Information for employees

Whilst at work, every employee has fire safety responsibilities under fire safety legislation. Each employee is accountable for their own safety and is responsible for others where their behaviour or actions may pose a risk to them.

To ensure compliance with fire safety legislation, all employees are required to cooperate with their Employer to ensure that proposed fire safety measures can be implemented effectively.

Similarly, if employees identify shortfalls in fire safety management at their place of work, they are responsible for reporting this to their Employer, whilst also informing other employees of anything that may pose a risk to their safety.

What can I expect as an employee?

Information

Upon commencement of any employment, all employees should be provided with fire safety information relating to their workplace. This information should be provided in a clear and comprehensive format that is easily understood and accessible to all.

You should be informed on:

• Any fire-related risk to you, as determined by the fire risk assessment.

• Any management procedures or measures that have been put in place to prevent a fire from happening in your workplace, and to protect you in the event of fire.

• How to safely evacuate your workplace in the event of fire, including how to raise the alarm, what to do next and where your assembly points are.

• Who in your workplace is responsible for fire safety and who (if anyone) has been appointed as a fire marshal.

• Any fire-related risk from another workplace that is within proximity to yours that may have the potential to cause harm to you.

Training

Your employer is responsible for ensuring that you are provided with adequate safety training. This should be done when you are first employed and periodically to refresh your knowledge and understanding.

It is important that you undertake refresher training when exposed to new or increased risks due to a significant change in your organisation’s operations. This might include a significant change in organisational structure, during induction of any new equipment or systems of work and following the implementation of any new technology or system.

The purpose of providing training is to ensure that you can safeguard yourself, and others, from fire in the workplace. All training provided to you should be appropriate to the risk, as identified by the fire risk assessment and should always take place during working hours.

Generally, your training should comprise of:

• how to conduct yourself in the workplace to prevent a fire from happening,

• how to choose and use any fire-fighting equipment (such as extinguishers)

• how to raise the alarm in the event of fire,

• how to safely evacuate the building and get away from the fire,

• instructions for informing the Fire and Rescue Service,

• where you will be expected to rendezvous,

• how to help others who require assistance to evacuate

• how to operate any specialist equipment to assist others (such as “evac chairs”).

However, this list is not exhaustive, and many employers will provide more bespoke training that is appropriate to their business and daily operation.

Dangerous substances  

Some workplaces may have a small presence of dangerous substances, whilst others may have a significant presence. One example of this is Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) sites. These sites are typically responsible for the storing and handling of chemicals and substances that are inherently hazardous in nature.

Alongside basic fire safety information, your employer must inform you of the details of any dangerous substances. This includes:

• the name of the substance and any risk it poses.

• access to any relevant safety data sheet.

• any legislative specification that applies to the hazardous property of the substance, beyond the Fire Safety Order.

• the significant findings of the fire risk assessment.

Where any significant change in activity takes place in your workplace, your employer must adapt this information to ensure that it is still relevant and appropriate to the risk posed by the substance. This should be documented in the fire risk assessment.

Additional information for employees aged 18 or under

If you are in employment and still of compulsory age for education (aged 18 or under), your parent or legal guardian is also entitled to specific fire safety information in relation to your employment.

Your employer must share relevant information prior to the commencement of any such employment, including:

• Any specific fire-risk on the premises, as determined by the fire risk assessment that could pose risk of harm to those aged 18 or under, whilst working.

• Details of any fire safety management procedures and measures implemented to reduce the risk of fire on the premises.

• Any information regarding fire-related risks that have been shared with your Employer by or from another premises where this could affect your place of work, and there is shared responsibility (i.e. a premises where there are two workplaces operating, with two separate workplace employers who share information on fire safety).