If you are responsible for a Care Home or a Medical Facility you have a legal duty to keep your staff, residents and patients safe from fire through the provisions of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
Fire Risk Assessment
In accordance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRFSO), conducting a Fire Risk Assessment for your premises is a legal requirement if you are responsible for a building that is not a ‘single private dwelling’.
It is the duty of the ‘Responsible Person’ to take fire precautions ‘as far as reasonably practicable’ under the RRFSO Part 2 article 8 to ensure that fire safety is paramount in a premises and that a building is safe for all relevant persons.
The ‘Responsible Person’ is defined in the RRFSO Part 1 Article 3 as:
(a) In relation to a workplace, the employer, if the workplace is to any extent under his control;
(b) In relation to any premises not falling within paragraph (a)—
The person who has control of the premises (as occupier or otherwise) in connection with the carrying on by him of a trade, business or other undertaking (for profit or not); or
The owner, where the person in control of the premises does not have control in connection with the carrying on by that person of a trade, business or other undertaking.
To simplify the ‘Responsible Person’ could be the employer, owner, landlord, or appointed managing agent of the premises. All fire risk assessments must be carried out by a competent person.
The ‘Responsible Person’ by law must record the findings of the Fire Risk Assessment, including any actions taken or outstanding actions still to be completed. As of the 1st of October 2023, the Building Safety Act 2022 came into effect with Section 156 amending the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, detailing the requirement for all fire risk assessments to be recorded irrespective of the number of employees or whether there is a license in force.
Emergency Plans
You should develop an emergency evacuation plan for employees and residents making sure they know the actions they need to take in the event of an emergency. A higher level of training is required to support your more vulnerable residents and patients.
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