Farms

Find out more about your legal responsibilities

Farmers are required by law, under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, to carry out a fire risk assessment of their farm buildings.

• Are you up to date with the requirements of current fire safety legislation? In particular to need to:
  
• Have a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment, which has identified sources of ignition and fuel and have eliminated, reduced, isolated, and controlled them as far as is reasonably practical.
  
• Produced an emergency plan.
  
• Ensured that employees know about the risks present in the workplace.
  
• Ensured that they know what to do in the event of an emergency.
  
• Maintained the premises and any fire related facilities, equipment and devices.  

Further information about fire safety and your legal responsibilities can be found on the DEFRA website.

Our Business Safety pages may also help.

You may also want to consider the following 

• Hay and straw should be removed from the field as soon as possible after harvesting.
  
• Are you storing it separately from other buildings, particularly those housing fuels, agrochemicals and machinery? Is in stacks of reasonable size, spaced at least ten metres apart? It is stored separately from livestock housing?
  
• Have you ensured that petrol, diesel and other fuels are stored in secure areas and storage tank outlets are padlocked?
  
• Are you keeping your fertilisers and pesticides under lock and key?
  
• Have you recently checked that open water supplies are being properly maintained for firefighting?
  
• Are you disposing of refuse safely and on a regular basis?
  
• When did you last check unoccupied areas on your farm? Are they safe and secure? Have you made sure there is no unnecessary accumulation of combustible materials?
  
• If you allow visitors or camping on your farm, ensure all barbecues are properly supervised and do not allow the lighting of open fires on the property. Make sure you only allow camping and picnicking in selected areas.
  
• Have you checked that Fire Danger warning signs are in place?  

Assessing the risk 

A quick and simple survey of the farm will identify areas of risk, including arson. If there are certain areas you are unsure about, ask your local crime prevention officer or your insurer for advice. 

Your survey may reveal the need to

• Provide, repair or replace damaged fencing or gates
• Install intruder sensors and security lighting
•  Maintain the security of the outbuildings
  
•  Replace or re-site security and warning notices
  
• Ensure firefighting equipment is in good order
• Prepare a fire routine and action plan, and ensure that all farm workers know what to do in the event of a fire, including how to use extinguishers.  

Remember if fire breaks out 

• Call us immediately
  
• Only attempt to fight the fire if it is safe to do so
  
• Send someone to the farm entrance to direct our crews to the fire
  
• Prepare to evacuate livestock should the fire spread
  
•  Prepare to use farm machinery to assist us