Fire Safety

Following any changes to how and where stock is stored, businesses should ensure that entrances and exits are clear at all times. Increased stock levels may result in a higher fire loading, which fire safety systems (such as sprinkler systems) may not be designed for.

Any change to your premises, including how and where stock is handled and stored will require the fire risk assessment to be reviewed.

Find out more about fire risk assessments.

Introducing a policy to reduce or limit energy usage may have an impact on your fire safety measures operating effectively. For example, the operation of automatic fire detection systems, emergency lighting, automatic door hold-open devices, smoke control devices and automatic ventilation systems, and sprinkler systems could be affected.

Ensure that suitable backup systems, such as battery backup systems, are safely placed to support the reduction of energy usage.

Ensure checks are in place so that fire safety systems have restarted correctly and are operating as they should.

In addition to checking fire safety systems, you ensure that other equipment that stops during power cuts restarts safely and does not pose a fire risk when doing so, especially if restarting whilst unsupervised. This may also affect the use of medical equipment and storage of some medicines (e.g. in care homes, GP surgeries, hospitals, or daycare facilities).

Businesses, especially small to medium-sized ones, may avoid using central heating and look to use portable heaters and small open fires in the spaces they use. Portable heaters are not restricted to electric heaters and can present additional risks so must be considered.

Portable heaters 

• People may use devices that have not been used for several years or have had stored away for emergencies, such as when central heating has needed repair. Check that your heater is not subject to a product recall or repair
• heaters must not be placed where they will block an escape route or have the potential risk to cause a fire, e.g. under desks, or congested spaces
• plug electric heaters into a wall socket, not an extension lead, as they can easily be overloaded and cause fires. They must only be moved when they have been switched off and have cooled down
• only use a heater in rooms they are designed to be used in. Standard portable heaters (gas and electric) must not be used in showers or bathrooms. Portable gas heaters must not be used in rooms used for sleeping and should only be used in well-ventilated rooms
• never install, repair, or service appliances yourself. Make sure anyone who does so is registered with the Gas Safe Register (for gas appliances), the Heating Equipment Testing and Approval Scheme (HETAS) (for solid fuel appliances), or the Oil Firing Technical Association (OFTEC) (for oil appliances), or a qualified electrician for electric heaters
• make sure gas, paraffin, and LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) cylinders are stored safely outside in a secure location and out of direct sunlight. Make sure you change cylinders for portable heaters in a well-ventilated place and away from sources of heat and ignition
• secondhand heaters should be avoided. If you need to buy one, however, check it closely for damage and, if in any doubt, avoid it. Make sure it is made by a manufacturer you recognise and if the seller cannot provide the instruction manual look online and download a copy. This will ensure you know how to use the heater correctly and can reduce the risk of fire.

Outdoor heaters

Outdoor heaters must not be used indoors. They can produce a lot of heat which would be a fire risk in the confined space of a premises, but they also produce carbon monoxide which can be fatal.

Responsible persons should ensure that the premise’s fire risk assessment reflects the added risk a reduction in staff poses. Where businesses are operating with fewer staff, this could mean that current processes may no longer be able to be carried out safely, increasing the risk of fire.

Similarly, a reduction in staff may result in employees not being able to successfully carry out evacuations and emergency procedures, such as in-house fire response or fire warden duties.

Employers should continue to undertake and review their Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) and Generic Emergency Evacuation Plans (GEEPs) for relevant persons. Procedures should be reviewed so that they accurately reflect the staff available.

Such reviews must carefully weigh the risks of fire and the ability of such businesses to operate safely.

Please note, this applies to business and commercial premises – NOT residential premises.

Any changes made to your premises (such as closing off areas, using areas for storage, or altering the layout) require your fire risk assessment to be reviewed. The fire risk assessment should determine the level of risk resulting from the changes and any mitigation measures e.g. more frequent deliveries/collections, or the use of other sites to provide storage.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (as amended by the Fire Safety Act 2021) (FSO) and the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 (which comes into force on 23 January 2023) place a legal requirement upon employers and persons with responsibility for premises. These responsibilities and safety measures are designed to protect life regardless of fire service intervention. It is, therefore, essential to ensure that all existing fire safety provisions are in place and effective.

To help small businesses understand their legal duties for fire safety, National Fire Chiefs Council has developed a free, interactive Business Fire Safety Awareness Tool. Directors, Senior Managers and Health & Safety Managers will want to ensure the following are maintained and considered:

• Check business continuity plans
• review their existing fire risk assessment
• ensure any measures they take are in place, working and effective
• check staff are fully aware of fire and evacuation procedures
• take appropriate steps to enhance staff vigilance
• review arrangements for calling the emergency services
• the need for additional staffing or patrols.

There is a great deal of advice, guidance and legislation that is relevant to safely operating firework displays.

Recently released are two guides, the Blue Guide and the Red Guide. These replace former Health and Safety Executive guides HSG 123 and HSG 124. The Red Guide is designed for those individuals who are not industry professionals. The Blue Guide is designed for skilled and competent firework display industry professionals.

We’ve linked the documents below for you. Please note, these documents are correct as of 08/10/21 but any updates since that time may not be reflected. It is the responsibility of individuals to seek out the most recent guidance and legislation to ensure they are operating safely and legally.

Blue Guide – Working together on firework displays

Red Guide – Giving your own firework display

You can find more information about firework licensing and what is required legally for the safe storage of fireworks on our explosives page.

Additional links to helpful guides and legislation around fireworks displays and what may be required are below.

Firework (Safety) Regulations 1997 – http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1997/2294/made
Firework (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 2004 – http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2004/1372/made
Managing crowds safely: A guide for organisers at events and venues HSG154 – http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsg154.htm
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 – http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1999/3242/contents/made
Civil Aviation Authority CAP 736 – http://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP736.PDF
Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 SI 2005/1643 – http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/1643/contents/made
Five steps to risk assessment Leaflet INDG163(rev2) – www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg163.pdf

We have strict guidelines and guidelines on licensing for fireworks, as they can be very dangerous.

This government page gives general guidance on the manufacture and storage of fireworks, as well as laws around when they can be sold.

If you still wish to apply to our service for a license, please see our explosives licensing page for details on who can apply, how to do this and the costs involved.

Fire safety officers cannot be ‘booked’ to visit your property for general inspections. Things like fire risk assessments are the responsibility of the business owner or responsible person for the premises.

If you require general advice or would like to report an issue with your business or other premises, please visit our Fire Safety section for more details. You’ll find the referral form on the bottom of the page to report an issue or general question.

For any urgent fire safety matters that are a genuine immediate risk to life, please dial 999 and ask for the fire service – an immediate risk to life would be a situation whereby a lack of fire safety would result in serious injury or death imminently if no action is taken.

Whilst we wouldn’t directly assist with a fire risk assessment for your business premises, there is government provided advice which you should follow to be legally compliant.

This government advice for businesses is freely available to all and should aid you in ensuring your business or premises is compliant with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. The above government advice breaks down the different assessment documents required, depending on the type of premises, you should ensure you choose the correct one for your premises or business.

We do offer general guidance on our website for Fire Risk Assessments, you’ll find this on our Fire Safety section. We also offer training courses which are available to those responsible for carrying out Fire Risk Assessments for their premises.