- Fire protection
- Enforcement
- Your responsibilities
- Information for employe...
If you are an employer, this page provides a summary of your main rights and responsibilities. For a comprehensive list, please refer to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 or "the Fire Safety Order".
If you have any doubts about your legal obligations, you should seek independent legal advice. You may choose to appoint a Fire Risk Assessor, who can help to ensure that your premises remains safe and compliant.
As a workplace employer, you are entitled to the co-operation of your employees in respect of your fire safety responsibilities and for employees to take reasonable care for their own safety; and others whom their actions could affect.
To ensure that your employee and those who use your premises are protected from fire, you must:
carry out (and review regularly) a Fire Risk Assessment to identify the potential for fire to occur in the workplace and cause harm to employees and persons in, or in the immediate vicinity of, the premises.
ensure that a record of your fire risk assessment is kept (electronically or paper-based).
carry out (or review) a fire risk assessment before employing anyone under the age of 18, taking into account their youth and inexperience, and the particular risks they may be exposed to in the workplace. If a child is of school age, their parent must be informed of the risks and the measures taken to avoid or reduce them.
ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety of your employees from harm caused by fire in the workplace and take reasonable measures to ensure their safety and that of others there, or in the immediate vicinity. These measures should be aimed at avoiding or reducing any risks identified.
provide clear, appropriate information and instruction (and training where necessary) to your employees and anyone else working on your premises, e.g. contractors and their employer(s), in relation to any risks identified and fire safety measures provided.
ensure that the premises are equipped to an appropriate level, with means of escape (ensuring these can be safely used), means of detecting fire and giving warning in the event of fire, means of fighting fires, and arrangements for action to be taken in the event of fire.
ensure that the premises, and any fire safety facilities, equipment and devices are maintained in good order.
co-operate with anyone else who has fire safety responsibilities for the same premises (including sharing information about the activities or measures undertaken, where appropriate) and take all reasonable steps to co-ordinate your fire safety measures regarding the premises.
If you have control of a premises or safety obligations as someone, who is not an employer, but as an owner, tenant, contractor, or occasional user (including voluntary groups), you are entitled to co-operation from others with fire safety responsibilities for the premises.
To help ensure that those who use your premises are protected from fire, you must:
carry out (and review regularly as necessary) a fire safety risk assessment of the premises to the extent of your control, or obligations towards them, identifying any risks to persons in, or in the immediate vicinity of, the premises in respect of harm caused by fire.
take reasonable fire safety measures on the basis of the results of your fire safety risk assessment to ensure, to the extent of the control or obligations you have the safety of persons from harm caused by fire in the premises.
ensure that the premises are equipped to an appropriate level, relative to the extent of your control or obligations, with means of escape (ensuring they can be safely used), means of detecting fire and giving warning in the event of fire, means of fighting fires, and arrangements for action to be taken in the event of fire.
co-operate (including sharing information where appropriate) with others who have fire safety responsibilities for the premises, take all reasonable steps to co-ordinate your fire safety measures with theirs, taking into account the extent of your control or obligation and theirs in respect of the premises.
ensure that the premises and any fire safety facilities, equipment and devices are maintained in good order, to the extent of your control or obligation towards the premises.
We offer a number of free templates, tools and guides that are available to support you in achieving your legal obligations.
We have produced a suite of letters which provide essential information regarding common fire safety concerns identified during audits carried out at similar premises.
Unfortunately, these sorts of concerns are very common. These letters include information on action that can be taken to address these concerns in order to reduce the risk. Please note that each list is not exhaustive.
Essential information - Emollient Cream
Last updated: Thursday, 15 May 2025