The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 - RRFSO

The RRFSO came into force on the 1st of October 2006 replacing 118 pieces of legislation with one legislative document. The RRO is part of the governments plan to reduce deaths and injury from fire at workplaces. The legislation applies in England and Wales, both Northern Ireland and Scotland have different laws. The RRO is all about the risk based approach rather than the previous prescriptive legislation where the Fire Service told you what fire precautions were needed. The risk based approach put the responsibility for fire safety firmly with the responsible person and requires the premises to have a dedicated written fire risk assessment where 5 or more people are employed. Does the law apply to my premises?

The law applies to every business and premises with very few exceptions. The law does not apply to a single domestic dwelling but does apply to shared areas of communal buildings e.g. stairs and hallways of communal flats.

What do I need to comply with the law?

• A dedicated fire risk assessment which will highlight significant findings this is what the fire officer will want to see
• Staff trained in fire precautions (normally fire wardens)
• An emergency action plan (which will highlight who will do what in the advent of a fire alarm actuation or a fire)
• Keep records of all testing – fire alarms, fire-fighting equipment, emergency lighting etc.

Firstly you need to carryout an assessment of your premises and produce a risk assessment. Under the RRO, the Fire & Rescue Services are the enforcing authority. Therefore, the Fire Service will be working towards raising organisations' awareness of the RRO, but are also responsible for enforcement where non-compliance is identified, and have powers to issue fines and even imprisonment.