Fire Safety

Responsibility lies with Employers

Whilst the Fire Safety Reform Order has been in place for more than a year (enacted in October 2006), many businesses continue to run the risk of invalidating their building insurance policies and encountering fines by ignoring its requirements.

Under the Order employers are now responsible for risk reduction, rather than precaution, and just being prepared for a fire is no longer enough.

Owners and employers are tasked with carrying out risk assessments - inclusive of details of evacuation procedures, staff training, removal of fire hazards, and maintenance of all fire alarms and detection systems.

Luis Fernandez, Risk Manager at Belmont International, advises that employers need to be more proactive when it comes to assessing their fire risks.

“Too few business owners and employers appear to have recognised this shift in responsibility and therefore continue to run the risk of having their business shut down in the absence of a straightforward assessment”, says David.

“It is for this very reason that we have extended our risk management support, taking care of this business need.”