Introduction to Fire Safety Management

Health and safety improvement notice
– this notice may 
be served by a health and safety enforcing offi cer when, 
in their opinion, there has been a breach of statutory duty 
or that there is likely to be a breach of statutory duty. 
For example, if risk assessment records have not been 
recorded or specifi ed training has not been completed.
Figure 1.24
Diagram of court structure
Human Rights
European
Courts
Justice
House of Lords
Court of Appeal
High Court
Queen’s Bench Division 
Crown
Court
Employment
Appeals Tribunal
Employment
Tribunal
County Court
Magistrates'
Court

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Fire safety foundations
23
Fire safety alterations notices
– the enforcing authority 
may serve an alterations notice on a responsible person 
under two circumstances:
1. When the authority is of the opinion that the premises 
constitute a ‘serious risk’ to ‘relevant persons’ or
2. The premises may constitute a serious risk if a 
change is made to them or to the use to which they 
are put.
An alterations notice must detail those issues which 
constitute a serious risk and state the reasons why the 
enforcing authority has formed its opinion. On both 
occasions when an alterations notice has been served 
the responsible person must notify the enforcing author-
ity of any proposed changes to those premises.
It should be noted that an alterations notice is 
merely a notice that provides information to a responsi-
ble person relating to the magnitude of the perceived fi re 
risk. If the enforcing authority is of the opinion that works 
need to be carried out to reduce the risk, they may issue 
an enforcement notice.