Fire

Fire safety is everyone's responsibility.

This page gives advice on reducing the risks of fire in the workplace and information on legal duties and responsibilities.

Good practices:

General fire safety
Emergency planning and training
At shutdown

Fire risks and the workplace

Fire presents significant risk to businesses. It can kill or seriously injure employees or visitors and can damage or destroy buildings, equipment and stock.

Organisations operating from single premises are particularly vulnerable as loss of premises may completely disrupt their operations. Many businesses fail to continue trading following a severe fire.

Fire may have a more significant impact on businesses that:

stock combustible materials including flammable liquids or gases
use heat processes
have people working alone in parts of the building
have poorly maintained equipment or electrical circuits
have public access (i.e. are at risk from arson)
have poor housekeeping standards.

However, any organisation may be affected at any time.

Legal duties and responsibilities around fire safety

The Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and The Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006 have replaced almost all workplace fire safety legislation. Some elements of the Building Standards Regulations are also related to fire safety.

For a comprehensive guide to your responsibilities, visit the Scottish Government Website on Fire Law (external site).

Under the legislation, those who are responsible for premises, including owners, employers, managers, employees and others occupying non-domestic premises must manage fire safety on those premises.

Those responsible should:

take steps to prevent and reduce the impact of fire on the workplace and carry out a fire risk assessment of their workplace
identify the significant findings of the risk assessment and the details of anyone who might be especially at risk in case of fire (these must be recorded if more than five employees)
provide and maintain fire precautions necessary to safeguard anyone using the workplace (including visitors)
provide information, instruction and training to employees about the fire precautions in the workplace.

Additionally:

where it is necessary to safeguard the safety of employees, employers must nominate people to undertake any special roles which are required under the emergency plan
employers must consult their employees (or their elected representatives or appointed trade union safety representatives) about the nomination of people to carry out particular roles in connection with fire safety and about proposals for improving the fire precautions
employers must inform other employers who also have workplaces in the building of any significant risks they found which might affect the safety of their employees – and co-operate with them about the measures proposed to reduce/control those risks
controllers of premises (even if they do not employ anyone themselves) which contain more than one workplace are also responsible for ensuring that the requirements of the fire legislation are complied with in those parts over which they have control
employers must establish a suitable means of contacting the emergency services, and ensure that they can be called easily. They should also ensure that the emergency services can gain access to the premises in an emergency.
employees must co-operate with employers to ensure the workplace is safe from fire and its effects and not to do anything which will place themselves or other people at risk
in some workplaces there may be a need to apply for a licence, or other form of approval before using the workplace – find out more from your Local Authority or check the Fire Law website (external site).

Fire alarms and detectors (fire warning systems)

ensure existing means of detection discover a fire quickly enough to raise an alarm in time for all the occupants to escape to a safe place
the means for giving warning should be clearly heard and understood throughout the whole premises when initiated from any single point
if the fire detection and warning system is electrically powered, ensure it has a back-up power supply
ensure employees know about the fire warning system, and that they know how to operate and respond to it
ensure there are instructions/notices for employees on how to operate the fire warning system.

Escape routes

make sure there is a reasonable length of time for all the occupants to escape to a place of safety once a fire has been detected.
ensure there are enough exits and that they are in the right places. The type and size of exits should be suitable and sufficient for the number of people likely to need to use them.
in the event of fire anywhere in the workplace, make sure at least one route from any part of the premises remains available
all escape routes must be easily identifiable, free from any obstructions and adequately illuminated
all staff should be instructed and trained in using the means of escape
instructions about the means of escape should be displayed for employees
means of escape arrangements should be included in the emergency plan.

Fire extinguishers

ensure extinguishers are suitable for the purpose and of sufficient capacity for the fire risks on the premises
ensure sufficient extinguishers are sited throughout the workplace
ensure the right types of extinguishers are located close to the fire hazards and that users can gain access to them without exposing themselves to risk
ensure the locations of the extinguishers are obvious or highlight their positions
give the people likely to use the fire extinguishers adequate instruction and training
include the use of fire-fighting equipment in your emergency plan.

Maintenance and testing of fire safety equipment

all fire doors and escape routes should be regularly checked along with associated lighting and signs
fire-fighting equipment should be regularly checked
fire detection and alarm equipment should be regularly checked
all other equipment provided to help means of escape arrangements in the building should be regularly checked
instructions for relevant employees about testing of equipment should be available
make sure those who test and maintain the equipment are properly trained to do so.

Good practices:

General fire safety

good standards of housekeeping are essential – keep workplaces tidy
regularly remove combustible waste, including accumulations of dust
keep ignition sources away from combustible material, flammable liquids/gases, etc.
keep use of flammable liquids to a minimum and close containers when not in use
have bunding in place in larger storage areas, to control the extent of any spillages and prevent chemicals mixing
consider how you would recover from the effects of a fire.

Emergency planning and training

Local Fire and Rescue Services (FRS) may offer training in emergency planning and fire safety.

compile an emergency plan
ensure employees are familiar with the plan, trained in its use and involved in testing it
ensure the emergency plan is made available to all who need to be aware of it
ensure the procedures to be followed are clearly indicated throughout the workplace
consider all the people likely to be present in the workplace and others who share the building.

Contact details are listed below for local FRS headquarters.

At shutdown

ensure all windows and doors are closed, including doors held open by automatic release units
switch off electrical equipment not in use, and where appropriate, unplug
check that smokers' materials are not left smouldering
check that all naked flames are extinguished or left in a safe condition
ensure all flammable or combustible waste is removed to a safe place
check that all highly flammable materials are safely stored
ensure that the workplace is secured against unauthorised entry.

Further information on fire safety

The Arson Prevention Bureau (external site) can give advice on protection against arson.

For a comprehensive guide to fire safety, including downloadable factsheets for specific sectors, visit the Scottish Government website on Fire Law (external site).

Free resources from Healthy Working Lives
Links below are to publications pages giving options to download these resources: