UK Fire Safety Regulations
August 4, 2008 by admin
Filed under Fire Safety for Business
New fire safety regulations were recently passed that affect all workplaces in England and Wales. While many workplaces have the basic precautions in place, there are many that don’t. Once you know the basics, such as how to assess the risk and what fundamental safety measures are required, fire safety is not a difficult topic, and the new fire safety regulations will be easy to implement.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, as it is known (or RRO), is designed to turn almost all the earlier pieces of UK fire safety legislation into one all-inclusive law.
Here is a short précis of the important parts of the Order that concern all those who run a business or institution situated in a building, based on key words used and their meanings:
- Responsible Person: the person who owns or controls the business or premises
- Competent Person: this could be an employee or an outside contractor appointed and trained to carry out fire fighting duties, contact the emergency services, and assist in evacuations
- Enforcement: failing to satisfy the applicable articles of the Order may result in a fine or up to two years imprisonment
- Fire Risk Assessment: if the responsible person employs 5 or more people, or if the premises are licensed, or if the inspector wants it, this vital plank of the Order must be officially documented
Application
The Fire Safety Order applies to all buildings in use, except domestic premises and some kinds of premises that are a specific risk and where other regulations apply. It also places duties on a ‘responsible person’ not only to protect employees but members of the public.
Don’t forget that every building is going to be different – different fire hazards in different places affecting different people.
Fire Risk Assessment
The Law requires that Risk Assessment be done, consistent with most of the new regulations regarding health and safety. It is important to consider how a fire would affect the people in the building, starting with those immediately at risk from the fire.
The outcomes of the Risk Assessments must be presented in writing where five or more people are employed, in line with many other regulations.
Fire Prevention
One of the reasons for Fire Risk Assessment is to lessen the chances of fire occurring. A fire prevention plan should be easy to put together and should be a matter of common sense for most workplaces.
Some measures to consider include making sure rubbish is not stored near the premises, and ensuring that the electrical wiring is tested and inspected frequently.
Fire Precautions
There are a number of general fire precautions required by the regulations but it is important to remember that every workplace is different and every work location has different needs. What works in one building might not work elsewhere.
The most important fire safety regulations to consider include:
- A whistle or an electric fire alarm, or some other kind of fire warning
- Automatic fire detectors might be needed in some buildings, especially if a fire could be a risk to people if it is not detected (such as a two-story building) or there are large numbers of people in the building
- There must be fire extinguishers in the building, not only to maintain exits while people evacuate but also to control small fires
- There must be enough fire exits in the building for the numbers of people who use it and exits must lead as directly to safety as possible
- Exits must be clearly marked with exit signs and they must be kept clear and readily available
- Fire exit routes might need to be protected so that the smoke and flames won’t affect people evacuating the building
- Emergency lighting might be needed in some situations to light exit routes and rooms in the event of a power failure
- Fire equipment must be maintained and looked after, so that they are in working order
- There must be a fire procedure for the building, outlining people’s responsibilities and the evacuation plan in case of fire
My company has booked me in to do a fire warden course thank you for the information.
We are looking into fire extinguisher testing regimes for those placed in work vehicles. As the work vehicle is defined as a workplace, does the RRO covering fire protection of fire extinguishers have to be applied as per buildings i.e. annual inspection/test regime by competent engineer or will a visual inspection suffice to be compliant ?
Hi Pete
This is where the RRO falls down (or, rather, one of the places it falls down!). Technically, a work vehicle is a place of work – as shown by it requiring a “no smoking” sign – so it should have a fire extinguisher.
However, there is no guidance for size of extinguishers or types for vehicles other than ADR Regs. Also, it takes around 10 seconds to inspect your average 1kg or 2kg powder extinguisher and difficult to get them all in for an inspection.
Personally, I’d inspect them yourself using a fixed format and have an inspection label attached and keep the record. Unfortunately, if you ask anyone for an official viewpoint, they will only be able to give you their opinion and interpretation and that counts for nothing in the RRO.
http://www.fireprotectiononline.co.uk/ have a free commissioning pack (supplied with every extinguisher) with info on how to inspect.
I’ve been told that a fire extinguisher is only servicable for up to 10 yrs. Is this law or sales talk from a rep who wants my to buy new instead of maintain existing?
Hi Mark
There is no legally defined lifespan of a fire extinguisher. But, a CO2 extinguisher and a ‘factory-sealed’ powder (only from Nu-swift and their companies, I think) need a full overhaul service at 10 years and it may not be economically viable.
In fact, all other extinguishers need a discharge test at 5 years and, if you check online, it is usually cheaper to buy a new one. Have a look at the prices at http://www.fireprotectiononline.co.uk as they sell the proper stuff
Hello, my daughter set off a fire extinguisher at school and they have kicked up a fuss about it. She told me that it had no pin in place so I’ve been searching the net in regards to the rules and H/S because Im sure that by not having a pin in place it is they who have broken a bigger rule.
Could you point me in the right direction.
Thanks
Hi Lester,
This sounds like a catch 22 situation, despite your daughter saying there was no pin, the school will argue just as hard that there was. So unless someone independent can validate either claim it is unlikely to be resolved.
I would however maybe point out to the school that there are a number of ways they can prevent pupils even having access to the fire extinguishers in the first place, by for example, alarming the fire extinguishers, putting them into cabinets, or the cheapest way would be to put a cover over them – it acting as a visual deterrent.
I found a website that seems to stock all of these options at a good price:
http://www.fireprotectiononline.co.uk/medium-extinguisher-cover.html
Good luck with it all and I hope its resolved quickly for you.
Is there a minimum size that signs have to be? Obviously they need to be seen but I’m looking at how small I can get away with!
Hi Carol,
I’ve had a look around and gone to a reliable source for information
http://www.fireprotectiononline.co.uk/news/21/Exit-Stage-Left—Fire-Safety-Signs-In-The-Workplace.html
The last paragraph on this article seems to imply that there is no hard and fast rule, just that they can be clearly and easily seen to people, so I would say always err on the side of caution and maybe look at a relatively decent size sign but obviously not one that’s going to dominate the wall.
I looked at a few of the signs on this website and they seem to be of the size and quality I’d suggest – You’ll need something hardwearing and rigid (so people can’t easily peel them from the walls etc)
I hope this helps.
Hi, I currently work in a garage that deals with all types of servicing of motor vehicles (apart from bodywork) and carries out MOT’s. These two services are carried out in the same large open plan building, which contains 5 lifts so any form of work can be performed. There is also another seperate building which is almost equal in size which is used to fit tyres/alloy wheels, the stock of tyres are kept in both buildings. To my shock and amazement there is only 1 fire extinguisher located on the entire site (in the building first detailed). I can truely say that it does not install any confidence at all as it is about the same size as a SMALL Thermos flask (clearly inadequate for the size and purpose of site), is grey in colour (claims to be for all fires) and looks as if it could be at least 20/30 years old. I have worked in numerous garages over the years and never ever seen a place like this, surley they are breaking a whole lot of health and safety laws and i was wondering what your views would be on how to tackle the matter.
Hey Pablo,
Well gosh, thats a lot to take in, in short, yes they’re breaking the law mega-big-time.
The grey extinguisher is probably an old chubb halon one from a car and is illegal and way out of date, which really isnt great.
Personally I’d recommend finding out the square footage and getting on to someone like Sue at Fire Protection Online (http://www.fireprotectiononline.co.uk/ ) 0800 321 3145 for advice on what you really need (I often use Fire Protection as a point of reference since they have some much free and useful information). Legally speaking the owners could be facing a huge fine and even a possible prison sentence if deemed to be very dangerous.
Then I’d say once the fire extinguishers have been bought and put up in place, get a fire risk assessment ( since every business by law needs one) asap – but dont go to a fire extinguisher servicing company for this – either do it yourself or go to a specialist company.
Hope this Helps.
Is there any legal requirement ref height for securing fire extinguishers to walls (Wall Mounted)
Hi Martin
Yes, there is. Extinguishers with a content weight of 2kg or less should have the top handle at 1.5m from the ground. Bigger than that (and, confusingly, the 2kg CO2) should have the handles 1m from the ground.
If the walls are unsuitable, then it is OK to have them on a fire extinguisher stand or on an extinguisher trolley.
And, it does not have to be exact so roughly those measurements will keep everyone happy. There is some good information here at
http://www.fireprotectiononline.co.uk/wall-mounted-or-floor-standing.html
Jon
Hi,
Do fire extinguishers have to be replaced after twenty five years of service, we have them inspected every six months & discharged every five years?
Thanks
Tony
Hi Tony,
It’s difficult to comment since I’m not sure which country you’re referring to, each country has their own specific requirements.
However, I will assume you are in the UK.
An average fire extinguisher if bought online costs around £30.00 and is a potential life saver. If your fire extinguishers have been discharged tested genuinely and properly you are likely to be paying more than buying brand new modern fire extinguishers, which would strike me as a false economy.
It would be for the best if you were to replace the older fire extinguishers with the new modern ones, not only for cost but also in respect to the advances they have made in the past 25 years.
Hope this helps.
I have 2 x h20 extinguishers &1 x co2 extinguisher in a retail business that employs just 3 people. Do I have to pay an outside company to annually maintain these extinguishers or is it sufficient for us to check pressure readings and condition ourselves and log this in a report?
Hi,
What are the mandatory rules for fire extinguishers and maintenance iIf you are a small business with under 5 employees? Do they have to be tested regularly by a contractor?
Cheers
Stef.
Hey Steve,
Yes, I’m afraid you need to get a qualified service engineer to check your fire extinguishers and to update the service labels after having inspected the equipment.
To find a decent company, I’d either ask a few personal recommendations from other business owners (smaller local companies tend to be more efficient and cheaper) or look on bafe.org.uk for a registered company in your area.
Hope this helps
Hey Stef,
Ok, First of all you will need fire extinguishers for your business, no matter if its one person in a office at home or a multinational corporation.
You will also need to complete a fire risk assessment by law (this should help work out how many fire extinguishers you will need) you can either go to this link http://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/faqs/riskassess.htm and use the free government resources, or if you feel you may need a little more guidance one of my favourite websites sells these http://www.fireprotectiononline.co.uk/fire-training-risk-assessment/ or if you really rather you could hire an independent consultant to come in and work out what you need and where ( this is quite costly).
Secondly, the fire extinguishers will need to be annually serviced by a qualified service engineer and then discharge tested once every 5 years ( or 10 if its a CO2 fire extinguisher) the discharge tests are quite expensive and often cheaper to buy online a new fire extinguisher!
I hope this helps.
Fire extinguishers are a necessary part of every home, commercial operation, and laboratory. Where safety is concerned, it’s best not to skip out on quality. Do consider buying higher quality products that have a high shelf-life, so you won’t run into bigger problems of failures when they are needed most.Lucy
Why does one need a fire extinguisher to be dumped & refilled, if the indicator is still sitting on the middle of the green ?.
Is this only a gimmick to keep “engineers ” running about ” firing off” units to get a massive fee for repairing the “damage”. A large fee to help tp tempt people to ” leave it “, to help their budget problems work out
Hi John,
Fire extinguishers need to be discharge tested after 5 years ( or 10 if it is a co2 fire extinguisher) to ensure that the extinguisher is functioning correctly, replacing the product inside and recharging the pressure ensures that the equipment would be fine to use in case of an emergency.
The engineers really shouldn’t be performing a discharge test as part of the annual service, as its main function is to just check that there aren’t any signs of corrosion or indicators of an issue with the fire extinguisher that may or have developed.
Most people find it cheaper and more economical to just buy new products again online than pay for a discharge test, as with a discharge test you’re paying not only the test but the call out charge as well. Which all in all makes it quite an expensive affair to refurbish a 5 year old fire extinguisher.
Hope this helps and don’t forget if you’re buying online check what products you buying and that they meet the requirements you need and the regulations too.
Hey Dave,
Chubb are a good company, although I have heard a number of complaints about the service engineers and the pricing, I would always say check online to see if its cheaper, and try small local companies who are more focused on customer service.
I have my fire extinguishers maintained regularly in my factory by a local company in the UK, They have just sent me a very expensive quote suggesting various changes must be made inline with british standard 5306 part 3. some are replacing water extinguishers with foam extinguishers, changing i.d. signs etc,
Is this a requirement or should i just take it as a recommendation?
I have spoken to my contractors about this and they are not very forthcoming with the answer.
Hey Andrew,
To be blunt it sounds like they are trying to squeeze a few extra pounds out of you. As i understand the current standard your current extinguishers should be fine,( if you are worried you can always request a different company to come in and give you their opinion but I bet no two opinions will be the same).
There is nothing wrong with water extinguishers unless your is running a fuel depot or dont have any class A fire risks. There should be CO2s for electrical risks, too. Signs should be above extinguishers and on exit routes but, as long as they have the recognised pictogram, they are OK.
I hope this helps!
Are dry powder extinguishers included in the pressure regulations?
Are Co2 extinguishers covered by the pressure regulations?
Hi Gordon,
Ok so I’m going to presume this a question for within the UK?! All fire extinguishers in the UK are subject to the current regulations and these state pressure and the recommendations for the pressure of each variant.
So yes powder and Co2 are regulated in regards to the recommend pressure they should be at ( a little guide for stored pressure fire extinguishers and whether they’re ok is to look at the dial on the side of the extinguisher – the marker should normally be in the middle, however a Co2 fire extinguisher needs to be weighed as there is no dial)
Hope this helps