Fire safety regulations: What you need to know
Keeping you compliant
In 2006, The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO) came into effect in England and Wales, and it brought together many pieces of fire safety regulations. It applies to workplaces such as offices, hotels, and factories, but also includes blocks of flats and houses in multiple occupations. The RRO operates on the basis of self-assessment and requires a ‘responsible person’ in nearly all premises (except single residences) to carry out a fire risk assessment where the organisation employs more than five people.
Who is responsible?
Under the fire safety regulations, anyone who has control of premises, or anyone who has control over certain areas or systems can be a ‘responsible person’. For example, the ‘responsible person’ for fire safety in your organisation could be the employer, the manager of shared parts of premises, or any other person who has a degree of control over parts of your premises.
How do you comply?
According to the fire safety regulations, employers, or the ‘responsible person’ must carry out a fire risk assessment, and keep it up to date. Similar to health and safety risk assessments, they can be carried out as part of an overall risk assessment of the premises, or as a separate evaluation. Based on the outcome of your risk assessment, you must ensure that adequate and appropriate measures are in place to reduce the risk of injury or loss of life in a fire.
What is a fire risk assessment?
Under the fire safety regulations, a fire risk assessment is an organised inspection of your workplace or building. It’s done in order to assess if there are any fire hazards that could cause harm, with the goal to remove those hazards, or reduce them to an acceptable level. When conducting a fire risk assessment, advice should be sought from your local building control department and where appropriate, local fire service.
Staying compliant with fire safety regulations
For businesses in the healthcare, education and manufacturing sectors with multiple systems across various sites, staying compliant with fire safety regulations can be difficult. However, based on the outcome of your fire risk assessment, Drax 360 can help. We’ll work with you to select a suitable fire alarm system type for your needs, using the latest, market-leading technology. From the initial design of your fire alarm systems, right through to verification and end of life, we ensure you stay compliant with the fire safety regulations in your industry – no matter how complex.
Knowing what level of fire safety your buildings need to be compliant with is tricky. That’s why we work with you to develop a fire alarm system tailored to your requirements and recommendations as detailed in your fire risk assessment.
Once your system is designed, we develop your individual solution using market-leading products. Our specialist fire alarm services engineers then install your new equipment carefully – with little disruption to your day to day activities. Your dedicated fire alarm services account manager is also on hand to answer any queries, and keep the installation running smoothly.
Now you’ve invested in fire protection and prevention, it’s your legal responsibility to ensure your fire alarms are regularly serviced by specialists. At Drax 360, our fire alarm services make this task easier. Our specialist engineers aim to replace parts and fix faults on their first visit. Your systems are serviced and certified, with all details stored centrally to access at any time – giving you peace of mind that your buildings are compliant, always.
Regular fire alarm testing is an integral part of fire safety and compliance, and you need complete assurance that when needed, your systems will work. With Drax 360’s state of the art technology, testing is no longer a hassle. Check the status of critical equipment in real-time, and view concise reports in one central location. As part of our fire alarm services, we can also advise on BS5839 recommended weekly testing – so you can be sure your systems are always up to speed.
Professional evaluation is needed throughout the lifecycle of your equipment to determine age, condition, and suitability. Using diagnostic software, we generate detailed reports that will inform decisions regarding end of life replacement or enhancement. We help you decide where your budget is best spent, to keep your systems both cost-effective and compliant.
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