Fire

Adam Courlander
Member - 1 post

Nobody is exempt from completing annual fire drills. As all employers are responsible under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 for conducting fire risk assessments and that they should be recorded. Following the assessment one of the management responsibilities would be to ensutre that all staff are trained in fire precautions and how to escape to a place of safety. This can't be done without practice drills at least once a year, better still twice. The landlord or person in control of the premises is responsible for ensuring that all tenants in the building are familiar with the evacuation procedures. How do they know that everybody can hear the alarm, are tennats aware of the alarm sound and how do they know where their alternative escape route is if they never practice it?

Hope this is useful.

Richard Forrest - Lawrence Webster Forrest
Online advisor - 6 posts

Dear Rebecca

Banking organisations like all other businesses that occupy premises have a degree of control over some aspects of fire safety and are subject to the requirements of fire safety law. It sounds as if the bank leases space in a multi occupancy premises and as such some of the physical fire safety arrangements are probably the responsibility of the Landlord. The bank however, has control over the management fire safety arrangements for the demise and possibly some of the physical fire precautions as well. As such you shuold have policy and procedures that ensure fire safety for the persons working within and visiting the premises.

The law requires that you assess the risk to those who may be at risk. The fire risk assessment (fully coordinated with that of the Landlord) will dictate what arrangements you should have in place to manage risk. Undoubtedly, the best way to ensure an appropriate response in the event of fire is to have concise emergency procedures, to train personnel to respond to the duties assigned in that procedure, and to practice the process by carrying out drills. this process if made explicit in a procedure, trained and practiced by drill, will meet your statutory duties.