Fire Officer Guidelines | Role, Responsibilities & Enforcing

Table of Contents

A fire officer, also sometimes referred to as a fire safety officer or fire safety inspector, is a member of the fire and rescue services in the UK.

It is a supervisory role within the department, with fire officers providing the public face of the fire department by meeting with the community as well as communicating with the fire crew.

Read on to find out more about fire safety officers, the guidelines they follow, how they are enforced, the legislation and workplace laws, and what can be issued by them:

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF A FIRE OFFICER?

A fire officer refers to the person within the Fire and Rescue Service who assesses whether buildings are compliant with the fire prevention legislation.

While the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 awards this role to the responsible person, they may appoint competent persons to assist them to reach their fire safety targets. The legal role for checks and inspections is given to the fire officer or fire inspector.

The primary pieces of legislation that award them this power include the:

Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
Health and Safety at Work Act 1974

Since fire safety officers have to inspect buildings for compliance, they have to be proficient at reading and understanding building plans and have the required knowledge to identify risks related to fire safety.

FIRE OFFICER RESPONSIBILITIES

The responsibilities of a fire safety officer include:

Inspecting buildings to determine the cause of fires
Advising on fire safety practices
Advising on new build fire safety
Co-ordinating and monitoring fire risk assessments
Communicating with the involved authorities relevant to fire safety
Advising on fire issues relating to day-to-day operations
Advising and guiding property owners to be compliant with fire safety legislation
Monitoring the fire safety equipment, fire doors, and escape routes to make sure they meet the appropriate requirements
Preparing reports on issues relating to fire safety
Establishing policies and procedures for the fire department
Training the general public on the best fire safety practices

WHAT ARE FIRE OFFICER GUIDELINES?

As per the Fire Officer guidelines, there are a few measures you must take to ensure fire safety on your property so that you are compliant with the law. They include:

FIRE RISK ASSESSMENT

All businesses and workplaces must have a fire risk assessment as it is the cornerstone of fire protection in your business. Also, apart from the Fire Safety Log Book, it is one of the first things that a fire officer will ask to see if they decide to inspect your property.

A fire risk assessment is a requirement under The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 for all non-domestic properties. It needs to be carried out once a year by a competent person and includes measures to reduce or possibly eliminate the risk of fire.

You do not have to hire a professional fire risk assessor if you do not wish to, but you need to make sure that whoever carries it out is knowledgeable in fire safety and can easily identify and eliminate the risks.

It includes 5 key steps that include:

Identifying the fire hazards
Identifying the people at risk
Evaluate, remove, or reduce the risks.
Record your findings, prepare an emergency plan, and provide training
Review and update the fire risk assessment regularly

The penalty for not having a properly conducted fire risk assessment and suitable fire safety measures can result in prosecution with severe fines, and in extreme cases, even prison time.

Fire Extinguishers

According to the UK fire safety regulation, you must have appropriate fire-fighting equipment present on your premises.

This normally includes portable fire extinguishers, but for some high-risk properties, it may also include sprinklers or hose reels. An example of a high-risk business would be a restaurant or one that deals with flammable materials.

You must make sure that you have the right type of fire extinguisher for your business and that it is well-maintained and in good working order.

Extinguishers come in different types and their water, dry powder, and foam must be discharged and refilled every 5 years and replaced every 20 years. In the case of carbon dioxide extinguishers, they must be replaced every 10 years.

FIRE SAFETY SIGNS

Fire safety signs are something usually overlooked by most businesses. It is, however, an important part of fire safety with all businesses needing at least 2 signs on their premises (Fire Action Notice and an Extinguisher ID sign) to be compliant with the law.

Here are a few examples of some of the most common fire safety signs you will need:

Fire Safety Sign	Description
Fire Action Notice	Mandatory; explains the course of action in the case of a fire.
Fire Extinguisher ID Sign	Mandatory; explains and locates each type of extinguisher.
Fire Exit Signs	Mandatory for all except very small and low-risk properties; explain how to exit in case of fire.
Fire Alarm Call Point Signs	Mandatory if you have an alarm; help identify where to activate the alarm.
Other Fire Equipment signs	Mandatory if you have additional fire equipment such as a hose reel or dry riser.
Warning and Prohibition Signs	Mandatory if your property is high-risk; highlights danger and safety hazards

FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS

A fire alarm system may not be required if your business setup is extremely small, where it would be easy to see a fire developing and shouting “FIRE” would be heard by everyone present inside.

However, in high-risk businesses such as restaurants and multi-storey offices, you are required by the law to have an adequate fire alarm system on the property.

There are several different types of fire alarm systems and you can have either manual or automatic fire detection depending on your needs.

An automatic fire detector may be required if it is likely that a fire could go undetected and block the escape routes. In the case of a manual call point, they must be installed on every exit on every floor.

There are two main categories of fire alarms – Category L and P – where the former is for life protection and the latter is for property protection.

You can also choose between conventional, addressable, and wireless systems based on the size of your property and the level of risk you need to mitigate.

In addition to that, the systems must be properly maintained and in good working order. Regardless of how high-quality and technologically advanced your fire alarm systems are, there will always be the need for proper servicing and maintenance in order to ensure continuous reliability, efficiency, and performance.

Routine maintenance tests are carried out to identify any faults and issues and take appropriate action to rectify them and familiarise the occupants with the fire alarm system.

Two types of inspections must be carried out: by the users of the system which fall under the responsibility of the responsible person(s), and inspections and maintenance checks carried out by a competent person, who is usually a trained engineer.

The user tests can be scheduled on a weekly and monthly basis, whereas the more detailed inspections carried out by trained engineers are done on a twice-yearly basis.

EMERGENCY LIGHTING

Emergency lighting is required for buildings in order to provide illumination if the normal lights fail to work during a fire.

According to the guidelines, you will need emergency lighting if your property does not have enough ‘borrowed’ lighting to safely exit the premises during an emergency. It is also recommended in high-risk areas such as commercial kitchens and rooms that are larger than 60 square metres.

The 3 main types of emergency lighting, along with their purposes are:

Escape route lighting – illuminate escape routes and help occupants find fire safety equipment and safely evacuate during a fire.
Open area lighting – also called panic lighting, it keeps communal areas illuminated during a fire to reduce panic.
High-risk task area lighting – provide illumination to shut down potentially dangerous processes in the event of a fire.

All these emergency lights must be tested monthly by being turned off and on, and undergo a full maintenance service once every year.

According to British Standards, you must have a 3-hour emergency lighting test done once in a year where the main circuit would be switched off and the emergency lights left on for 3 hours to test if they work during that duration.

The 3-hour window is enough time for the fire department to do their job and safely evacuate everyone, during which it is important that the emergency lights stay on.

However, since a 3-hour test can be too long and may disrupt the business’s operations, as an alternative, you may carry out 1-hour long tests twice a year.

FIRE SAFETY TRAINING

Last but certainly not least, training is an integral part of fire safety as it makes sure everyone knows what to, and what not to do in the event of a fire.

According to the UK fire safety legislation, all the occupants of a building including all the employees and staff members must be given proper training and told how to safely evacuate and keep themselves and their peers safe.

It also includes preventative measures such as working in high-risk areas and with flammable materials. Refresher training must be delivered regularly to make sure everyone on the premises plays their part in minimising fire risk.

Fire safety training typically includes:

Updating, if necessary, on any changes such as building alterations and risks
Regular fire drills
Appointment of responsible people such as the Fire Wardens
Using fire extinguishers

HOW ARE THE FIRE OFFICER GUIDELINES ENFORCED?

Fire officers have the power to enter properties to undertake routine fire safety inspections and take the necessary action in the case of non-compliance.

They can close or restrict the use of unsafe buildings and issue legal notices which force them to be compliant with the current fire safety regulations.

During most routine inspections that result in minor inconsistencies being found, the issue is dealt with by a report asking you to address the failings within a set time period.

More serious cases may result in immediate action being taken to reduce the risk to the building’s occupants. In very serious cases, the building may even be shut off or its use restricted due to a high risk to the people’s safety.

Fire officers also have the power to investigate an offence and prosecute the offenders, especially if their actions, or lack thereof, have put other people at imminent risk of injury or death.

Different organisations are the enforcing authorities of fire safety legislation, and depending on the nature of the premises, may be either a fire and rescue authority or The Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Alterations notice

You may receive an alterations notice if your property is high-risk or has the potential of being high-risk if the use of the premises changes.

Enforcement notice

You may receive an enforcement notice if the fire officer finds serious risks not being properly managed and will also suggest what improvements are required and by when.

Prohibition notice

You may receive a prohibition notice if the fire officer finds that the risk is extremely serious and that access to your premises needs to be shut off or restricted.

If you disagree with the decision of the fire safety officer, you may appeal for an informal review of the inspection and report.

You have within 21 days of receiving a notice to appeal to your local magistrates’ court. In some cases, you may also ask the Home Secretary to resolve the dispute.

The penalties for not following fire safety regulations can be severe, resulting in fines or you going to prison. Minor penalties can amount to up to £5,000 whereas major penalties can amount to unlimited fines and up to 2 years in jail.

CONTACT CALDER SECURITY

At Calder Security, we offer you a comprehensive solution for all your fire safety needs that include professional installation, maintenance, monitoring, and repair.

We understand that every property is different and the specification of the system depends on several factors including the type and size of the building, the number of occupants, and how high risk it is.

We can help you cut through all that and advise you on the best fire detection system for your building that complies with British Standards, HSE, Building Regulations, and Fire Officer Guidelines, in addition to meeting the requirements of business insurance.

We also understand fire regulations and provide professional maintenance checks and reminders for when the checks are due to help you stay compliant with the law. We work fast to restore your fire alarm system to excellent condition and always strive to meet your expectations.

We offer various levels of monitoring via a 24-hour monitoring centre using Dualcom and BT Redcare signalling, which is the most secure alarm monitoring system and the largest supplier of intelligent alarm signalling services in the UK.

If your system starts to malfunction, you can rely on our highly skilled engineers to restore your system to full working order in one visit. We offer a 24-hour call-out service for customers and can also repair fire alarms not installed by us thanks to our extensive knowledge and experience.

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