Who is responsible for commercial fire safety?

In England and Wales, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 is the main framework for fire safety in most workplaces and other non-domestic premises. Responsibility can sit with an employer, owner, landlord, occupier or another person who controls the premises.

The responsible person must assess fire risks, maintain appropriate precautions, prepare for emergencies and provide relevant staff information and training. Where several parties share responsibility, they need to cooperate. Appointing a contractor helps you carry out the work, but does not automatically transfer your legal duties. See GOV.UK guidance on workplace fire safety responsibilities.

Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate legislation. Use the Scottish Government’s non-domestic fire safety guidance or Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service business guidance for premises there.

For a shared building, a useful first step is to agree who manages the communal alarm, escape routes, inspections and defect reporting. Make the arrangements clear enough that a new manager can understand them without relying on a verbal handover.

Start with a suitable fire risk assessment

A fire risk assessment examines potential ignition sources, materials that could burn, people at risk and the precautions already in place. It should explain what needs improvement and help you prioritise the next steps.

The assessment needs to reflect how the premises actually operate. Consider people working alone, visitors unfamiliar with the layout and anyone who may need help to evacuate. Keep a written record and review it regularly. GOV.UK explains the assessment process and when competent assistance is needed.

For example, an office that now includes a workshop may have different ignition sources and storage arrangements. A report written before that change may no longer describe the building’s risks accurately.

Our fire risk assessment service provides a report with prioritised recommendations. After receiving it, assign an owner and target date to each action. Record completion evidence so you can distinguish resolved issues from work that is still outstanding.

Choose fire alarm protection around your building

A suitable warning arrangement depends on the premises, occupancy, activities and evacuation strategy. Before selecting equipment, establish what the system must achieve and which areas require protection. A panel brand or detector count alone cannot answer those questions.

When discussing a new installation, ask the designer to explain the proposed coverage, detector selection, warning arrangements and any connections to other building systems. You should also understand the scope of commissioning and the documents you will receive at handover.

AK Fire Safety provides fire alarm installation, servicing and maintenance. We can discuss a new system, assess an existing installation or investigate repeated faults and unwanted alarms.

Smoke and heat detector positioning

Detector selection and placement need to suit the environment. Ceiling features, airflow, obstructions and the activities below can affect performance. A new partition may also change the area served by an existing detector.

Avoid deciding on positions from room size alone. Ask your designer to consider the building and the applicable recommendations together. Our guide to smoke and heat detector positioning explores this subject in more detail.

Weekly testing and professional servicing

Routine user testing and professional maintenance serve different purposes. A weekly test provides a regular operational check. Servicing involves a wider examination of the installation and its condition.

The government’s office and shop guidance recommends weekly alarm testing and six-monthly specialist servicing. Establish a schedule appropriate to your system and risk assessment, using the applicable standards and manufacturer’s instructions. The technical reference for many non-domestic installations is BS 5839-1. See the government guidance on fire detection, testing and maintenance.

Name the person who will organise tests, keep records and escalate defects. For monitored systems, include the agreed test notification procedure. Read our weekly fire alarm testing guide for further information.

Power failures and recurring faults

Standby batteries can support an appropriately equipped fire alarm during a mains power failure. Their condition and capacity matter, so an illuminated panel does not prove the batteries can provide the required standby performance.

If a fault returns after a reset, arrange investigation and record when it happens. Our article on fire alarms during power cuts explains the role of backup power. A breakdown visit addresses equipment faults; if you suspect an actual fire, follow the building’s emergency procedure and call 999.

Emergency lighting and usable escape routes

Emergency lighting supports safe movement when the normal lighting supply fails. A suitable design considers escape routes, stairs, changes of direction, exits and other locations where loss of light could create danger.

The important question is whether the required areas receive suitable illumination. Counting fittings or checking that one exit sign lights up will not establish that. Ask for a design and testing approach suited to the premises.

A typical maintenance programme includes monthly function tests and an annual test for the system’s rated duration. Arrange longer tests at a suitable time and allow for battery recharge afterwards. Our emergency lighting services cover installation, testing, maintenance and remedial work.

Review escape routes alongside the lighting. A clearly illuminated route still needs to be usable. Include storage, furniture, final exits and any changes in level in your routine checks.

Provide suitable fire extinguishers

Fire extinguisher provision should reflect the hazards present, the building layout and the people expected to use the equipment. A commercial kitchen, office and workshop can require different arrangements.

Ask your provider to explain the proposed extinguisher types, locations and servicing requirements. Equipment should be identifiable and accessible, with staff instruction appropriate to their role. People should never feel expected to tackle a fire beyond their training or at the expense of a safe escape.

AK Fire Safety offers fire extinguisher supply, installation and servicing. Keep an equipment register and report missing, damaged or discharged units promptly. Review provision when activities change, rather than automatically replacing every extinguisher with the same type.

Maintain fire doors and compartmentation

Fire doors form part of the building’s measures to resist the spread of fire and smoke. Their condition, fit, hardware and closing arrangements all contribute to their performance.

Routine checks can identify visible damage, obstructions and doors that no longer close correctly. More detailed assessment may be needed to establish whether a door remains suitable for its location. Our fire door inspection service can help identify defects and the remedial work required.

Residential buildings in England can have additional prescribed door-check duties. These depend on the building and should not be replaced by a generic commercial maintenance schedule. Refer to the government’s fire door guidance for the applicable requirements.

Also consider what happens around the doors. New cable or pipe routes through fire-resisting construction need appropriate attention. Ask contractors to document work affecting compartmentation and retain that information with the building records.

AOV systems and smoke ventilation

Automatic opening vents, often called AOVs, can form part of a building’s smoke control arrangements. Depending on the design, the system may include roof vents, opening windows, shafts, controls, detection and standby power.

The need for smoke ventilation and the appropriate solution depend on the building and its fire strategy. AOVs are not a universal requirement for every commercial property or apartment building.

Where a system is installed, maintenance needs to cover its intended operation and the relevant components. Moving a vent once does not demonstrate that the complete smoke control arrangement performs correctly.

Explore our AOV installation and maintenance services and our guide to AOV systems in apartment buildings. For building work in England, Approved Document B is an official source of fire safety guidance; the edition, amendments and transitional provisions relevant to the project need to be checked.

Staff training and evacuation planning

Staff need to know how to raise the alarm, what to do when it sounds and where to go. Include new starters, temporary workers and people working outside normal opening hours. Arrangements should also address anyone who may need assistance.

Use drills to identify practical problems: unclear instructions, unavailable wardens, confusion about assembly points or difficulty accounting for visitors. Record what happened and assign follow-up actions.

Our fire safety training includes awareness and fire warden training. The government’s equipment, drills and training guidance explains the need for new-starter instruction, information about new risks and recorded fire drills.

For premises with sleeping occupants or a specialist evacuation strategy, training must reflect that building’s arrangements. Do not copy an office evacuation plan into a residential setting without suitable assessment.

Electrical equipment and fire prevention

Electrical safety is part of prevention. Establish a way for users to report damaged plugs, cables or appliances, and arrange suitable inspection and testing based on risk.

Annual PAT testing is not a blanket legal requirement for every appliance. HSE explains that the approach depends on the equipment and how and where it is used. Read HSE’s portable appliance testing guidance and explore our PAT testing service. Fixed electrical installations require a separate assessment and maintenance approach.

Has your building or its use changed?

Commercial fire safety needs to keep pace with alterations. Review the arrangements when you add partitions, extend a building, change occupancy or introduce different activities.

Consider a new meeting room created within an open-plan office. The partition can affect detector coverage, how well occupants hear the alarm and the route they use to leave. Reviewing these issues at the design stage is easier than discovering them after the room is occupied.

Include fire safety in the project brief, identify who approves changes and request updated records at completion. Our building alterations and fire alarm coverage guide explains the questions to ask.

An older system may be suitable for an upgrade, but the options depend on its condition, compatibility, available support and required performance. A new control panel will not by itself correct every issue elsewhere in the installation. Read our guide to upgrading an old fire alarm system.

Build a practical fire safety maintenance programme

Set up one schedule showing each system, the task due, the person responsible and the evidence to retain. The overview below describes common arrangements; confirm the programme for your premises with the relevant competent provider.

The government’s example maintenance checklist provides a useful starting point. A schedule does not replace investigating a defect when it appears. Log faults promptly, assess their effect on protection and arrange appropriate action.

Keep records that make the next decision easier

Bring together the risk assessment, action plan, equipment details, design and commissioning information, service reports, test logs and training records. Keep current drawings and relevant system instructions accessible to the people who need them.

For each defect, record its location, the action requested, who owns it and what confirms completion. A quotation is useful, but it is not evidence that the repair has taken place.

For several sites, use the same headings and status descriptions across the portfolio. This makes it easier to see which work is overdue and where a recurring issue needs a wider decision.

What affects commercial fire safety costs?

The scope of work is more useful than a headline price. Building size, access, occupancy, equipment condition and available records all influence the work involved.

When requesting quotations, provide the site address, building use, number of floors, system details and latest reports. Say whether access needs arranging with tenants or whether work must take place outside normal hours.

Compare what each quotation includes: systems covered, visit frequency, reporting, call-out arrangements, exclusions and how additional repairs are authorised. For installation work, clarify the design responsibility, commissioning scope and handover documents.

If the information is incomplete, explain what is missing. A survey can establish the scope before you commit to a specification or maintenance package.

Choosing a fire safety provider

Ask about experience with your building type and systems, the competence of the people doing the work and the reporting you will receive. Where third-party certification is offered, check its current validity and the activities it covers.

A useful service report should let you understand the findings and act on them. Ask the provider to explain unclear recommendations, distinguish urgent defects from planned improvements and identify any limits to the inspection.

Commercial fire safety: frequently asked questions

Does every business need the same fire alarm system?

No. The appropriate warning and detection arrangements depend on the premises and its risks. Establish the required performance through suitable assessment and design before choosing equipment or copying another building’s system.

Does an annual service prove the whole building is compliant?

A service report records work within its stated scope. It does not establish the condition of every other fire precaution or prove that management procedures are effective. Use it alongside the risk assessment, other inspections and evidence that outstanding actions have been addressed.

Can our staff carry out routine checks?

Some routine checks can be assigned to suitably trained staff with clear instructions. They need to know the limits of the task and how to report a problem. Specialist maintenance and technical assessment require the appropriate competence.

How often should we review the fire risk assessment?

Review it regularly and when changes or events suggest it may no longer be valid. Set a suitable review date and bring it forward when necessary. Do not wait for that date if an alteration or new activity changes the risk.

Can we combine several services into one maintenance arrangement?

Yes. AK Fire Safety offers support across alarms, emergency lighting, extinguishers, fire doors, AOV systems and other services. Agree the scope for each system so coordinated visits still provide the individual checks and records required.

Can you help with a single building or several sites?

AK Fire Safety supports single premises and organisations with multiple sites across the UK. Share your locations, system information and priorities so we can discuss a suitable service arrangement.

Discuss your building with AK Fire Safety

Whether you need help with a specific defect, a new installation or an ongoing maintenance programme, start with a clear picture of your premises and priorities.

Send your latest reports and available system details, or contact us to discuss a site survey. We can explain the next steps and provide a quotation for the agreed work.

Call: 01604 459588
Email: sales@akfiresafety.co.uk
Enquire online: request a fire safety quotation

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