Each year around 40,000 fires blaze through buildings across the UK. But now, new fire safety regulations are turning up the heat on business owners, leaving bosses facing two-year jail sentences if they fail to comply.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 comes into force at the start of October and, says Sabeeha Khan, a senior solicitor with national law firm Irwin Mitchell, ‘this new legislation is heralded as the biggest single reform of fire safety legislation in over 30 years. It will effectively shift the emphasis of fire prevention and reducing risk away from authorities and towards employers, increasing their accountability if they fail to carry out their duties.’

Under the regulations, businesses will need to appoint a ‘responsible person’, usually the employer, to manage any fire risk on their premises. Moreover, as Kahn points out, ‘fire authorities will no longer carry out risk assessments or issue safety certificates, and those previously in force will have no legal status.’

This move shifts the onus onto the responsible person to ensure a full risk assessment is carried out. Fail and they could face severe penalties, including heavy fines or prison terms.

Employers will not only be responsible for the safety of staff but also for anyone else in the vicinity of the business, for example, cleaners, maintenance staff, temporary workers, volunteers, visitors and even members of the public passing by.

To read a copy of the legislation go to: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2005/20051541.htm