FAQs

You are deemed the ‘responsible person’ for fire safety if you are:

• the employer

• the building owner

• the landlord

• anyone else with control of the premises, such as a facilities manager, building manager, managing agent or risk assessor.

If there is more than one ‘responsible person’, you must work together to meet your responsibilities.

You must:

• carry out a fire risk assessment of the premises and review it regularly

• tell staff or their representatives about the risks you’ve identified

• put in place, and maintain, appropriate fire safety measures

• plan for an emergency

• provide staff information, fire safety instruction and training.

UK Government advice on fire safety in the workplace states: “You should carry out at least one fire drill per year and record the results. You must keep the results as part of your fire safety and evacuation plan.” New staff must have the drill explained to them when they start work.

Ideally, you should carry out two drills per year at nine-month intervals – to vary the seasons and include as many employees as possible, considering holidays and off-site working.

Fire extinguishers are covered by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which states that appropriate firefighting equipment must be provided where there is a fire risk. Their provision and maintenance is covered by BS (British Standards) 5306, which gives guidelines as to which extinguishers to use where and on what type of fire.

In accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, every office needs at least one person (usually a fire marshal or fire warden) trained to use fire extinguishers.

Remember that fire extinguishers are designed to fight small fires and this should never come before evacuating people from the building.

You must carry out regular checks to make sure:

• fire alarm systems are working

• emergency lighting is working

• you record any faults in systems or equipment

• all escape routes are clear, and the floor is in good condition

• all fire escapes can be opened easily

• automatic fire doors close correctly

• fire exit signs are in the right place.

Lithium-ion batteries, used in chargers for appliances such as smartphones and laptops, are safe during normal use but present a fire risk when over-charged, short-circuited, submerged in water or damaged.

Key advice includes the following.

• Only use original chargers designed for and supplied with your device.

• Never buy cheap, fake chargers.

• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how long to charge the equipment for.

• Stop using a charger if it is faulty or becomes damaged.

• Don’t leave items charging overnight or in contact with soft furnishings.

• Don’t overload electric sockets or extension cables.