Stores at risk from fire-safety changes

Many stores are unaware of recent changes to fire-safety laws that now carry unlimited fines for breaches, a Fed member has warned.

From 1 October, all shops and businesses, regardless of size, are required to maintain a document containing an up-to-date fire risk assessment alongside policies and plans designed to mitigate and respond to risks and fires.

Previously, only “significant findings” from an assessment had to be documented, and only in premises with more than five staff, a fire alternation notice served or a licensed premises.

Fed member Vidur Pandya, owner of Kislingbury Mini Market & Post Office in Northamptonshire, told Better Retailing: “I became aware of it after reading about the changes in the local newspaper and then on Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue’s website. When I spoke to a good number of other retailers I knew, none were previously aware of the change, either.”

Pandya added that he had since contacted local fire expert Northants Fire for advice.

Speaking to Better Retailing, Northants Fire director Sean Skipper said those following “best practice” would already be compliant with the changes, but also agreed that many smaller shops have compliance issues with the existing and new Fire Safety Order requirements.

He told Better Retailing: “Since 2006, all premises, regardless of size, had to carry out a fire risk assessment. What the changes mean is that this now has to be fully documented, it closes a get out where people would claim they had carried out a fire risk assessment, but that it was all in their head with no documentation.”

Skipper added: “It’s not just about the law, it’s about being a responsible employer. Many paper shops have residential premises above. For these premises, following best practice is for the safety of their families living above as well.”

The warning comes just weeks after a fire in a convenience store in Scotland nearly took the life of its owner.

Understanding the changes

London Fire Brigade and many others list advice on how to comply with the changes, which affect businesses and landlords in England and Wales. The new requirements for the ‘responsible person’ – whomever is responsible for carrying out, reviewing and responding to a fire risk assessment with staff updates and safety measures – are as follows:

• Responsible persons must record findings from their fire risk assessment
• They must document fire-safety procedures and policies
• They must record the identity of employees or contractors that undertake or review fire risk assessment, including their full name and organisation (if applicable)
• The person undertaking the assessment must be ‘competent’ through training and experience
• Departing responsible persons must handover all relevant fire-safety information to the incoming responsible person
• Responsible persons must have up-to-date contact information documented and shared with other responsible persons and residents of multi-occupied residential buildings
• There are unlimited fines for impersonating an inspector, failing to comply with requirements from an inspector (such as failing to provide a fire risk assessment) and failing to comply with requirements when installing luminous tube signs