Regulatory reform (fire safety) order 2005
The regulatory reform (fire safety) order applies to all premises apart from single private dwellings.
Once the buildings are in use, they become subject to the fire safety order, imposing requirements additional to those of the building regulations.
Fire precautions
The responsible person must take fire precautions to ensure the safety of his employees and relevant persons who are not his employees.
The term “general fire precautions” means:
- measures to reduce or eliminate the risk of fire on the premises and the risk of the spread of fire on the premises
- the provision of suitable means of escape from the premises
- measures for ensuring that the means of escape can be safely and effectively used at all times
- the provision of suitable and adequate firefighting equipment
- the provision of suitable means for detecting and giving warning of a fire on the premises
- measures for ensuring the maintenance and testing of fire precautions and equipment
the provision of suitable arrangements for action to be taken in the event of a fire including:
Fire risk assessment
The responsible person must make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to which persons are exposed for the purposes of identifying the general fire precautions measures to be taken to comply with the order.
A series of guidance booklets have been published by central Government to assist responsible people:
Holiday let and guest house accommodation
If the proposed use of the premises is as a holiday let or guest accommodation then the premises would fall within the scope of The regulatory reform (fire safety) order and as such may require additional fire precautions to be incorporated into the design of the building.
Although this issue will be dealt with at the building regulations stage of the development, the fire service advises that early consideration is given to this matter.
Building regulations 2010 - approved document B provides more information and the individual is also requested to consider the following goodwill advice that may go some way to alleviating any issues that may arise.