According to the Regulatory Reform Act (Fire Safety), if your business has more than 5 employees, then the findings from the mandatory fire risk assessment have to be documented and kept. Find out all you need to know about fire risk assessment here.
Why it is important
- It is mandatory for non-domestic properties
- It massively reduces the risk of fire
- It massively improves the staff’s ability to deal with a fire
Responsibility
Fire Risk Assessment does not solely concentrate on finding and removing fire hazards but also on training all employees on what to do in the unlucky event of a fire. Fire Risk assessments are often organised and are the responsibility of the employer, the owner/ manager of the property or the landlord. The responsibility of undertaking the fire risk assessment can be shared with another or handed over to a ‘competent person’.
Whilst the responsible or competent person maintains a certain degree of suitable and sufficient responsibility when it comes to fire risk assessment, it depends on the type of business in question.
Professional Fire Risk Assessment
It is always a good idea to hire an external company to complete a fire assessment as they will be able to give the business specific details on their requirements. Hiring an external company for your fire risk assessment is also important because they will be trained professionals who know the ins and outs of fire risks and can effectively help. ‘Responsible’ or ‘Competent’ people can carry out their assessment independently. However, they often lack the skills, the knowledge, and the experience to produce a satisfactory fire risk assessment. In the event of a fire, your insurance company will ask you to show them a copy of your Fire Risk Assessment, and, if this shows the assessment was not carried out in the best way possible, the business owner could be required to pay a considerable amount to cover the damage caused by the fire.
If you are looking for a professional and qualified company to carry out your fire risk assessment in Birmingham, contact us, we will be more than happy to help.