New Fire Safety Law in the UK is provided by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order – in  England and Wales, Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations – in Scotland and Fire & Rescue Services – in Northern Ireland.

Under the new UK Fire Safety Law the sole responsibility for ensuring fire does not put lives at risk lies with the non-domestic premises 'responsible person‘, which in most cases means the employer or the landlord.  If you are a ‘responsible person’ you must be aware that the responsibility for certifying the safety of the premises lies with you personally rather than with the company or authorities. The 'responsible person‘ cannot delegate his responsibility down to the employees.

The 'responsible person‘ must carry out (or choose a qualified consultant or risk assessor  to carry out) fire risk assessment of the premises to identify potential fire hazards, and to decide who (including employees and visitors) might be in danger in the event of fire, and their location. He will then evaluate the risks arising from the hazards and decide whether the existing fire precautions are adequate, or whether more needs to be done.

Special attention must be paid to fire risk assessment, which  is at the core of the legislation. To get it right fire risk assessment must be approached from all angles. The insufficient fire risk assessment is the feature of most persecution cases. In case of an accident the 'responsible person' is risking hefty fines, difficulty with the renewal of the insurance or even imprisonment. If you are a consultant or risk assessor please note that in court hearings it is the customary line of defence to put the blame of the insufficient fire risk assessment on the consultant or risk assessor who carried out the fire risk assessment.

When carrying out the fire risk assessment you must consider the possibility of a malicious fire or arson and the first thing to do is to identify fire hazards: source of ignition, source of fuel, source of oxygen. Do not overlook the letter box fitted in the front door because the risk of fire starting through the entrance door letter box (letterplate) is well known and identified by the insurance industry, Fire Brigade, Police service, Master Locksmiths Association, etc. To accomplish that task follow the advice provided and check the available statistics and media reports for arson.

The letter box fitted in the front door is the only part of the premises that is open 24 hours a day. It exposes the premises to all four main risks defined by the Insurance Industry: from fire, water damage, malicious damage and weather-related damage. The unprotected letter box offers an easy and attractive route into the premises for vandals, criminals and terrorists with whatever alarms, CCTV, locks, etc., may be fitted.

  THE DIVERSE MOTIVES OF ARSONISTS, VANDALS AND CRIMINALS MEAN THAT NO HOME OR BUSINESS IS IMMUNE FROM AN ATTACK

(Source: The Home Office)

Liquid inflammable is more dangerous than the solid one because it gives out twice as much heat from the same mass and burns twice as fast.  63% of losses from all deliberate ignition fires was from fires started by liquids.

Also, 20% and more of house energy can be lost through the letterplate especially in colder seasons and when it is jammed open for hours by the mail items. 

With regard to the letter box you must be guided by the following.

Statistics for Arson attempts committed through letterplates:

This method is involved in 95% of offences in domestic premises. The number of the recorded building related arsons in England and Wales most usually started through a letterplate: 248,300 during last 5 years with 43,103 in 2006 – 2007 only (Source: Association of Chief Police Officers and Home Office)

Insurance Advice: Acting must be considered to 'arson proof' all access points to a building. This means fitting items such as metal containers to letter boxes so lighted material cannot be pushed through into the building (Source: Association of British Insurers)

Fire Brigade Advice: Block letterbox and install external/internal arson proof letterbox (Source: London Fire Brigade)

Master Locksmiths Association Advice: Internal security flaps or letter cages/internal postal boxes may be needed to prevent access to door locks through the letter plate. It is recommended that the letter plate be omitted from the door and an external postal box shall be provided for mail delivery where the sole means of internally locking a door is hand (not key) operated (Source: Guidelines for Minimum Security for Domestic Property – Edition 4.01.07.07)

  Enforcement powers from Fire & Rescue services under the Order include issuing of notices. Failures to comply with notices are offences, which are triable either in Magistrates or Crown court

The new Fire Safety Law in the UK is introduced for improving fire safety in the UK, not as a budget saving exercise. However, fitting IdealGuard™ offers a sustainable and cost-effective solution for achieving the compliance with the Fire Safety Law.

 PowerPrize Limited