On October 1, 2006, the Fire Safety Order (FSO) 2005 took effect, replacing 118 pieces of legislation and abolishing the Fire Precautions Act 1971 and the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations. At a stroke, all fire certifications and plans have lost their validity, and the Fire Service’s extremely prescriptive requirements have been replaced by a risk-based evaluation system. In any organisation, accountability rests clearly and firmly with the ‘responsible person.’
It is no longer the responsibility of the fire department to ensure that the workplace is safe. It is the duty of the ‘responsible person’, and they will be held accountable under the new legislation. The fire risk assessments and related paperwork for any premises and at any time must be audited by Fire Protection Officers, and the ‘responsible person’ will be advised of their compliance level at the completion of the premises audit. If there are any issues of concern, the FPO may exercise their enforcement powers, including education and informing, an alterations notice, an enforcement notice, or possible prosecution
Learn how you can prevent fires from damaging your business or property and understand your legal obligations.
Business owners are responsible for the security of their assets and employees, and we want to support you to make this process go as smoothly as possible – including carrying out fire risk assessments and developing a plan.
Within this area of our website, you can find a range of information and links to guidance to help you comply with legislation.
Automatic fire alarms
Essex firemen are dispatched to events prompted by automated fire alarm systems, which have been known to activate even when there is no fire.
Automatic fire alarms typically sound due to cooking, steam, smoking, or dust from construction activities, but they still require a complete fire department response. While fire engines and firefighters still attend these occurrences, it means they are unavailable to assist other, potentially life-threatening, emergencies.
The overall cost of false alarms to UK firms is estimated to be over £1 billion per year, including disturbance to employees, customers, productivity, and reputation. Simple adjustments in behaviour can help decrease false alerts. Below is a list of common causes for triggering an automated fire alarm:
• Testing of fire alarm systems without alerting the alarm company, resulting in an emergency call out.
• Steam vapours and aerosols
• People smoking near detectors
• Contractors working beneath active or uncovered devices
• Sudden changes in humidity and temperature
• Cooking, such as burnt toast
Find out more about our fire alarm installation and maintenance services here.