11 May 2004 - Proposals to Reform Fire Safety Laws
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has unveiled its plans to reform UK fire safety laws for businesses. The reform will be implemented by way of an Order under the Regulatory Reform Act. This Act was intended to allow Ministers to reform over-complex regulatory regimes, and simplifying fire safety law has always been seen as a prime example of what the Act could achieve.
The reform repeals the Fire Precautions Act 1971 and amends or removes wherever possible the many provisions dealing with fire safety contained in other legislation. These will be replaced by a single Order applying the risk assessment principles introduced by the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997. The result will be one fire safety regime applying to all workplaces and other non-domestic premises.
Key elements of the reforms are:
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The new regime will place a greater focus on fire prevention, with the emphasis for responsibility for fire safety on the employer or “responsible person” for any building or premises
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Employers will have to assess the risks of fire and take steps to reduce or remove them. The risk assessment would have to be changed as circumstances change
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Employers will also have to meet certain specific requirements such as making sure that there are adequate means of escape and the right sort of fire fighting equipment
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Once the Order becomes law, businesses will no longer need a fire certificate although fire and rescue authorities will continue to inspect premises and ensure they have adequate fire precautions in place.
The Government’s Fire Safety Minister, Phil Hope commented:
"By simplifying the law and placing a greater focus on fire prevention, we can begin to reduce the number of fires in businesses, improve fire safety and save more lives."
Mr Hope also added:
"By
simplifying, rationalising and consolidating the fire safety laws we can
reduce the burden on business throughout the country.
"Current fire safety laws were mainly adopted piecemeal in response to
serious fires which inflicted multiple fatalities. This reform will bring
all the laws under one umbrella and make it easier for business, and fire
professionals alike, to understand."
Information for this news story gathered from the website of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and can be accessed here.
