Commercial properties will have to abide by certain regulations. These will have to be ashered to, to ensure the property is safe for those working within it. This will also cover any client or employees within the building. There is around 20000 commercial fires with in the UK every year so adhering to the rules is of the utmost importance.
All commercial fire safety legislation in England and wales falls within the regulatory reform (Fire Safety) order 2005, The reform was designed specifically to make the legislation more simple to understand.
With some exceptions, any commercial premises / Property that is used for commercial use is bound by these regulations. Depending on the individual premises, commercial fire regulations maybe the responsibility of the below
- Owner
- Landlord
- Employer
- Occupier
If none of the above apply then it will fall onto the person who has control of the building.
Who would be the responsible person in regards to fire regulations
The person responsible for fire alarm regulations is know as the responsible person, all businesses and commercial premises must have at least one designated responsible person to oversee the fire risk and the reform act and regulations. It is there responsibility to ensure that duties are undertaken where required, and it is there duty to take action to prevent fire and risk to life where possible.
Responsibilities of a responsible person
- Risk assessment to be carried out regularly and where required
- Informing staff of fire hazards and risks when identified
- Ensuring fire methods are in place where required
- Ensuring maintenance of all fire safety measures
- Providing all fire safety instructions to all employees
- Ensuring safety measures are in place in case of an emergency
Commercial Fire Regulations
Domestic and commercial fir safety regulations are slightly different in several ways, there are several more requirements a commercial building and there responsible people must take to ensure the safety of all employees and clients where necessary. This is to ensure that everyone including the building is as safe as possible.
Fire alarms on commercial properties and the regulations
All commercial premises require that a full fire detection system is in place and installed in accordance to the regulation set out. The system should be tested regularly, this should be done once a week, once every six months and then again a full fire alarm test should be carried. On completion, you should be supplied with a fire alarm report. If your business is more at risk of a fire, such as a restaurant, an automatic system is recommended. Manual systems should suffice for lower risk business premises.
Emergency Light systems and the fire regulations
Emergency lighting is also a requirement in commercial buildings, it is installed to illuminate the exit route or escape route from the building. This will also require regular checks. The 3 main reasons for emergency lights are highlighted below. For more information on the reform regulations it is always good to check them up on the yougov websites.
