Introduction to Fire Safety Management

Summary of key legal requirements
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➤
Post a notice stating the composition of the com-
mittee and the workplace covered
➤
Establish a safety committee within three months of 
receiving the written request.
Note:
See previous section covering the Health and 
Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations 1996.
15.30
The Health and Safety (Safety 
Signs and Safety Signals) 
Regulations 1996 (SI 0341)
These regulations apply to all workplaces and to all 
activities where people are employed but exclude 
signs used in connection with transport or supply of 
dangerous substances (see previous section covering 
CHIP).
The regulations require employers to use safety 
signs where there is a signifi cant risk to health and 
safety that has not been avoided or controlled by other 
methods required in relevant law, provided that use of 
the sign can help reduce the risk.
Safety signs are not a substitute for other risk 
control methods such as engineering controls and safe 
systems of work but should be used to warn of any 
remaining signifi cant risk or to instruct employees of the 
measures they must take in relation to these risks.
15.30.1 Provision and maintenance of safety 
signs
Where the employer’s risk assessment indicates that, 
having adopted all appropriate techniques, the risks 
cannot be adequately reduced except by the provi-
sion of appropriate safety signs to warn or instruct of 
the nature of the risks and of the protective measures 
required, the employer must:
➤
Provide and maintain any appropriate safety sign and
➤
Ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that any 
appropriate hand signal or verbal communication is 
used.
15.30.2 Information, instruction and training – 
regulation 5
The employer must ensure that:
➤
They provide comprehensible and relevant informa-
tion to each of their employees on the measures to 
be taken in connection with safety signs
➤
Each of their employees receives suitable and suffi -
cient training in the meaning of safety signs and the 
measures to be taken in connection with the safety 
signs.