• Business Safety
• Civil Disturbances
• Business Continuity
• Business Safety Offices
• Employees' Responsibilities
• Employers' Responsibilities
• Advice for Residential Accommodation
• Fire Training Courses
• IOSH Training Courses
• Public Register of Notices
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• Reducing False Alarms

Employers' Responsibilities

The costs of a serious fire can be high and afterwards many businesses do not reopen. You can get advice about minimising fire losses from your insurer.

The responsible person has a statutory duty to ensure the requirements of the Fire Safety Regulations are complied with.

It is the policy of the East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service to effectively manage fire safety and to seek a reduction in the number of fires, fire-related deaths and injuries, through the effective enforcement of Fire Safety Legislation. We have a statutory requirement to effectively and efficiently enforce all Fire Safety Legislation for which East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service has responsibility. Our Fire Safety Inspectors will provide information, which is consistent, appropriate, transparent and timely, and the inspection of premises in regard to commerce and industry will be prioritised by risk.

Between April 2009 and March 2010, Fire and Rescue Services attended a total of 242,000 fires in England. Of the 328 fire fatalities, approximately two thirds (210) occurred in accidental dwelling fires.

Everyone is responsible for fire safety at work, Employees and Employers. Fires at work kill people and businesses so it makes good sense for everyone in the workplace to consider fire safety.

In October 2006 the Government updated the fire safety legislation that applies in England by enacting the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Further information on this new fire safety legislation is given in Fire Safety Law section.

The following paragraphs provide an overview of employers responsibilities under the new legislation concerning Fire Safety at Work. In addition East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service offer a number of Commercial Courses to help businesses in the area tackle the fire safety issue.

Employers need to :

• Carry out a fire risk assessment.
• Produce a written emergency plan.
• Ensure that Employees know about the risks present in the workplace.
• Ensure that they know what to do in the event of an Emergency.
• Train your staff to know what to do in the event of fire.
• Maintain the premises and any fire related facilities, equipment and devices.

Fire certificates, issued under previous fire safety legislation, are now obsolete. However, the fire safety standards detailed in these old fire certificates may provide you with assistance in complying with the new law. The Fire Precautions (workplace) Regulations 1997 have also been repealed and replaced with the new legislation.

A simple Entry Level Guide [pdf, 330K, opens in new tab] to making your premises safe is available to download. It also tells you how to carry out your fire risk assessment and identify the safeguards which you should have in your workplace.

You may need additional information if you have large or complex premises.

A series of guides for different business sectors is available from the Government website www.gov.uk/workplace-fire-safety-your-responsibilities/fire-safety-advice-documents - External Link.