RRO, What Is It?
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. What is it?
Fire safety legislation has, historically, been difficult to understand due to the variety of Acts and Regulations which has caused businesses difficulty in knowing their responsibilities. Fire safety in England and Wales has now been brought under one regime known as The Regulatory Reform
(Fire Safety) Order 2005.
Who is responsible?
The new law imposes responsibility for complying with the Order on a 'responsible person'. The 'responsible person' is the employer, any other person who may have control of the premises or the owner.
Duties of person responsible
Take such general fire precautions as will ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety of any of their employees and in relation to relevant persons who are not their employees. Take such general fire precautions as may reasonably be required in the circumstances to ensure that the premises are safe.
How does one make these precautions?
The responsible person must make suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to which relevant persons are exposed for the purpose of identifying the general fire precautions that need to be taken to comply with
the requirements, and prohibitions imposed by or under the RR(FS)O 2005. Risk assessments must be reviewed regularly by the person responsible so as to keep them up-to-date.
When the responsible person employs five or more employees they must record their findings gathered during the risk assessment. In particular:
- Significant findings
- Measures taken, or to be taken, to ensure general fire safety
- Persons identified as being especially at risk
Fire fighting and fire detection
The responsible person must ensure that the premises are equipped with appropriate fire fighting equipment and with fire detection and alarms. Any non-automatic fire fighting equipment provided needs to be easily accessible, simple to use and indicated by signs
