RRC Helps UK Businesses Take the Heat Out of New Fire Safety Legislation

RRC Training, has developed a range of products and services ñ including a free guide and affordable fire safety risk assessments ñ to help UK businesses get to grips with the new workplace fire safety legislation

Taking effect from 1st October 2006, the new legislation abolishes Fire Certificatesand, most significantly, shifts responsibility for fire safety away from the fire service to rest very clearly with employers and persons in control of premises.

It will have the greatest impact on small to medium sized businesses, in particular offices and shops, factories, warehouses, hotels, theatres and cinemas, outdoor events, educational premises and residential care homes.

Where once they would have relied upon the fire service to carry out a fire safety assessment, employers and managers of all organisations now have the onus to assess and manage fire risk placed firmly upon their shoulders. The effects are far-reaching, embracing the self-employed with business premises, charities and voluntary organisations, contractors with a degree of control over any premises, managers of offices and shops, factories and warehouses, theatres and cinemas, residential care homes, educational premises and outdoor events.

ëItís all very well for larger companies that already have a designated specialist in charge of health and safety, but the changes will have an impact on many businesses, where because of their smallness or relative low risk, health and safety has been somewhat of a peripheral issue,í comments Gary Fallaize, MD of RRC Training.

It can be peripheral no longer. The Fire and Rescue Service, as the main enforcing body of the new legislation,has the power to spot check premises and those that fail to comply with the new requirements may be subject to stiff fines and penalties, not to mention the potential tragedies that could result through poor fire safety.

Which is why RRC Training has come up with a range of solutions to help companies comply.

Not only is it offering a free Guide to Fire Safety, which sets out the requirements of the new legislation and explains how to deal with them, but it is also offering to conduct affordable fire safety risk assessments for smaller businesses (subject to availability).

The assessment will fulfil the requirement for a fire risk assessment as specified in the legislation. Cost of the assessments, is dependent upon size and use of building and number of staff.

ëFire safety is a complex issue,í comments Gary Fallaize. ëThe manager of a small company is unlikely to understand all the ramifications of the new fire safety duties ñ for instance the adequate number, distribution and dimension of escape routes and what constitutes adequate emergency lighting and signage.

ëBut with over twenty-five years experience delivering effective and innovative health and safety training, we are well placed to offer this kind of advice

For larger organisations, which are more likely to need a member of staff to be trained and competent in fire safety,, RRC Training offers the NEBOSH certificate in Fire Safety and Risk Management, available as block release, distance learning or e-learning programme.

The course can be completed in two months and covers everything from prevention of fire, fire protection in buildings and safety of people in the event of a fire to how to conduct a fire risk assessment

RRC Training prides itself in offering one of the widest ranges of learning methods available. Whatever a companyís size, budget and requirements, it has the solution to take the heat out of fire safety.