Three years ago, the fire safety laws changed radically but it seems that some landlords, and other businesses, are still not totally aware of how that affects them.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order came into effect in October 2006 and replaced over 70 pieces of fire safety legislation. The Order applies to virtually all buildings, places and structures, so there is little chance it does not apply to you.
The main thrust of this legislation is that the responsibility for fire safety lies with the employer or landlord. Therefore, it makes good business sense as a landlord to have a strong knowledge of the fire safety regulations. London Fire Brigade is saying that in their experience many landlords do not.
If you are an employer or have control over a premise (known as the ‘responsible person’ landlords fit into this category) then you are required by law to carry out a fire risk assessment and act on its findings. Simply to assume that everything is OK will not cut it!
If you are one of those people who think that you will never get caught out then it bears keeping in mind that London Fire Brigade carries out around 14,000 fire inspections of premises each year. If your premises are part of this inspection and they are found wanting then you could face very hefty penalties.
Even with that aside this is the safety of people we are talking about here and none of us want a tragedy on our conscience.
