When it comes to your business, knowing the correct legal obligations that surround fire safety is essential. Knowing the rules around fire safety will ensure that your business remains safe and legal to operate. 

Unfortunately, it is often unclear who is responsible for the upkeep of fire safety measures in the workplace. This blog aims to inform you about fire safety and clarify who is responsible for maintaining good fire safety practices.

Fire Safety: Who Is Responsible?

When it comes to fire safety in the workplace, it can vary on who is responsible for the upkeep of fire regulations. Fire risk assessments are in place to keep everyone safe, so knowing who is accountable is essential for all businesses. A thorough risk assessment also helps protect the building by analysing what is most at risk of a potential fire and then assessing those areas to see where safety measures could be implemented.

According to Fire Safety in the Workplace set out by the government, you are responsible for fire safety if you are any of the following:

  • An employer
  • A landlord
  • An occupier
  • Personnel who have control over a property, such as managers and risk assessors.

All of these people will have a responsibility to carefully plan and carry out a risk assessment of the building to reduce the risk of a fire occurring. For example, suppose you are a manager or a risk assessor. In that case, one of your roles is to ensure the safety of the people you manage. The role will include carrying out a risk assessment and reporting any potential fire hazards to a higher authority to be dealt with. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the person appointed to ensure fire safety regulations are met.

It is also required by law for those that have to pay customers on-site to have a fire risk assessment carried out on the property. This would include hotel and bed & breakfast owners who regularly have paying guests.

Suppose you share a property with another organisation. In that case, there is a chance that multiple people will be responsible for ensuring a risk assessment has been carried out. If you are unsure, then it is always better to reach out to a professional who will assist you further. By consulting a professional, you give yourself and your employees greater peace of mind at work.

Fire Safety: Seek Professional Help

You can opt to hire our fire risk assessors to carry out a full inspection of your property. This way, you help take the stress out of fire safety regulations. In addition, hiring a risk assessor is a good option if you struggle to find the time to carry out your inspection properly. They are usually able to visit at a convenient time, and it will also create a minimum impact on day-to-day business.

At Northants Fire, by hiring our trained professionals, you can rest assured knowing that your property has been inspected to the latest safety guidelines and your business can continue to run with minimum disruption. To enquire about our fire risk assessment services please contact us at 01604 760 600 or fill out our contact form.