Fire Protection in Building England and Wales

There are many fire protection measures in place within buildings, and it is crucial the responsibility for the maintenance and standard of all measures is not neglected. While this would have obvious safety repercussions, there are also legal implications for individuals who have duties to protect the safety of people from fire in existing buildings under the relevant legislation, which for England and Wales is the ‘Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005 (RRFSO)’.

BM TRADA regularly hosts seminars to raise awareness of the individual fire safety responsibilities duty holders have in a building, and to inform them of their legal obligations.

Who has responsibility for fire protection measures in a building?

BM TRADA’s seminars are designed for chief duty holders, known as ‘responsible persons’; other duty holders (otherwise known as ‘5.3/5.4 persons’ after the relevant article in the RRFSO); and those people that can influence responsible persons such as individuals working in building control; care homes; educational establishments; facilities and estates management; housing associations; and local authorities, among others.

It is important for all duty holders to refresh their knowledge and for any individual involved with the fire safety and management of a building to understand the legal obligations they may have under the relevant fire safety legislation. Legislation can change and existing practices can quickly become out of date, and it is therefore crucial to ensure those working with you know of their legal responsibilities, and that you are still aware of yours.

The responsible person is someone who employs people working within a building; or someone who has control over what happens in the building; or someone who owns a building, whether they have control over what happens in that building or not. Responsible persons must fulfil their duties under the RRFSO and it is essential that they ensure the competency of those companies and individuals they appoint.

Other duty holders (5.3/5.4 persons) also have duties under the RRFSO, and typically these individuals will have some control over the premises or will have, by virtue of a contract or tenancy, an obligation for the safety or maintenance of the premises. If an inspection by the fire service or other relevant authority finds that any legal requirements are not being met, all relevant duty holders could face enforcement notices, prohibition notices, fines or imprisonment as a result.

Responsible persons are also legally required to ensure fire risk assessments are carried out to consider the necessary general fire precautions to make the building safe in case of fire. However, it is not enough to just undertake a risk assessment, the significant findings in that risk assessment must also be acted upon, and the process of risk assessment must be continually reviewed.

What do you need to know about fire protection measures in buildings?

In its half-day seminars, BM TRADA and a panel of industry experts present on the following topics:

• Background to the legislation
• Competency – what it means and why it is important
• Passive Fire Protection (PFP) – getting it right
• The role of third party certification
• The view of the Fire & Rescue Service
• Legal responsibilities of the Responsible Person – case law.

Please note that following government guidance, this event is postponed. To register your interest for future events, please email us .

For other training information, download the Training Course Directory for the full list of training courses we provide, click on our website, or call one of our training experts on +44 1494 569750 or email us and we'll get in touch.