In line with the legal requirements of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO) all responsible persons have a legal duty of care to take steps as far as reasonably practicable to ensure the minimum requirements as stated in the order in relation to life safety of occupants in domestic and commercial type premises are met.
As part of the legal duties a fire risk assessment must be carried out and reasonable steps must be taken to reduce the overall risk associated with the building in question. Any failure by the responsible person to take steps to reduce the risk in the building, as per the recommendations in the Fire Risk Assessment, could result in serious injury to the sleeping occupants in the building.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO) applies to all domestic premises other than private dwellings, i.e. single households. Owners or Agents also have a legal responsibility for the property and therefore also have a legal duty of care in relation to the RRO to ensure the building is fit for purpose and is not putting occupants at risk.
The principles contained in the fire safety order is to use a risk assessment approach, which is goal based and flexible. The RP generates the risks in the workplace, therefore, to safeguard the safety of employees, the RP must:
• Identify fire hazards and people at risk and to remove or reduce the risk of those hazards causing harm to as low as is reasonably practicable; and
• to determine what fire safety measures and management policies are necessary to ensure the safety of people in the building should fire occur; by
◦ Reducing the probability of a fire starting.
◦ Ensuring that all occupants are alerted and can leave the premises safely its the event of a fire.
◦ Limiting the effects should a fire occur.