and cultural attitudes towards prevention and safety. These regulations serve as a testament to the country's commitment to maintaining high safety standards and continuously learning from past experiences to ensure the wellbeing of its citizens. Their stringency, while at times seen as burdensome, is an essential part of safeguarding lives and assets, fostering a sense of security and wellbeing within communities, and preserving the country's architectural heritage.
This is one of the most common questions we get asked and the answer is never as straight forward as we would like it to be, but hopefully this article will make it a lot simpler.
First off, I’m going to speak in very “Laymans” terms in this article to try and simplify a very complex subject, this means I may oversimplify some scenarios, examples and the general advice given. We therefore need to make it clear that you should always seek more in-depth professional help and not take this guide too literally, every business and premises is different, so we urge you consult a professional as much as possible.
Before you consider taking on your own Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) there’s a few points which you need to consider.
Who is the “Responsible Person” in a Fire Risk Assessment?
Well, the government guidance says the Responsible Person can be any of the following:
an employer
the owner
the landlord
an occupier
anyone else with control of the premises, for example a facilities manager, building manager, managing agent or risk assessor.
But before you decided who you are going to assign as the Responsible Person in your Fire Risk Assessment, its will be useful for you to know what this title means.
Ultimately it officially makes this person “responsible”, sounds obvious I know but it means the buck stops there, for example if a manager of the business was named as the “Responsible Person” but then any recommendations which were made in the Risk Assessment were not actioned by the owner it would be the Manager having to explain that to the authorities not the owner of the business.
To summaries I would always make the business owner or the person right at the top the “Responsible Person” if for example it’s a limited company then I make the company itself the RP. So, for example I would list “AMP Fire Ltd” as the RP in our Risk Assessment then who ever runs or owns the company is the RP.
If you have 5 or more employees or people.
The rule of 5 is a fundamental part of the FRO (Fire Reform Order 2005) which in short states any organisation with 5 or more people must have a written FRA, this also must be completed by a competent person, but we will get to that in the next step. Firstly, depending on where you read sometimes is says people and sometimes it says employees, this is just one of many frustrations I have with the clarity of official government advice.
I would strongly advise you to base this on “people” as it includes, tenants, customers, sub-contractors, members of public and other scenarios not just persons whom you may employee etc.
It’s also considered that the rule of 5 should be based on the organisation as a whole, for example we have a client who has multiple offices across the West Midlands, some of the offices only have a couple of members staff and only a couple of customers who are appointment only, but the business as a whole employees over 100 people, in this scenario we would recommend you perform a FRA for each office not just the offices with 5 or more people.
To summarise if you are the “Responsible Person” and your responsible for more than 5 people at any time then a full written FRA is what you need.
Who is the competent person in Fire Risk Assessment ?
You’re competent right?... I mean you pay your bills, your good at your job, and manage your life, ok? So, this makes you a competent person yeah?
This is one of the other frustrations with the language that’s used in official government guidance, it states that an FRA must be completed by a competent person, but it doesn’t explain what they consider to be competent.
In business competency is usually backed up with 3rd party accreditation, an electrician is competent to work to the relevant British Standard Regulations and this is proven with training, certification from 3rd party accreditations and membership to a governing body.
But a competent person is also just someone competent in general right?
Well, this is an area we see lots of issues, not being competent does not mean you’re stupid and the problem is you don’t know what you don’t know.
A common issue is Fire Alarm vs Smoke Alarms for example, I meet lots of smart “competent people” everyday who have no idea what the differences is? and why should they? So when it comes to that section of the FRA where it says, “Have you got an adequate Fire Alarm?” these people look up at the ceiling, maybe see some smoke alarms, even go as far as to press the test button and proceed to write “yes, our premises has an adequate fire alarm”. And in doing so they’ve just made an epic mistake… Fire Alarms come in a plethora of grades and categories and each one is designed for different type of building.
To summarise if you’re doing your own FRA make sure you get lots of advice, speak with expert engineers in Fire Alarms, Extinguishers, Fire Doors & Emergency Lights and also consider enrolling in some fire safety courses, if someone official questions your assessment can you prove you’re competent?
What if some aspects of the Fire Risk Assessment are out of our control?
This is a tricky one and is dealt with in the FRO under article 22.
This part of the legislation in short says “there are no excuses,” if there’s anything that’s out of your control then it’s the “responsible persons” job to find a way to mitigate this.
For example we have clients who are a tenant in a larger building complex and the fire alarm is for the whole building not just the offices and floors they occupy, they discovered the alarm was not being serviced as it should be to meet regulations so they challenged the landlord, according to the contract they have, it clearly stated the landlord was responsible for the servicing of the Fire Alarm so problem solved yeah?
I mean It’s not their fault the landlord isn’t looking after this life saving system, is it? …
…Well unfortunately that’s not how a court would see it if something went wrong, the tenants would still be responsible for the people in their business and so in the end had to pay for the alarm to be serviced and then had to pursue the landlord legally.
It’s an unfortunate situation and easy to see how a business in this situation could think it’s not their fault but that’s not how a judge would see it.
So, should I do my own FRA?
If you want my honest opinion, unless you are a one-man band or literally only have 4 or fewer people in your premises at any one time then I would always use an independent Fire Risk Assessor, the Fire Reform Order is a complex piece of legislation and since the tragic events of Grenfell Tower local authority inspectors have increased a huge amount.
Paying someone to complete your FRA does not have to be expensive though and ultimately if you find the right person, like an accountant they should save you money in the long run.
Here at AMP Fire we are all about giving you value so have number of complete free of charge services and guides to help you understand Fire Risk Assessments, Fire Safety and the Fire Protection Equipment that’s in your premises, from passive fire stopping barriers like fire doors etc, to active firefighting equipment like extinguishers and lifesaving systems like Fire Alarms and Emergency Lighting.
Feel free to contact us to speak to actually fire protection engineers not salespeople for advice, we also offer Free of Charge Fire Safety Surveys on your premises which can be a starting point for your Fire Risk Assessment.
I hope you find this article interesting and useful.
Own a Retail or High Street Business? This is your must-read guide!
Our series of complimentary guides and articles continue with this valuable piece, detailing which fire extinguishers are essential for most common high street businesses.
Firstly, it's important to note that ALL extinguishers must be certified on-site by a qualified engineer to adhere to UK regulations. We offer this service for a nominal fee of £8.25 per extinguisher, or at no cost if you purchase the extinguishers from us, along with a 10-year guarantee.
While this guide is based on our extensive experience, remember that each business site is unique. We recommend having a professional fire safety survey conducted, a service we provide free of charge.
Why do we offer these benefits for free? The answer is simple - we believe in educating our clients to avoid any pitfalls when dealing with larger national companies. We aim to demonstrate our trustworthiness and commitment to long-term customer relationships, rather than quick profits. We're here for your annual inspections and all your fire safety needs.
For any questions regarding the information below, don't hesitate to reach out.
Typical High Street Retail Business (Up to 400 sq meters)
The following is the minimum equipment needed per floor. If you have multiple floors, multiply the required equipment accordingly:
1 x 2kg Co2
2 x 6l Foam
1 x Fire Blanket (if kitchen present)
This applies to:
Banks
Post Offices
Pharmacies
Clothing Stores
Newsagents
Homeware Stores
Bookshops
Video Game Shops
Travel Agencies
Mobile Phone Shops
Estate Agents
Electronic Good Stores
Small/Micro Retail Premises (Up to 200 sq meters)
Again, this is the minimum requirement per floor. For multiple floors, multiply the below equipment:
1 x 2kg Co2
1 x 6l Foam
This applies to:
Barbers/Hairdressers
Laundrettes
Dry Cleaners
Bookmakers
Beauty Salons
Nail & Tanning Salons
Off Licence / Alcohol Stores
Food & Drink Premises
These businesses vary greatly in layout and design, so we've listed the types of extinguishers needed and their uses below:
Pubs (no food): Require more Co2 extinguishers, specifically in cellars and near bottle storage.
Pubs (with food): In addition to the above, kitchens need specific cover, such as a dry powder extinguisher & fire blankets. If cooking oils or deep fat fryers are present, wet chemical extinguishers will be needed.
Cafes: Most commonly need fire blankets in the kitchen and possibly dry powder and Co2 extinguishers. Wet Chemical extinguishers are required if cooking oils or deep fat fryers are used.
Coffee Shops: Co2 extinguishers are ideal as they are clean upon use and suitable for numerous electrical appliances. Additionally, foam extinguishers are required to meet minimum UK fire regulations.
Cinemas: Fire blankets are best for areas where snack food or heated fast food is sold.
Restaurants & Takeaways: Typically require Co2 & powder extinguishers, and almost definitely need wet chemical extinguishers for deep fat fryers and cooking oils. The size of the kitchen will determine whether a 2L or 6L Wet Chemical extinguisher is required. Larger kitchens, like in Fish & Chip shops, may need multiple Wet Chemical extinguishers depending on the number of deep fat fryers present.
It’s been nearly 4 years since Firestop Midlands officially stopped trading and sold the customers to the national company Churches Fire but with covid and the economy people have been so focused on their own business they’ve not had chance to give who’s looking after the Fire Alarm, Extinguishers and general fire protection any thought and were still finding old FIreStop customers calling us on a weekly basis.
Andy at Firestop Midlands was great at his job, his customers were well looked after and very loyal so it’s no wonder so many of them call us as upset as they do.
I think he would be gutted to learn how poorly Churches Fire have treated his old customers, luckily Andy and I didn’t just share the same first name we also clearly share the same business outlook, we want our customers for a long time not a good time and as a result are finding on a weekly basis customer from Fire Stop Midlands are now deciding to use us.
AMP Fire
