Introduction to Health and Safety at Work

13.2.2 PART 1 General
Meanings
The Order defi nes a responsible person, as the person 
who may be in control of the premises – this may be the 
owner or somebody else.
The meaning of general fi re precautions is set out, 
which covers:
➤
Reduction of fi re risks and fi re spread
➤
Means of escape
➤
Keeping means of escape available for use
➤
Fire 
fi ghting
➤
Fire detection and fi re warning
➤
Action to be taken in the event of fi re
➤
Instruction and training of employees.
But does not cover 
process-related fi re precautions.
These include the use of plant or machinery or the use or 
storage of any dangerous substances. Process related 
fi re precautions still come under either the HSE or local 
authority, and are covered by the general duties imposed 
by the HSW Act or other specifi c regulations like DSEAR.
Duties
Duties are placed on a ‘Responsible Person’ who is:
➤
the employer in a workplace, to the extent they have 
control
➤
other person who has control of the premises or
➤
the owner of the premises.
The obligations of a particular responsible person relate 
to matters within their control. It is therefore advisable 
that arrangements between responsible persons, where 
there may be more than one (such as contracts or ten-
ancy agreements) should clarify the division of respon-
sibilities to avoid unnecessary breaches of the Order, 
where one responsible person simply assumed the other 
would satisfy a particular requirement.
Premises covered
The RRFSO does not cover domestic premises, offshore 
installations, a ship (normal shipboard activities under a 
master), remote fi elds, woods or other land forming part 
Figure 13.1
Fire is still a major risk in many workplaces.

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