The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 regulates fire safety in non-domestic premises such as workplaces and the common parts of residential buildings. These regulations cover such matters as fire risk assessment, duties to take general fire safety precautions, consult with and provide fire safety information, instruction and training for employees, fire detection, emergency exits etc. In conjunction with the … Read More
High rise fire safety in Scotland
The Scottish Government has launched a consultation exercise to gather information and views on proposed actions to strengthen fire safety for people who live in high rise buildings. Following the Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017 the Scottish Government began a review of the fire safety regime for high rise domestic buildings in Scotland. A report was published in December 2018 … Read More
Who will answer your fire alarm?
Individual fire authorities are responsible for creating appropriate strategies for their own area. With limited resources and many calls on those resources fire authorities have to make difficult decisions about how they allocate those resources. Sometimes those decisions can be controversial, response to fire alarms is sometimes a sensitive area. The latest figures from the Home Office show that 40% … Read More
Care Home Fire Safety Failures
The London Fire Brigade recently published the results of in depth inspections they carried out at 177 care homes across the capital. They state that serious fire safety failures were found in 57% of the homes. The main areas of concern were with fire risk assessments, emergency plans and staffing levels, staff training and fire doors, protected corridors and staircases. … Read More
How Is Your Fire Brigade Performing?
The HMICFRS (Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services) is currently carrying out an inspection of all 45 fire and rescue services in England. This is the first independent inspection in 12 years and is focussing on how effective and efficient the fire and rescue service at keeping people safe and secure from fire and other risks … Read More
Fire safety: removing and replacing cladding on tall buildings
Following the Grenfell Tower fire a number of tall buildings were identified with cladding that did not meet fire safety standards. Subsequently work has begun to remove and replace existing cladding from a number of tall buildings. Fire is one of a number of hazards associated with construction and refurbishment work, however the ease of ignition and the rate of … Read More
Fire safety and building standards in Scotland
The building standards system that applies in Scotland is different to those that apply in England and Wales. As part of their response to the Grenfell Tower tragedy the Scottish Government launched a review of building standards and fire safety in Scotland. The recommendations and conclusions of the review panel have now been published, among other things they recommend that: … Read More
How to obtain quality fire safety products and services
If you were responsible for fire safety for your organisation and you needed some advice perhaps to carry out a fire risk assessment or to obtain the right fire safety equipment for your premises, where would you go? There is a large volume of information available on the internet, most of it is reliable and accurate, but how can you … Read More
Does your organisation have the correct fire safety measures in place?
Fires are a serious risk for organisations of all types. It’s up to you as the business owner/employer to take the correct precautions to keep yourself and your co-workers safe from fire hazards and protect your business in terms of property and reputation. You are responsible for fire safety in a business or other non-domestic premises if you are an … Read More