New guidance has been published on the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 which is due to come into force on 1 October 2006. The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has published guidance explaining what businesses need to do to comply with the new rules.

The short guide identifies the steps which must be taken to comply with the new legislation. These include:

• carrying out a fire risk assessment.
• considering who may be especially at risk.
• get rid or reduce the risk from fire as far as is possible and provide general fire precautions to deal with any possible risk left.
• take measures to make sure there is protection if flammable or explosive materials are used or stored.
• create a plan to deal with any emergency and keep a record of your findings.
• review your findings when necessary.

Fire Minister Angela Smith urged those affected by the forthcoming shake-up of fire safety legislation to take advantage of the new guidance published.

Sabeeha Khan (a senior solicitor with national law firm Irwin Mitchell) said, ‘this new legislation is heralded as the biggest single reform of fire safety legislation in over 30 years. It will effectively shift the emphasis of fire prevention and reducing risk away from authorities and towards employers, increasing their accountability if they fail to carry out their duties.’

Separate guidance is available for Scotland.

Internet links: DCLG press release , Short Guide , Small Business article and Scottish information