Collection

Fire safety legislation: Guidance for those with legal duties

This collection brings together relevant documents relating to fire safety law and provides guidance to anyone who has a legal duty for fire safety in a relevant building to meet those duties.

Fire Safety Law

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) is the main piece of legislation governing fire safety in buildings in England and Wales. The FSO applies to all workplaces and the common parts of buildings containing two or more domestic premises. It places legal duties on anyone in control of these premises (the Responsible Person - usually the owner or landlord) to undertake a fire risk assessment and put in place and maintain general fire precautions.

The Fire Safety Act 2021 clarified that the external walls, flat entrance doors and structure of buildings are all covered by the FSO and must be accounted for in fire risk assessments.

Find out whether you are a Responsible Person under the Fire Safety Order and what responsibilities you may have.

Guidance

If you have identified that you are Responsible Person or someone with duties under fire safety legislation the following guides will help you to:

  • understand what you need to do to comply with fire safety law;
  • carry out and review a fire risk assessment; and
  • identify the general fire precautions you need to put in place and maintain

As well as the publications below, fire safety advice is also available in:

Legislative guidance

Fire risk assessment checklist

Guidance for evacuating disabled persons

Guidance for residential buildings under the Fire Safety Order

Guidance for non-domestic premises

Guidance for livestock premises

Guidance for workplaces where people sleep

Guidance for places of assembly

Published 21 December 2022