If you own, manage or operate a business, you need to comply with fire safety law. The main law is the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (as amended) or "the Fire Safety Order". It applies across England and Wales and came into force on 1 October 2006.
The Fire Safety Order was amended in 2022 to strengthen to improve fire safety in buildings, it affects all Responsible Persons.
The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 aims to improve fire safety in blocks of flats.
The Order applies to almost all buildings, places and structures other than individual private homes – that's individual flats in a block or family homes.
Other places covered by the Order include shared areas in houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), blocks of flats and maisonettes.
You need to make sure:
It varies from business to business, but generally includes:
It's mandatory to carry out a detailed assessment identifying the risks and hazards in a commercial premises. By law, if you are responsible for the premises, you need to make sure that a Fire Risk Assessment has been completed by someone competent to do so and that you record the findings.
The responsible person for the premises is also required to:
If you are responsible for a block of flats, your fire risk assessment must also cover:
You can find out more about and how to complete them on the Fire Risk Assessments page.
It depends on the building in question. The best place to start is the gov.uk website – it provides guidance for most circumstances.
If you are responsible for specialised housing – for example, sheltered housing, extra care housing, or supported housing for people with common characteristics, such as learning disabilities and mental health problems – NFCC Specialised Housing Guidance is helpful.
If you need information about requirements for purpose-built dwellings such as blocks of flats, the Government provides useful information in their downloadable publication Fire safety in purpose-built flats.
If you are looking for more information about shared houses, bedsits and HMOs, please see this LACoRS guidance.
Unfortunately, many businesses neglect their fire safety obligations, with tragic consequences.
London Fire Brigade has a responsibility to keep the people of London safe. An important part of this duty is making sure that people responsible for commercial premises are following the rules. We enforce various legislation, chiefly around fire safety, including the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022.
If you're responsible for a building, it’s important to do all you can to reduce the risk of fire to keep people safe. It saves lives, it’s your legal duty, and it makes good business sense.
If you are responsible for a building, for example a employer, owner or occupier of premises that aren't a 'single private dwelling' (a private home), you need to make sure a suitably competent person completes a Fire Risk Assessment. It is your duty to identify fire risks and hazards in your premises and take appropriate action.
In addition, You must make a record of the findings of your fire risk assessment.
We can visit your premises at any time to make sure you are following the rules and keeping employees and members of the public safe. We generally make appointments, though can visit your premises at any time if we believe that an unannounced visit will better determine whether the law is being complied with. Of course, we are committed to being consistent, fair, transparent, proportional, competent, respectful and polite.
If we find something wrong we could take action ranging from providing information and advice to prosecuting those responsible in a court of law. For serious offences, you could be fined and/or imprisoned.
If you receive an Enforcement Notice or are prosecuted for failing to meet your responsibilities, we will publish details here. The information will also be shared in the National Chief Fire Officers website.
