Fire safety resources for businesses
Our fire safety resources for businesses page has safety information and guidance to help businesses keep their premises, customers and staff safe from fire and other risks.
Safe and Strong
One of the primary services we offer to local businesses is a Safe and Strong visit. They're similar to the Safe and Well visits we offer for domestic properties, but tailored specifically around business safety and fire risks in commercial premises.
When a commercial business has a fire, local fire crews visit neighbouring or similar companies to advise on how they can avoid the same happening to them. The visits typically take around 10-15 minutes.
Visit our Safe and Strong page for more info on this service. We have a range of useful links for business, in addition to those on this page, which can also be found on the Safe and Strong page linked below.
Guides and documents
National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC)
These helpful resources from the NFCC are useful for business owners and responsible persons. The business fire safety awareness tool is an interactive tool to help small business owners understand their legal duties for fire safety in the workplace.
The 'first steps to fire safety in your business' is an introduction to fire safety in small to medium sized premises. It aims to give practical and simple advice to people with responsibility for fire safety in the workplace.
First steps to fire safety in your businessThe FIA is the largest fire protection trade association in the UK with 1000+ members. They offer a range of guidance for fire safety professionals and businesses. Their 'Best Practice Guide to Fire Safety' covers a range of areas to aid responsible individuals on fire safety requirements and laws.
Best Practice Guide to Fire SafetyFire Risk Assessments
We offer a range of guidance on Fire Risk Assessment including who is responsible for it and how it works.
Fire Risk Assessment GuidanceFire Door Safety
The British Woodworking Federation has produced a really helpful 5-step guide for both tenants and business or property owners to follow to make sure fire doors are working effectively.
These don't replace checks by qualified individuals, but can help to spot issues early on.
A leaflet version of this guidance is also available below. We've also linked a guide about fire door safety in houses of multiple occupancy (HMO).
Frequently asked questions about business fire safety
We get asked a range of questions about fire safety in businesses. We've put together a range of the most common questions we get asked, and guidance on where to get the answers you need.
If you can't find the information you need please visit our main fire safety page, where you'll find contact details for our fire safety team in the West Midlands. For properties outside the West Midlands, please contact your local fire and rescue service.
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We have extensive guidance and information about fire safety for businesses, commercial and residential properties (where those residential properties are high-rise or multi-occupancy) on our website. Visit our fire safety page for general guidance, and information or to report a fire safety issue. Visit our fire risk assessment page for guidance on understanding and completing fire risk assessments for your premises, if you’re the responsible person. For guidance around fire safety in residential properties where Article 24 of the Fire Safety Order (which applies in England) applies, visit our residential fire safety page. For general hints, tips and links useful to businesses in keeping their premises safe from fire, visit our fire safety resources for businesses page.
Make sure that only appliances designed for this purpose are used. Camping equipment and BBQs (including disposable ones) should only be used in outdoor spaces appropriate for their use (i.e. not roofs and balconies) and should not be used to heat premises. Ensure that any changes to the provision of cooking facilities are reflected in the premises’ fire risk assessment.
We strongly discourage business owners from introducing a sleeping risk to premises by permitting anyone to sleep in a premises that is not designed to provide sleeping accommodation. Business owners should be mindful to prevent unauthorised sleeping on the premises, such as employees who have not requested permission, or contract cleaning staff. Further information on fire risk assessments for premises used as sleeping accommodation – which differ from normal commercial premises, can be found on the .gov website.
If your premises is in part use, the responsible person must ensure any fire safety systems for the protection of life are fully checked by a competent person as soon as possible when vacant areas are planned to be brought back into use, and ensure they are tested before occupation. The routine testing and maintenance of all fire safety measures, to ensure they operate and perform as required in event of a fire, is essential in keeping people safe. This includes in any areas that may temporarily be out of use as a cost-saving measure. You should review your premises’ fire risk assessment prior to the cessation of testing and maintenance of fire safety systems to ensure this does not cause additional risks. If any doubt exists as to the purpose of any fire safety system that may not be maintained advice should be sought from a competent person and/or your local fire and rescue service.
It is the responsibility of the responsible person and/or the duty holder to ensure they are testing and maintaining all fire safety measures to maintain safe premises. If there is no one on, or in the immediate vicinity, of the premises who may be reliant on your fire safety measures (e.g. in accommodation above a premises), the The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (as amended by the Fire Safety Act 2021) (FSO) allows a risk-based approach to testing and maintenance. If doubt exists advice must be sought from a competent person.
Although second-life batteries, particularly those used in vehicles and energy-storage applications, can be relatively easy to obtain there are concerns that they may not be appropriate for use, particularly where not installed by a competent electrician.
Business and building owners should be aware of the potential for hotwiring or bypassing electrical and gas supplies undertaken by others. You can find information and resources
on the dedicated Stay Energy Safe campaign website.
Following a review of the assessment of risk, responsible persons should make any necessary adjustments and ensure that residents are aware of the risk reduction measures for the premises and the actions they should take in the event of a fire. Residents should consider the risk of using alternative heating sources and discuss any concerns regarding staying warm etc with their landlord to ensure safe practices are in place. They can contact their responsible person/company/local authority to seek advice on the actions they should take to reduce risk and what to do in the event of a fire in their building. Residents can also review our safety advice for general home safety tips and may find the National Fire Chief Council’s Prevention cost of living toolkit leaflet useful.