Most fires are preventable with the right safety measures. If you own or operate a business in Manchester, you need to appoint a responsible person (RP) to take appropriate steps to prevent the risk of fire in your business premises. The fire safety law – The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order Of 2005 implemented in October 2006 – states that a business needs to appoint a responsible person to carry out a fire risk assessment in your business organisation. It will help reduce the risk of fire and identify the people who are at a risk in your organisation.
If your business employs 5 or more staff, you should maintain a record of the findings of the fire risk assessment. A fire risk assessment includes qualitative and quantitative methods to identify the risks and people who will be greatly affected by such a fire. This guide reveals the requirements for fire risk assessments for businesses in Manchester.
The Regulatory Reform – Fire Safety Order Of 2005
All buildings other than domestic dwellings in England and Wales are required to carry out a fire risk assessment by law. Similar laws are enforced in Northern Ireland under the Fire and Rescue (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 and Scotland under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005. Every business should carry out a fire risk assessment in Manchester under these laws. It can be carried out by the employer or a competent person appointed by him or her.
– The fire risk assessment should identify possible risks of fire and the dangers to employees and customers in the organisation.
– The person carrying out the assessment should be competent enough to do so. The employer needs to appoint a responsible person or RP to carry out the assessment.
– The organisation should take steps to reduce or eliminate the risk of a fire on the premises and protect their employees and customers at all times.
– The organisation should create a detailed plan to deal with any fire emergencies and record all the findings. Recording the findings of the assessment is essential if the business employs 5 or more staff. Even if the business doesn’t have 5 employees, it is recommended to maintain a record of the findings of the assessment.
– Every business should review the assessment as and when the necessity arises and upgrade the fire safety network to suit the new conditions of the business.
What Is Involved In A Fire Risk Assessment?
Manchester fire risk assessments should include a physical inspection of the business premises to determine the adequacy of the existing fire precautions in the building. It should consider any additional precautions needed to safeguard the property, employees, and visitors to the company. The human factor is also important when conducting such an assessment. How will the employees and visitors to the company respond during an actual fire? Although the fire assessment doesn’t involve the carrying out a detailed engineering evaluation of fire protection systems and escape lighting systems in the building, it is important to at least inspect such systems visually during the assessment. The objective of the fire risk assessment is the safety of the occupants of the business premises.
What Is Covered By A Fire Risk Assessment?
- Fire hazards in the building
- Handling and storing of flammable liquids and gases
- Preventing a fire
- Proper housekeeping
- Means of escape during an actual fire
- Emergency escape lighting
- Fire safety notices and signs
- Smoke control systems
- Fire procedures
- Fire training and drillings
- Records
- Testing and maintaining the fire safety equipment and systems
- Facilities used by the fire rescue services
- Fire alarm and detection systems
- Fire extinguishing systems
- Fire loss experience
The Duties Of The RP
The business owner needs to appoint a responsible person (RP) to carry out the fire risk assessment in the organisation. If the RP isn’t competent enough to conduct the assessment, he or she can hire a competent authority to conduct the assessment. But the RP is responsible by law to meet the order since he or she has been appointed for such a purpose. The RP is responsible to see that every employee and visitor to the building is safely evacuated during an actual fire on the premises. People who require special assistance should be treated accordingly during such a fire. The RP should be competent enough to manage the situation and bring it under control. A fire risk assessment is mandatory even if the building has been built in keeping with modern building regulations.
A fire risk assessment should be a dynamic process. It should be reviewed from time to time to see if needs any changes in line with the latest developments on the premises. These are important factors to consider when carrying out a fire risk assessment for businesses in Manchester.
