Introduction to Fire Safety Management

Figure 1.15
Means of escape
* Note relevant persons
The RRFSO specifi es ‘relevant persons’ as being any person 
who is or may be lawfully on the premises and also includes 
any persons in the immediate vicinity who may be at risk from a 
fi re. Signifi cantly, the RRFSO specifi cally excludes fi re fi ghters 
who are carrying out emergency actions as there is no expect-
ation that the responsible person will know how fi re fi ghters will 
go about their duties.
The meaning of the term ‘responsible person’ 
is defi ned by the RRFSO as being twofold:
➤
In relation to a workplace, the employer, 
if the workplace is to any extent under his 
control;
➤
In relation to any premises not falling 
within the above
➤
the person who has control of the 
premises (as occupier or otherwise) in 
connection with the carrying on by him 
of a trade, business or other undertak-
ing (for profi t or not); or
➤
the owner, where the person in control 
of the premises does not have con-
trol in connection with the carrying on 
by that person of a trade, business or 
other undertaking.
The responsible person is the main duty holder for fi re 
safety and has, as a result, overall responsibility for:
➤
Undertaking the fi re risk assessment
➤
Putting precautions in place to safeguard employees 
and non-employees
➤
Ensuring that testing and maintenance are carried 
out for such aspects as
➤
Fire detection and alarm systems
➤
Fire 
fi ghting equipment
➤
Emergency exit routes and fi re exits
➤
Fire evacuation drills and assembly points.

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Introduction to Fire Safety Management
14
Moreover, the responsible person is accountable 
for appropriate training, provision of information and 
a variety of other duties relating to the management 
of fi re safety, such as the protection of young people, 
managing risks from explosive atmospheres, consulting 
with employees and other relevant persons, etc.
The control of risks from dangerous substances
If there are dangerous substances present in or near a 
work premise, the responsible person must ensure that 
the risk to all persons, including those on and off site, 
is either eliminated or reduced so far as is reasonably 
practical. Where the substance cannot be eliminated, 
the judgement relating to what is reasonably practical 
must be informed by the risk assessment and measures 
must be introduced that:
➤
Control the risk at source
➤
Mitigate the effects of a fi re
➤
Ensure the safe handling, storage, transportation of 
dangerous substances
➤
Maintain the necessary measures.
Additional emergency arrangements also need to be 
made to reduce the effects of an accident, incident or 
emergency relating to dangerous substances.
Fire fi ghting and detection
Where the risk assessment deems it necessary, the 
responsible person must ensure that the premises are 
provided with appropriate:
➤
Easily accessible fi re fi ghting equipment
➤
Fire detectors and alarms.
In addition to the provision of fi re fi ghting equipment, 
detection and alarms, the responsible person must, in 
the light of the fi ndings of the risk assessment, also:
➤
Take the appropriate measures in the premises for 
fi re fi ghting
➤
Nominate competent persons to implement those 
measures and ensure such persons have adequate 
training and equipment
➤
Arrange contacts with any external emergency ser-
vices with particular regard to:
➤
Fire 
fi ghting
➤
Rescue 
work
➤
First aid, and
➤
Emergency medical care.
Emergency routes and exits
The responsible person must ensure that the routes to 
emergency exits and the exits themselves are kept clear 
at all times. In addition the order requires that:
➤
Emergency routes and exits must lead as directly as 
possible to a place of safety
➤
It must be possible to evacuate the premises quickly 
and safely
➤
The number, size and distribution of exits must be 
adequate for the maximum numbers of persons who 
may be present
➤
Emergency doors must open in the direction of 
escape
➤
Sliding/revolving doors must not be used as emer-
gency exits
➤
Exit doors must be easily and immediately opened 
by any person who may need to use them in an 
emergency
➤
Escape routes must be indicated by signs
➤
Emergency routes and exits must be adequately 
illuminated in the event of a failure of the normal 
lighting.
Procedures for serious and imminent danger and for 
danger areas
The responsible person also has a duty to establish 
emergency procedures and test that those procedures 
work. In the light of this they are also responsible for 
nominating suffi cient numbers of competent persons to 
implement the evacuation procedures and ensuring that 
employees and others have been provided with suffi -
cient information regarding hazards, and their controls, 
together with appropriate fi re safety and other related 
safety training.