Updated fire safety guidelines for responsible individuals

July 6, 2023

The Fire Industry Association reported on 4 July, that the government has released updated fire safety guidelines for responsible individuals:

‘Released on July 3, 2023, the vital government guidance covers the types of buildings the new fire safety requirements apply to, the duties for all RPs and those RPs of buildings that contain two or more sets of domestic premises, and other changes to fire safety legislation. Its purpose is to ensure that RPs have the necessary information to prepare for the changes that will come into force later this year.

In particular, the guidance highlights the requirement for RPs to keep a record of a full and completed fire risk assessment; the fire safety arrangements within their premises; and, in buildings containing two or more sets of domestic premises, provide residents with relevant fire safety information in a format that can be easily understood:

“You should make available as much information as possible about fire safety on your premises. This new requirement replaces the previous requirement to record only the significant findings of the risk assessment. It also removes the previous limitations on the circumstances within which you are required to record both the risk assessment and the fire safety arrangements at your premises, such as only being required to record this information if there were five or more employees or were subject to licencing or an alterations notice.”

As outlined in the guidance, “These requirements apply to all non-domestic premises, such as where people work, visit, or stay, including workplaces, and the non-domestic parts of multi-occupied residential buildings (e.g., communal corridors, stairways, plant rooms). The requirements do not apply within individual domestic premises.”

The Home Office adds that a competent person must be appointed by the RP to make or review the fire risk assessment, adding that the legislative requirement for this will be “brought into force at a later date”.

“In the meantime, if you do appoint a fire risk assessor, we recommend that you ensure they are competent to do so, in terms of having sufficient training, experience, knowledge, and other qualities. It remains the case that the Responsible Person has a duty to make sure that a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment is completed.”’

To read the full update visit the FIA website here.