Fire risk assessments (see also fire safety-related articles, pages 37-42 of this issue) addressing life safety and/or property protection, fire safety audits, and fire safety training, are among the services offered by the not-for-profit organisation, the Fire Protection Association (FPA).
The FPA also offers fire safety advisory and support services including fire investigations, compartmentation surveys, and reviews of fire safety policies and procedures. The FPA says: “For almost all workplaces, a ‘suitable and sufficient’ fire risk assessment should be undertaken to ensure the safety of the staff, visitors, and contractors, who may be working there. The ‘responsible person’ must ensure the assessment is undertaken by a competent person. The assessment must: identify the fire hazards, and the people at risk (particular consideration should be given to the needs of disabled people); evaluate the risk of fire, and ‘the harm it might do’, and ‘remove, reduce, or control’, the fire hazards. There is also a legal onus to record the assessment, prepare an emergency plan, ‘inform, instruct, and train staff’, and review the assessment periodically. Local fire and fire and rescue services enforce the legislation, and have the authority to visit premises to make an inspection.”
