Law firm Mace & Jones said it is concerned that a number of employers are unaware that the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 shifts responsibility for fire safety and prevention firmly on to the business owner.

Frances Dixon, a human resources adviser at Mace & Jones, said all employers, must realize that should they fail to assess the risk levels and take steps to prevent accidents the company boss will be liable if there is a fire.

Ms Dixon said: “It will effectively shift the emphasis of fire prevention and reducing risk away from authorities and towards employers, increasing their accountability if they fail to carry out their duties.

“Under the regulations, businesses will need to appoint a ‘responsible person’, usually the employer, to manage any fire risk on their premises. Moreover, fire authorities will no longer carry out risk assessments or issue safety certificates, and those previously in force will have no legal status.”

Risk assessment
Ms Dixon said the law change shifts the onus onto the responsible person to ensure a full risk assessment is carried out.

She said: “The blunt truth is that failure to carry out risk assessments could lead to severe penalties, including heavy fines or in the most serious cases prison terms. Employers will not only be responsible for the safety of staff but also for anyone else in the vicinity of the business, for example, cleaners, maintenance staff, temporary workers, volunteers, visitors and even members of the public passing by.”

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Susie Hughes © Hardhatter.com 2006
The Editor