Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order

Flammable substances used and stored in the laboratory are also subject to further risk assessment and control in UK law under the the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, the COSHH Regulations 2002, the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR), and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. 

The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations and also the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order... 

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRFSO) SIN. 1541 was made on 7 June 2005. This chapter has been written on the assumption that the Order will be in force in October 2006. A summary of the Order has been included in Chapter 20. The Fire Precautions Act 1971 is repealed and The Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997 are revoked by the Order. The Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996 are to be taken within the revised CDM regulations in April 2007. The five regulations in CHSW are likely to be removed. 

It also liaises with local authority and fire authority organisations to whom it has delegated (s. 18) some of its duties. Many of these fire safety duties have been modified by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 1... 

The Fire Precauhons Act 1971 has been repealed by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 which has removed from the fire authority much of their routine administrative work in respect of the issue of fire certificates. Flowever, the fire authority still have responsibilities for overseeing the adequacy and quality of fire precautions taken by employers. This Order is considered in more detail in Chapter 4.2. 

The process of carrying out a fire risk assessment is similar to that of a general risk assessment except that the identification of hazards is restricted to fire matters. It is the findings of a fire risk assessment that will determine the type and number of fire extinguishers to be provided. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 the findings of a fire risk assessment must be recorded. The fire risk assessment should cover a defined area of the workplace. In small premises the defined area could be the whole premises whereas for larger places of work the premises should be divided into discrete sub-areas and each made the subject of a separate fire risk assessment. 

Legislative control over fire safety matters in the UK was rationalised in 2006 with the introduction of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. The Order sets out in detail the roles and responsibilities of those charged with managing fire safety within organisations (the responsible person ) and that an assessment of fire risk has been undertaken. The order is enforced by iocai fire authorities (see section 1.4 below). 

The regulations are detailed and accompanied by both an ACoP and guidance, and provide a cornerstone in the overall management of health and safety within the UK. They also form the basis from which the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 was produced. 

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2(X)5 23(1)a To take reasonable care of their own health and safety and of relevant persons who may be affected by their acts or omissions at work... 

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