The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 was approved by Parliament on 7 June 2005 and came into force in October 2006. It has been amended a number of times to include matters such as cladding, external wall assessment and flat entrance fire doors. There are also the Fire safety Act 2021, Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 which add to the requirements and cover inspection of fire doors on a regular basis.
It applies in England and it should be noted that Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland have their own laws. It covers ‘general fire precautions’ and other fire safety duties which are needed to protect ‘relevant persons’ in case of fire.
The Order requires fire precautions to be put in place where necessary and as far as is reasonable and practicable in the circumstances of the case. Responsibility for complying with the Fire Safety Order rests with the ‘responsible person’.
Many situations will require a fire risk assessment. Your fire risk assessment will help you identify risks and then decide if they can be removed or reduced and to decide how to manage the fire risks that remain.
Further information, including guidance on how to carry out risk assessments and what you need to do to make your premises legally compliant can be found on the GOV.UK website: Fire safety: guidance for those with legal duties – GOV.UK
