|
 The
Government is changing fire safety legislation. The changes are
designed to make the law easier to comply with and easier to
understand by reforming and rationalising current fire safety
laws contained in over 100 pieces of legislation.
The
changes will take effect from 1st October 2006.The legislation
that will bring about these changes is the Regulatory Reform
(Fire Safety) Order (RRO) 2005.
The
changes will apply across England and Wales and will affect all
non-domestic premises including those operated by charity or
voluntary organisations. It will even apply to certain
activities taking place outdoors.
Until the Fire
Safety Order becomes law, the current fire safety regulations
will remain applicable and enforceable.
What will this
mean for Legion Formations?
The main change
will be in the emphasis towards risk reduction and fire
prevention. Fire certificates will no longer be issued.
Responsibility
for complying with the Fire Safety Order will rest with a
'responsible person'. This responsibility will fall on those in
control of premises (i.e. Office Managers, Branch Committees and
Club Committees) who are to ensure the safety of everyone who
uses Legion premises and those in the immediate vicinity who may
be at risk if there is a fire. If there is more than one
responsible person in any type of premises, (for example Branch
as Landlord, Club as Tenant) all must take all reasonable steps
to work with each other.
Fundamental
to this new legislation will be the requirement for the
'responsible person, to carry out an fire risk assessment before
1st October 2006 which must focus on the safety in case
of fire of all persons who may use Legion premises. It should
pay particular attention to those at special risk, such as young
people, the disabled and those with special needs, and must
include consideration of any dangerous substance likely to be on
the premises.
The
fire risk assessment will help the 'responsible person' to
identify risks that can be removed or reduced and to decide the
nature and extent of the general fire precautions needed to be
taken to protect people against the fire risks that remain. A
record is to be retained of the risk assessment and any
significant findings.
Once
this initial Fire Risk Assessment is completed and remedial
action taken, it will become necessary for the Fire Risk
Assessment to be kelp under constant review. Within Legion
offices and Homes this review should be done as part of the
Departmental Monthly Health and Safety Checks.
The
Property Department is making arrangements for the current
contract with Workplace Fire & Safety (WFS)
who carry out Fire Risk Assessments on their behalf, to be
extended to include those branches with no clubs - further
details will be issued separately by Jeremy Peachey (Property
Department).
It
is worthy to note that after 1st October 2006 a current
Fire Risk Assessment will become a condition of any Building
Insurance Policy. In other words if the Risk Assessment is not
completed and recorded then a fire-related insurance claim will
not be met. |
