Absolute Health and Safety Solutions Ltd

Well it's coming and all businesses should be prepared to accept it, it's not rocket science it's nothing short of a sure way of protecting your assets. Once your business complies it is very easy to maintain compliance through regular reviews. It is the most single major change to Fire Legislation in years.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO 2005)

The main part of the the RRO 2005 is Section 9 of the RRO 2005 - The Fire Risk Assessment

We have tried to break this down to allow you or your Responsible Person to understand what is required to comply.

Section 9(1) The responsible person must make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to which relevant persons are exposed for the purpose of identifying the general fire precautions he needs to take to comply with the requirements and prohibitions imposed on him by or under the RRO 2005.

Section 9(2) Where a dangerous substance is or is liable to be present in or on the premises, the risk assessment must include consideration of the matters:

THE MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED IN RISK ASSESSMENT IN RESPECT OF DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES ARE:

information on safety provided by the supplier, including information contained in any relevant safety data sheet;

the hazardous properties of the substance;
the circumstances of the work including:
the special, technical and organisational measures and the substances used and their possible interactions;

the amount of the substance involved;

where the work will involve more than one dangerous substance, the risk presented by such substances in combination; and

the arrangements for the safe handling, storage and transport of dangerous substances and of waste containing dangerous substances;

activities, such as maintenance, where there is the potential for a high level of risk;

the effect of measures which have been or will be taken pursuant to the RRO 2005;

the likelihood that an explosive atmosphere will occur and its persistence;

the likelihood that ignition sources, including electrostatic discharges, will be present and become active and effective;

the scale of the anticipated effects;

any places which are, or can be connected via openings to, places in which explosive atmospheres may occur; and

such additional safety information as the responsible person may need in order to complete the assessment

Section 9(3) Any such assessment must be reviewed by the responsible person regularly so as to keep it up to date and particularly if—
(a) there is reason to suspect that it is no longer valid; or
(b) there has been a significant change in the matters to which it relates including when the premises, special, technical and organisational measures, or organisation of the work undergo significant changes, extensions, or conversions,
and where changes to an assessment are required as a result of any such review, the responsible person must make them.

Section 9(4) The responsible person must not employ a young person unless he has, in relation to risks to young persons, made or reviewed an assessment in accordance with paragraphs (1)and (5).

Section 9(5) In making or reviewing the assessment, the responsible person who employs or is to employ a young person must take particular account of the matters in respect of young persons, namely;

the inexperience, lack of awareness of risks and immaturity of young persons;

the fitting-out and layout of the premises;

the nature, degree and duration of exposure to physical and chemical agents;

the form, range, and use of work equipment and the way in which it is handled;

the organisation of processes and activities;

the extent of the safety training provided or to be provided to young persons; and

risks from agents, processes and work listed in the Annex to Council Directive 94/33/EC on the protection of young people at work.

1. Physical agents
(a) lonizing radiation;
(b) Work in a high-pressure atmosphere, e. g. in pressurized containers, diving.
2. Biological agents
(a) Biological agents belonging to groups 3 and 4 within the meaning of Article 2 (d) of Council Directive 90/679/EEC of 26 November 1990 on the protection of workers from risks related to exposure to biological agents at work (Seventh individual Directive within the meaning of Article 16(1) of Directive 89/391/EEC ) (1).
3. Chemical agents
(a) Substances and preparations classified according to Council Directive 67/548/EEC of 27 June 1967 on the approximation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to the classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous substances with amendments and Council Directive 88/379/EEC of 7 June 1988 on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States relating to the classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous preparations

as toxic (T),

very toxic (Tx),

corrosive (C) or

explosive (E);

(b) Substances and preparations classified according to Directives 67/548/EEC and 88/379/EEC as harmful (Xn) and with one or more of the following risk phrases:

danger of very serious irreversible effects (R39),

possible risk of irreversible effects (R40),

may cause sensitisation by inhalation (R42),

may cause sensitisation by skin contact (R43),

may cause cancer (R45),

may cause heritable genetic damage (R46),

danger of serious damage to health by prolonged exposure (R48),

may impair fertility (R60),

may cause harm to the unborn child (R61);

(c) Substances and preparations classified according to Directives 67/548/EEC and 88/379/EEC as irritant (Xi) and with one or more of the following risk phrases:

highly flammable (R12);

may cause sensitisation by inhalation (R42),

may cause sensitisation by skin contact (R43),

(d) Substances and preparations referred to Article 2 (c) of Council Directive 90/394/EEC of 28 June 1990 on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to carcinogens at work (Sixth individual Directive within the meaning of Article 16(1) of Directive 89/391/EEC;
e) Lead and compounds thereof, inasmuch as the agents in question are absorbable by the human organism;
(f) Asbestos.
Processes and work referred to in Annex I to Directive 90/394/EEC.

Manufacture and handling of devices, fireworks or other objects containing explosives.

Work with fierce of poisonous animals.

Animal slaughtering on an industrial scale.

Work involving the handling of equipment for the production, storage or application of compressed, liquified or dissolved gases.

Work with vats, tanks, reservoirs or carboys containing chemical agents

Work involving a risk of structural collapse.

Work involving high-voltage electrical hazards.

Work the pace of which is determined by machinery and involving payment by results.

Section 9(6) As soon as practicable after the assessment is made or reviewed, the responsible person must record the information prescribed by paragraph (7) where:
(a) he employs five or more employees;
(b) a licence under an enactment is in force in relation to the premises; or
(c) an alterations notice requiring this is in force in relation to the premises.

Section 9(7) The prescribed information is:
(a) the significant findings of the assessment, including the measures which have been or will be taken by the responsible person pursuant to the RRO 2005; and
(b) any group of persons identified by the assessment as being especially at risk.

Section 9(8) No new work activity involving a dangerous substance may commence unless:
(a) the risk assessment has been made; and
(b) the measures required by or under the RRO 2005 have been implemented.

A short guide is available to Making Your Premises Safe from Fire, further specific guides are available Free to download from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) whilst observing the important copyright information with respect to the use of the documents.

Guides currently now available online via the DCLG

Guide 1 - Offices and shops
Guide 2 - Factories and warehouses
Guide 3 - Sleeping accommodation
Guide 4 - Residential care premises
Guide 5 - Educational premises
Guide 6 - Small and medium places of assembly
Guide 7 - Large places of assembly
Guide 8 - Theatres and cinemas
Guide 9 - Outdoor events - not yet available
Guide 10 - Healthcare premises - not yet available
Guide 11 - Transport premises and facilities - not yet available

The guides are designed so that a responsible person, with limited formal training or experience, should be able to carry out a fire risk assessment. If you read the guide and decide you are unable to apply the guidance then you should seek expert advice.

Absolute Health and Safety Solutions Ltd have staff with the relevant training and experience to assist the Responsible Person to either review their current Fire Risk Assessments or undertake a complete service in accordance with the RRO 2005. We are currently engaged in reviewing our current client data base in preparation to the foreseeable changes.

There is also a simple wallchart that will provide the relevant guide for your buisness.

A member of Absolute Health and Safety Solutions Ltd can arrange a free informal meeting to provide a quotation for the Responsible Person which will assist them in meeting their obligations. Absolute Health and Safety Solutions Ltd can also assist with the interpretation of any part of the Regulations, Approved Codes of Practice or British Standard.

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