If you have responsibility for a commercial premises, it is a legal requirement to make sure that a Fire Risk Assessment has been completed by a competent person.
What is a Fire Risk Assessment?
A Fire Risk Assessment is a careful look at your premises and the people who use them, from a fire prevention perspective. It’s about understanding the potential risks, then improving your fire safety precautions to keep people safe.
Why do it?
A Fire Risk Assessment is a legal requirement. If you are responsible for a building, for example an employer, owner or occupier of premises that aren’t a ‘single private dwelling’ (a private home), you need to make sure a suitably competent person completes a Fire Risk Assessment. It is your duty to identify fire risks and hazards in your premises and take appropriate action.
In addition, if five or more people work at your premises or your business has a licence under enactment in force, you’ll need your Fire Risk Assessment to be a written record. Make sure you review your Fire Risk Assessment regularly and whenever significant changes have been made that would have an impact on it. It makes good business sense as well as a being a legal requirement, as often businesses don’t recover after a fire. Effective fire prevention starts with properly understanding the risks.
Did you know?
If there is a fire and you haven’t met your legal duties to keep people safe, you could be fined and may even spend time in prison.
If you would like to find out more about undertaking a Fire Risk Assessment, please contact us on 01981 590514 or visit https://www.cxcs.co.uk/commercial/health-and-safety/fire-risk-assessment/
Find out more about your legal obligations at https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/safety/the-workplace/fire-safety-law-explained/
