1st Klass Fire Protection.

         

             Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 and the Fire Safety Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010 came into effect on 15 November 2010. This simplified existing Fire Safety legislation in non-domestic premises and reinforced the modern risk based approach to fire prevention.

The Fire Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1984 was repealed on 15 November 2010 and the previous fire certification process ceased. Existing premises that have previously been subject to that Order will most likely be compliant in terms of their Fire Safety measures. However, it is now necessary for those premises to have a current Fire Risk Assessment.

If a Fire Risk Assessment for the premises has been carried out under the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001 and this assessment has been regularly reviewed, then all that should be required is a revision of that assessment taking into account the wider scope of the new legislation as described in the guidance documents.

 

Carrying out a fire risk assessment is essentially a matter of applying common sense in consideration of the premises for which you have responsibility and identification of anything which could cause harm from fire. It will allow you to make an informed decision on whether you have taken sufficient precautions or whether you need to do more to minimise the risk from fire.
If, however, you do not feel confident enough to undertake the fire risk assessment, for example, due to the complexity of the premises or the activities undertaken on them, you may wish to commission a fire safety specialist to assist you (1st Klass Fire Protection).
As with many other services, when looking for a specialist, it is your responsibility to satisfy yourself that they have the necessary qualifications, experience and indemnity insurance (if appropriate).
When carrying out a fire risk assessment, you should adopt a practical and systematic approach. It must take the whole of the premises into account, including outdoor locations and any rooms and areas which are rarely used. If your premises are small you may be able to assess them as a whole. However, in larger premises, you will probably find it helpful to divide the premises into rooms or a series of assessment areas using natural boundaries such as offices, stores, workshops as well as corridors, stairways and external routes.

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PRIMISES AFFECTED BU THE LEGISLATION,

The law applies to almost all premises which are not private dwellings. Examples include:

• Offices and shops;

• Premises that provide care, including care homes and hospitals;

• Pubs, clubs and restaurants;

• Places of worship;

• Educational establishments including schools;

• Theatres and cinemas;

• Sports centres and other community premises;

• Hotels and hostels;

• Guest houses and B&B accommodation;

• Shared areas of properties common to several households;

• Houses in multiple occupation;

• Factories and warehouses;

• Tents and marquees;

• Transport premises and facilities;

• Animal premises and stables;

• Open air events and venues.

It does not apply to people's private homes, including individual flats in a block or house.