The Government has published a helpful guide for persons with duties under fire safety legislation.
From the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (as amended) to the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and the Fire Safety Act 2021, one could be forgiven for feeling a little lost amongst all the fire safety legislation. So a new guide from the Government which promises to "assist ‘persons’ with duties under fire safety legislation … comply with the legislation … [and to] explain the duties in simple, nonlegal language." is very welcome.
The guide covers a range of different issues from who may be a "Responsible Person", to how fire risk assessments should be conducted and the importance of system maintenance.
With multiple case studies including multi-storey office lettings and hotel chains, the guide is a useful resource for employers / employees and landlords / tenants alike.
An example is the "Responsible Person" case study, in the context of a multi-occupied building where a tenant company leases an entire floor of the premises. The guide explains that a landlord may be responsible for maintenance of any stairways leading to the relevant floor and for all fire safety measures (such as emergency lighting) within those stairways (usually indicated by the terms of the lease). Nevertheless, as an employer, that tenant company will still be responsible for making sure that the stairways are safe for the people it is responsible for i.e. its staff and visitors.
The guide for persons with duties under fire safety legislation is available here.
The guide provides a user-friendly explanation of fire safety duties and it is well worth having a look if you unsure on your obligations.
Equally, if you have any questions regarding your responsibilities under fire safety legislation, please get in touch.
