Business Safety

Legislation and guidance for business

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 came into effect in October 2006 and replaced over 70 pieces of fire safety law.

The Order applies to all non-domestic premises in England and Wales, including offices, shops, premises that provide care such as care homes and hospitals, community halls, places of worship, pubs/clubs/restaurants, schools, sports centres, hotels, hostels, factories, warehouses and the common parts of blocks of flats or houses in multiple occupation (HMOs).

The law applies to you if you are:

responsible for business premises
an employer or self-employed with business premises
responsible for a part of a dwelling where that part is solely used for business purposes
a charity or voluntary organisation
a contractor with a degree of control over any premises

Under the Order, the responsible person must carry out a fire safety risk assessment and implement and maintain a fire management plan.

The Authority is responsible for enforcing the Order and North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service carries out fire safety inspection work on behalf of the Authority.

The order is enforced through periodic inspections or audits of non-domestic premises by the Fire Service. If we consider that the responsible person has failed to comply with any provision of the order, we may consider taking further action.

RRO Guidance Documents

The following documents and links provide guidance to ensure you comply with the requirements of the Act.

Legislative documents Gov.uk website, where you may download the RR(FS)O legislative documents for various types of premises.
General Fire safety Guidance on Gov.uk
Brief risk assessment Brief pro-forma risk assessment.
A short guide to making your premises safe from fire Chief Fire Officer's Association guidance.
Fire Safety Log Book Fire Safety Log Book
Do you have paying guests? Guidance for owners of bed and breakfasts, guest houses and self catering properties about making their premises safe from fire.
A Guide to Choosing a competent Fire Risk Assessor