On 1 October 2023, new fire safety legislation came into effect which imposed new duties on businesses and buildings owners.

Main changes introduced by the legislation:

Written fire risk assessment and fire safety arrangements

The previous requirement to have a written fire risk assessment only applied in certain circumstances (for example, where the responsible person employs five or more persons). This no longer is the case, and if you are a responsible person, then you need to record both your fire risk assessment and fire safety arrangement in full, regardless of the size or purpose of the business or premises.

Enhanced requirements for cooperation and coordination

In premises where there is more than one responsible person, for example in multi-occupied premises or buildings where the occupier and building owner are different entities, there are increased requirements for cooperation and coordination between responsible persons.

Provision of information to residents

In residential buildings with two or more domestic premises (for example, blocks of flats) then the responsible owner must provide residents with information on the risks from fire within their building and the fire safety measures provided to keep them safe. This requirement expands upon legislation introduced earlier this year that required responsible persons to provide residents with information on emergency procedures and the importance of fire doors.

For further information on all the changes to legislation and what you need to do to comply, call us on 033 0333 4997.

Thanks for the great feedback from Riverrok.

“Fantastic – thanks Tim at SME Advisor for designing and facilitating this leadership workshop. Having spoken to members of the team it sounds like it has met its objectives and more. Really encouraged to hear the team feeling empowered and skilled to implement the theory rather than it being isolated and theory only. I’ve received a lot of theory only training, this sounds far more effective. Really looking forward to seeing this team flourish with this training being a great catalyst. We really appreciate your genuine interest in our team’s development, your authentic interest was clear in our conversations prior to the training, it is recognised and appreciated.”

We have received this testimonial following Leadership Training with managers from Riverrok, based in Barnham, West Sussex.

If you would like to know more about how SME Advisor can help your business, please call us on 033 0333 4997 or contact us through the button below.