As an employer you need to take action and plan for you and your employees. Be aware of the course of action which should be taken in the event of a fire in your workplace.
Under the fire regulations, if you employ more than five people then you must have a written fire risk assessment. This should be available to your employees (and their representatives) and available for inspection by the Local Fire & Rescue Service. Your assessment should cover the emergency and fire action plans and give instructions to enable the people in your workplace to know what to do in the event of fire. In a small workplace this may be simple instructions on the fire action notice, in larger or complex workplaces you will need to create a more detailed emergency plan. The findings of your fire risk assessment should be shared with all your employees.
Your plan must cover:
- training of your employees and those whom you may be responsible for, both theory and practical;
- location and use of the firefighting equipment provided
- what action employees should take in the event of a fire;
- means of raising the alarm and how people will be warned if there is a fire;
- calling the fire service;
- liasing with the emergency services;
- evacuating the workplace if there is a fire, including arrangements for people identified as being especially at risk, such as people with disabilities, members of the public and contractors;
- roll calls and where people should assemble after evacuation;
- key escape routes;
- specific roles and responsibilities of nominated people in case of fire;
- machine/process/power supplies shutdown and isolation points;
- location of nearest water supplies;
If you have a larger or more complex workplace, then you may find it useful to include a simple plan drawing of your premises showing:
- essential structural features: the layout; escape routes; doorways; walls; partitions; corridors; stairways, including any fire-resisting structure and self closing fire doors;
- the location of any firefighting equipment;
- the location of manually operated fire alarm call points and control equipment for your fire alarm;
- emergency lighting equipment and any exit route signs;
- automatic firefighting systems and sprinkler control valve;
- the location of the main electrical supply switch, the main water shut off valve and where appropriate the main gas or oil shut off valve;
- location of nearest water supplies;
- out of hours contacts for key holders;
Exempt premises
Is my workplace covered by the Fire Regulations?
Most workplaces must comply with the fire regulations. Listed below are those workplaces which are exempt from the requirements of the fire regulations - all others must comply
- Private dwellings
- Construction sites (any workplace to which the Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996 apply
- Any aircraft locomotive or rolling stock etc. which is in use as a means of transport
- Mines, other than any building on the surface of a mine Agricultural or forestry land situated away from the undertaking's main buildings
- Offshore installations (workplaces to which the Offshore Installations and Pipelines Work (Management and Administration) Regulations 1995 apply
- Ships within the meaning of Section 313(1) of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 other than a ship which is: in the course of construction, or being prepared by people who include people other than the master and crew of the ship
Basically anything that flies or floats, is static in water, underground, a building site or your own home is exempt. Premises for which a fire certificate is in force or has been applied for are not exempt from the regulations.
If you require further advice or clarification on compliance with the regulations please contact your local Fire Safety Department.
