Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 is a statutory instrument which places the onus on individuals to carry out risk assessments on certain types of property and submit them to their local fire authority. Its full title is: Statutory Instrument 2005 No. 1541 The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. It became law on 1 October 2006, and only applies to England and Wales.

Office of Public Sector Information:
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, England & Wales

The Fire Brigades Union

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) is the main union for firefighters in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1918 in the London area as the Firemans Trade Union, but soon grew to cover the entire country. During the Second World War, it began to unionise auxiliaries for the first time. Today, it has around 50,000 members.

Home Page of Fire Brigades Union

Founded := 1918
Members := 50,000
Country := United Kingdom
Affiliation := TUC, STUC
Key people := Matt Wrack, general secretary
Office Loc := Norbiton, Kingston upon Thames
Website := www.fbu.org.uk

By Wikipedia

Fire Classes

European and Australasian Classifications

In Europe and Australasia, a different classification system is used.

* Class A: Fires that involve flammable solids such as wood, cloth, rubber, paper, and some types of plastics.

* Class B: Fires that involve flammable liquids or liquifiable solids such as petrol/gasoline, oil, paint, some waxes & plastics, but not cooking fats or oils.

* Class C: Fires that involve flammable gases, such as natural gas, hydrogen, propane, butane.

* Class D: Fires that involve combustible metals, such as sodium, magnesium, and potassium.

* Class E: Fires that involve any of the materials found in Class A and B fires, but with the introduction of an electrical appliances, wiring, or other electrically energized objects in the vicinity of the fire, with a resultant electrical shock risk if a conductive agent is used to control the fire.

* Class F: Fires involving cooking fats and oils. The high temperature of the oils when on fire far exceeds that of other flammable liquids making normal extinguishing agents ineffective.

The system is more or less the same as the U.S system, with letter designations shifted around - for instance, Class C fires in the U.S system are known as Class E in Europe.

By Wikipedia

Will The Fire Safety Order Affect Me?

Yes if you are:
• Responsible for business premises.
• An employer.
• Self employed with business premises.
• A charity or voluntary organisation.
• A contractor or agent with a degree of control over any premises.

Fire Risk Assessments
All non – domestic premises with 5 or more employees and all shared or common parts of a property with more than one occupier are legally required to produce a written fire risk assessment. Completing a fire risk assessment is not only a legal requirement under the FSO; it can also deliver realistic benefits to employers and their Company. Through the risk assessment, the likelihood of a fire and loss of life or injury can be significantly reduced. By taking a few simple steps, employers can not only prevent fires breaking out but also ensure their business continuity and safety of their premises and employees. This is an interesting viewpoint when you consider that:-

• 70% of businesses close within 2 years of the fire.
• 80% of businesses that suffer a moderate fire do not stay in business, lose their market share or lose their skilled staff to competitors.

By Pyrotech