Introduction to Fire Safety Management

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 
(RRFSO)
The RRFSO 2005 came into effect on 1 October 2006, at 
which time over 100 separate pieces of fi re-related legis-
lation have been revoked or amended. The RRFSO cov-
ers, with very few exceptions, all non-domestic premises 
and stands as the primary legislation for fi re safety in 
England and Wales, with Scotland and Northern Ireland 
being responsible for their own fi re safety legislation. 
Scotland’s fi re safety legislation is enacted by the Fire 
(Scotland) Act 2005.
In general terms the RRFSO refl ects the duties and 
approach contained within the MHSW and employees’ 
duties under the HSWA. However, there are signifi cant 
Figure 1.14
New and expectant mothers

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Fire safety foundations
13
fi re specifi c issues that the RRFSO covers in some 
detail, these include:
➤
The duty for employers (‘responsible persons’) to 
take ‘general fi re precautions’
➤
The need to conduct a fi re risk assessment
➤
The notion of a ‘responsible person’
➤
The control of risks from dangerous substances
➤
Fire 
fi ghting and detection
➤
Emergency routes and exits
➤
Powers of inspectors and enforcement actions (dif-
fering from general health and safety).
General fi re precautions
The RRFSO identifi es a number of general fi re precau-
tions that all ‘responsible persons’ have an absolute duty 
to provide for all non-domestic premises. These general 
fi re precautions are the measures that are taken:
➤
To reduce the risk of fi re and fi re spread
➤
In relation to the means of escape (MoE) from the 
premises
➤
For ensuring that the MoE can be safely and effect-
ively used at all material times
➤
In relation to fi re fi ghting on the premises
➤
In relation to detecting and giving warning in case 
of fi re
➤
In relation to emergency action to be taken in the 
event of fi re, including training and mitigating the 
effects of fi re.
The need to conduct a risk assessment
The RRFSO has as its basis for ensuring safety from fi re 
in all non-domestic buildings, an absolute requirement 
for responsible persons to conduct risk assessments.
As a result of the risk assessments, employers as 
responsible persons have a duty to do all that is reason-
ably practicable to safeguard ‘relevant persons’* who 
may be employees and people who are not employees 
but who may be exposed to risk in the event of fi re (see 
Chapter 14).
Responsible person
The legislation refers to a ‘responsible person’, who is 
defi ned as a specifi ed individual who is responsible for 
fi re safety.