New fire laws come into force in October 2006

Bibby Financial Services is warning the UK small business community to take heed of the new fire laws that come into force October 2006, or risk getting their fingers burnt.

The new Regulatory Reform Order (RRO) aims to rationalise and consolidate many pieces of existing fire legislation and failure to comply may result in fines or even imprisonment for owners and managers of UK businesses.

Steve Hollings, BFS spokesperson, said: “Despite the massive changes facing fire safety legislation in England and Wales, few entrepreneurs are aware of the update, let alone what is required of them. As a result, many are unprepared for the effects this can have on their business.”

Unlike previous rulings, many self-employed people and sections of the voluntary sector will now need to comply as the new order applies to virtually all premises and covers nearly all types of buildings and even some open spaces.

One of the biggest changes owners and managers will see is that, after October, fire certificates will no longer be issued (however, until 1st October a valid fire certificate will still be required). This change is due to a new onus being put on risk reduction and fire prevention. As a result, companies will need to nominate a ‘responsible person’ to manage the maintenance of facilities, equipment and fire safety devices and to make sure that risk assessments are carried out.

It will also become compulsory for a company with five or more people to keep a record of these assessments and note any significant findings. For example, if an accident occurred in the workplace, and no documentation was available of a risk assessment having been carried out, owners and managers could be at risk of prosecution.

Another key area of importance is dangerous substances and obvious hazards. These must be included in the new risk assessments, which must identify how they will be contained or used by employees.