All non residential properties and businesses require a risk assessment, if you employ 5 or more staff or you run a place of assembly (this includes village halls) then you need to have a written fire risk assessment. Your insurance company may also require you to supply a written risk assessment.

Who’s responsible for fire safety in the workplace?

You’re responsible for fire safety in business or other non-domestic premises if you’re:

• an employer
• the owner
• the landlord
• an occupier
• anyone else with control of the premises, for example a facilities manager, building manager, managing agent or risk assessor

You’re known as the ‘responsible person’. If there’s more than one responsible person, you have to work together to meet your responsibilities.

The Fire Safety Order also applies if you have paying guests, for example if you run a bed and breakfast, guesthouse or let a self-catering property.

As the responsible person you must carry out and regularly review a fire risk assessment of the premises. This will identify what you need to do to prevent fire and keep people safe.

You can do a risk assessment yourself, however it is always advised to make use of a professional risk assessor.

If you would like help with a risk assessment in your workplace, get in touch with Aegis services for a professional risk assessment by calling 01761 452254 or emailing service@aegisx.co.uk