Fire Safety Staff Guidance Note – Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005-

Guidance on Fire Safety Standards

1. Introduction.

1.1. This guidance is prepared with the objective of establishing a common approach and
methodology within the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service on the standards of fire
safety required under the provisions of The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (the
Order).

1.2. This guidance is required to assist fire safety inspectors and is intended to set out the
aims, standards and values that will be applied.

2. National Guidance

2.1. The department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) has published a series of
guides, which give advice on fire risk assessment and appropriate measures to control risks.
The guides do not set prescriptive standards but provide recommendations and guidance
for use when assessing the adequacy of fire safety.

2.2. The guidance documents are

OFFICES AND SHOPS

Publication title: Fire Safety Risk Assessment - Offices and Shops
Date published 5 June 2006
ISBN: 978 1 85112 815 0

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Scope - Purpose built or converted office blocks. Individual office or shop units, which
are part of other complexes e.g. shopping, centre.
This guide is not applicable for the overall management of multi-use shopping areas,
the Large Places of Assembly guide will be more appropriate.

FACTORIES AND WAREHOUSES

Publication title: Fire Safety Risk Assessment - Factories and Warehouses
Date published: 5 June 2006
ISBN: 978 1 85112 816 7

Scope - Where the main use of the building or part of the building is a factory or
warehouse including Large and small factories, Manufacturing warehouses, Storage
warehouses, and Factories with Warehouses.

SLEEPING ACCOMMODATION
Publication title: Fire Safety Risk Assessment - Sleeping Accommodation
Date published: 5 June 2006
ISBN: 978 1 85112 817 4

Scope-The common areas of houses in multiple occupation (HMO).The common

areas of flats and maisonettes. The common areas of sheltered accommodation
where care is not provided. Holiday chalets, holiday flat complexes, camping, caravan
and holiday parks (other than privately owned individual units).Areas in work places
where staff ‘sleeping in’ is a condition of the employment or a business requirement
as in licensed premises or hotels
This guide is not intended for domestic premises, hospitals, residential care and
nursing homes and prisons and other establishments where people are in lawful
custody.

RESIDENTIAL CARE PREMISES

Publication title: Fire Safety Risk Assessment - Residential Care Premises
Date published: 26 July 2006
ISBN: 978 1 85112 818 1

Scope-Premises where the main use of the building or part of the building is to
provide residential care. It is intended for non-domestic residential premises with staff
in attendance at all times and where many, most or all of the residents would require
carer assistance to be safe in the event of a fire i.e. where residents would not be
able to make their way to a place of safety unaided. These could include residential
and nursing homes, rehabilitation premises providing residential treatment and care
for addiction care homes and care homes with nursing (as defined by the Care
Standards Act).
The guide is not intended for day-care centres without residential clients, sheltered
accommodation where no care is provided, hospitals, out-posted nursing care in
single private dwellings.

EDUCATIONAL PREMISES
Publication title: Fire Safety Risk Assessment - Educational Premises
Date published: 5 June 2006
ISBN: 978 1 85112 819 8

Scope-Schools including Sunday schools and after school clubs, Universities,

Academies, Crèches, Adult education centres, Outdoor education centres and Music
schools
This guide does not apply to residential premises such as university halls of
residence, boarding school sleeping accommodation.

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SMALL AND MEDIUM PLACES OF ASSEMBLY
Publication title: Fire Safety Risk Assessment - Small and Medium Places of
Assembly
Date published: 5 June 2006
ISBN: 978 1 85112 820 4

Scope-Small (accommodating up to 60 people) and medium (accommodating up to

300 people) places of assembly including, Public houses, Clubs, Village halls and
community centres, Churches and other religious centres, and Marquees and tents
This guide does not apply to sports grounds or common areas of shopping malls.

LARGE PLACES OF ASSEMBLY

Publication title: Fire Safety Risk Assessment - Large Places of Assembly
Date published: 5 June 2006
ISBN: 978 1 85112 821 1

Scope-Large places of assembly i.e. where more than 300 people could gather
including, Sports stadia, Exhibition and conference centres, large nightclubs,
Churches, cathedrals, other places of worship, Community centres and village halls.
Common areas of shopping malls, and premises that adjoin other complexes such as
shopping centres.
This guide does not apply to premises that include sleeping accommodation, theatres
and cinemas and or outdoor facilities.

THEATRES AND CINEMAS

Publication title: Fire Safety Risk Assessment - Large Places of Assembly
Date published: 8 June 2006
ISBN: 978 1 85112 822 8

Scope-Where the main use of the building or part of the building is a theatre, cinema
or multi-screen cinema or a combination of these. This guide also includes buildings
converted to cinemas or theatres. Examples include, Theatres, Cinemas, and
Concert halls
This guide does not include temporary structures and marquees or tents used as
theatres or cinemas.

OUTDOOR EVENTS
Publication title: Fire Safety Risk Assessment - Open Air Events and Venues
Date published: 8 March 2007
ISBN: 978 1 85112 823 5

Scope-Open air events, and venues, such as theme parks, zoos, music concerts and
festivals, sporting events, race meetings, fairgrounds, street festivals, religious
festivals, balloon festivals, car-boot sales, county fairs, and other similar events.
This guide does not cover sports stadia, permanent buildings or structures, large
temporary structures and air-supported structures.

HEALTHCARE PREMISES
Publication title: Fire Safety Risk Assessment - Healthcare premises
Date published: 25 September 2006
ISBN: 978 1 85112 824 2

Scope-Where the main use of the building or part of the building is to provide
healthcare including, Hospitals, Medical centres and other healthcare premises
This guide is not be intended for use in care and nursing homes, rehabilitation
premises, day-care centres with no residential clients, sheltered accommodation, out-
posted nursing care in single private dwellings and staff accommodation.

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 TRANSPORT PREMISES AND FACILITIES
Publication title: Fire Safety Risk Assessment - Transport Premises and Facilities
Date published: 12 February 2007
ISBN: 978 1 85112 825 9

Scope-Transport premises and facilities including, Train, bus, coach and airport
transportation terminals and exchanges, Rail and road tunnels, Passenger ferry ports
and facilities, Taxi stands and facilities, and Shipping ports and terminals
This guide will not apply to the offices and shops within transport premises and
facilities or the actual modes of transport e.g. cars, buses, and trains.

ANIMAL PREMISES AND STABLES

Publication title: Fire Safety Risk Assessment - Animal Premises and Stables
Date published: 23 October 2007
ISBN: 978 1 85112 884 6

Scope-Premises where the main use of the building(s) or part of the building is as
stables or livery yards, or equine establishments forming part of other occupancy
premises, e.g. stables at racecourses. It may also be suitable for individual stables
within other complexes, such as zoos, large animal sanctuaries or farm parks.
MEANS OF ESCAPE FOR DISABLED PERSONS
Publication title: Fire Safety Risk Assessment - Means of Escape for Disabled People
(Supplementary Guide)
Date published: 29 March 2007
ISBN: 978 1 85112 873 7

Scope-This guide is a supplement to be read alongside other guides in the series. It

provides additional information on accessibility and means of escape for disabled
people.

2.3. It is recognised that methods of fire risk assessment other than those detailed within
the guidance may be employed. These are are equally valid in order to comply with the
legislation, provided that they identify the fire risks and control measures.

2.4. The recommendations concerning guidance (e.g. technical guidance, fire safety
management guidance) detailed within the guides are to be regarded as “benchmark
guidance”. There is no obligation to adopt the solutions in the guidance provided that the
relevant requirement is met in some other appropriate way. For example in complex
buildings, engineered solutions may be used to meet requirements.

2.5. The guides are not intended for use when designing fire safety in new buildings or for
proposed alterations to existing buildings. Such works are subject to Building Regulations.

3. Recently Constructed Buildings

3.1. When a building has been recently constructed (or significantly altered), the structural fire
safety, fire alarm and warning arrangements, escape routes and facilities for the fire and
rescue service should have been designed, constructed and installed with current Building
Regulations. In such cases, it is likely that these measures will be satisfactory provided that
they are being properly maintained and no significant increase in risk has been introduced.

3.2. Fire safety management standards should be identified in the fire risk assessment and
satisfactory control measures employed.

4. Buildings subject to previous Fire Safety Legislation

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4.1. When a fire certificate issued under The Fire Precautions Act or the premises were built
to recent Building Regulations, provided no material alterations have been made and all the
physical fire precautions have been properly maintained, the existing physical fire protection
arrangements may be satisfactory to comply with the Order.

4.2. A fire risk assessment is required to ensure all fire precautions in the premises remain
current and adequate. In addition fire safety management standards should be identified and
satisfactory control measures employed to ensure compliance with the wider scope of the
Order

4.3. In building that have previously carried out a fire risk assessment under the Fire
Precautions (Workplace) Regulations may be satisfactory provided that it has been revised to
take into account the wider scope of the Order.

4.4. In older building fire safety inspectors will need to pay particular attention to fire safety
measures that do not meet the “benchmark guidance” contained within the guides and
have not been addressed as an outcome of the risk assessment.

5. Premises subject to the Licensing Act

5.1. Premises that are subject to the provisions of a licence or registration (i.e. under The
Licensing Act 2003) are obliged, under the Order, to undertake, and record, a fire risk
assessment. The risk assessment should identify the number of people who may be present
at any one time.

5.2. When the premises have been subject to recent building regulations approval the number
and width of escape routes will have been addressed at design and construction stage.

5.3. In other premises, the number of persons identified in the risk assessment who may
safely use the premises should be determined using the appropriate Communities and Local
Government (CLG) guide detailed in paragraph 2 above.

5.4. In premises were the Order applies fire safety conditions should not be set by a Licensing
Authority.

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Revision 1.0
Date of Production : 01.04.09 Name of Author: R. Ashman.
Date of Review : 01.04.12 Job Title : Community Risk Officer

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