Your fire safety responsibilities as a business owner

If you are a landlord, business owner or anyone else in control of a non-domestic premises, it is your responsibility to ensure your premises meets the legal requirements for fire safety.

This responsibility includes:

1. Carrying out fire risk assessments that are regularly and prudently reviewed to determine the risk of fire on your premises
2. Communicating the results of your risk assessments to your staff
3. Providing fire safety measures including fire detection systems, fire alarms and fire fighting equipment that are maintained in full working order
4. Providing an emergency plan for the event of a fire, ensuring it takes into account vulnerable people such as those with mobility restrictions
5. Providing information and training on fire safety to your staff

Fire causes catastrophic damage to property and risks the lives of everyone on the premises. Fire can start in some seemingly unlikely places and spreads quickly once it takes hold. Appropriate fire safety measures considerably reduce the risk of an incident that could see you forking out for repairs or fines, or even see you jailed for failing to meet your fire safety responsibilities. This is more than a box-ticking exercise!

In a 2016 court case, a Liverpool landlord who failed to meet the legal fire safety requirements was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay thousands in prosecution costs after his property was gutted by fire. Most egregiously, he had not even installed a fire alarm system or appropriate fire doors. Some tenants were injured in their escape but fortunately no-one was killed.

Do not make the same mistakes; ensure your premises has a working fire detection and fire alarm system, and meets the legal requirements for fire safety. Not sure where to start? Contact us on 01325 467398 for more information and to arrange your free site visit!