Businesses 'sleepwalking into crisis' over new fire safety rules

 

 

British businesses are unprepared for the biggest shake-up to fire safety legislation for decades and could be "sleepwalking into a crisis", an industry body has warned.

From Sunday, 78 existing pieces of fire safety legislation will be replaced by one wide-ranging law. Every company in the UK will be required to nominate a "responsible person" to ensure their business is compliant; that individual could be held liable for injuries or deaths in the event of a fire, facing imprisonment or a fine. 

Paul Coughlan said that while large companies employing full-time health and safety officers will be aware of the new laws, due to come into force next week, smaller companies are woefully under-prepared.

According to Norwich Union, the insurers, almost half of small businesses are unaware of the new rules.

Paul Coughlan, said: "Whilst the new regulations will streamline the existing legislation relating to fire safety into one law, they will be far-reaching in their application. 

"It is vital that people take steps to make themselves fully aware of their obligations as ignorance would not be a defence in light of a civil claim or criminal prosecution for breach of the regulations."

A spokesman for the Federation of Small Businesses acknowledged that many small businesses were not adequately prepared for the changes, but hoped the authorities would assist small businesses to comply with the law rather than rush to impose fines.

Paul Coughlan of PSC, said: "Companies need to spend more time considering their fire risk assessment, and they need to identify the threats to all aspects of their business, from a small fire that could cause a disproportionate amount of damage to a larger incident that could have greater knock-on effects such as damaging corporate reputation."

 

You can contact PSC on 01455 557877 or email paul@pscfiresafety.com or visit our web site www.pscfiresafety.com  for help and advice.