Introduction to Fire Safety Management

Reasonably practicable duties
These require the employer to assess the risks associated 
with a particular work activity and then take appropriate 
measures to counteract those risks, taking into account 
the costs of the proposed controls. The controls may be 
measured in time, effort or money, and there will be an 
optimum balance point at which further risk reduction 
would not be cost effective. The requirement is that the 
employer must reduce the risks using controls commen-
surate with those risks; a balance needs to be struck.
1.4.2 Specifi c fi re and health and safety 
legislation
There are three key pieces of legislation relating specifi -
cally to fi re and health and safety in England and Wales:
➤
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
➤
The Management of Health and Safety at Work 
Regulations 1999
➤
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
As it is the basis upon which our current safety legisla-
tion is founded we will look at the Health and Safety at 
Work etc. Act fi rst.
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
This Act came into force as a result of work undertaken 
by the Rubens Institute, in 1972. In essence the Act con-
fers duties on a number of key parties in relation to health 
and safety. The primary responsibilities are held by:
➤
Employers
➤
Occupiers of premises
➤
Designers, manufacturers, suppliers, importers, 
installers, etc.
➤
Employees
➤
Personal 
liabilities
➤
HSC and HSE.
Employers
The general duty of employers under the Act is to ensure, 
so far as is reasonably practicable, the health safety and 
welfare at work of all his employees. This general duty is 
extended to include the following specifi c requirements:
➤
The provision of safe plant and systems of work
➤
The safe storage, handling, use and transportation 
of articles and substances used at work
➤
The adequate provision of information, instruction 
and training with supporting supervision
➤
A safe place in which to work with adequate means 
of access and egress
➤
A safe working environment with appropriate provi-
sion of welfare facilities.
The Act also places a duty upon an employer to 
produce a health and safety policy which if there are fi ve 
or more employees should be written down.
There is also a general duty for an employer to consult 
with duly appointed trade union safety representatives 
and to form safety committees given certain criteria.
Figure 1.10
Balancing risk against cost
Magnitude
of risk
Time
Effort
Money

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