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Currently the Fire & Rescue Services attend more than 30,000
fires in the workplace each year. Company Executives, Landlords and
Business Owners must now undertake a Fire Risk Assessment to ensure
they meet the obligations of the new fire laws and to avoid costly
fines of anything from £4000 to £85,000.
All non-domestic premises will need
to nominate a ‘responsible person’ (usually the premises or business
owner) who will be required to carry out a suitable and sufficient
assessment of the risks from fire, record and take reasonable steps
to minimise those risks. Sole responsibility for ensuring that fire
does not put lives at risk now rests with the responsible person.
Over 60% of businesses do not presently have adequate fire
protection.
Commenting on the new legislation’s
potential impact on business, Managing Director of Peterborough
based Newflame Fire Equipment, Steve Best said; “This is a positive
step forward in fire safety management. Industry needs to see the
new Order as a benefit, aiming to make buildings safer workplaces
for people. By protecting both life and property, businesses can
also significantly reduce the potentially huge loss of time and
production which occurs following a fire.”
Organisations may need to use the
services of a Fire Safety Consultant to work with their own
nominated safety assistant, an employee defined as a ‘competent
person’, in order to carry out the Fire Risk Assessment. This is to
maintain the assessment ensuring that recommendations are acted on,
thereby keeping it under constant review.
To help, there is an online self
assessment form available at:
http://www.fire.gov.uk/Workplace+safety
which takes around 10 minutes to complete and will give
outline results and suggestions for improvement. “
October 2006 |
