UK Statutory Instrument 2005 United Kingdom

Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (England/Wales comparison)

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At a glance

What's here

92 compliance obligations, 127 practical guides across 5 topics · 37 journeys

Penalty landscape

60 of 92 obligations carry up to 2 years imprisonment. 32 have no criminal penalty — flagged in the list below.

Who this Act binds

Business-side actors with duties under this Act, ranked by how often they appear.

  • Any Person 25
  • Responsible Person 22
  • Occupier 18
  • Employer 18
  • Employee 4
  • Landlord 1

Plus 4 non-business duties on Crown ministers, regulators, local authorities or tribunals — shown collapsed under each section below.

Step-by-step journeys using this legislation

Walkthroughs that take you from a real business situation to compliance.

Relevant guidance

Practical guides for businesses affected by this Act, ordered by how closely they engage with it.

Direct — cites this Act

21 guides

Supporting — topic alignment

84 guides

Mentioned in related content

22 guides
View all 127 guides →

Other Acts binding the same actors

For each actor bound by this Act, the other UK Acts that bind them most often. Useful for understanding the full compliance landscape facing each role.

Any Person also bound by 749 other Acts (top 5 shown)
Responsible Persons also bound by 56 other Acts (top 5 shown)
Occupiers also bound by 101 other Acts (top 5 shown)
Employers also bound by 171 other Acts (top 5 shown)
Employees also bound by 53 other Acts (top 5 shown)
Landlords also bound by 70 other Acts (top 5 shown)

What this Act requires

Sections that create concrete duties on businesses or carry penalties. Procedural and definitional sections are folded into the “Browse other sections” expander at the bottom of each group. Click any section title to read the source text on legislation.gov.uk.

Part 1 — GENERAL

s.005

Duties under this Order

2 years imprisonment
  • Ensure compliance with all general fire safety duties Responsible Person
  • Ensure compliance with fire safety duties in the workplace Responsible Person
  • Ensure fire safety duties are complied for your premises Any Person
  • Ensure fire safety duties are met for premises you control Any Person
  • Ensure fire safety duties are met for your premises Any Person
Browse 6 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement

Part 2 — FIRE SAFETY DUTIES

s.008

Duty to take general fire precautions

2 years imprisonment
  • Assess and take general fire precautions to ensure safety Responsible Person
  • Ensure general fire precautions for employees and others Any Person
  • Ensure general fire safety for employees and other people Occupier
  • Take general fire precautions to ensure safety of staff and visitors Responsible Person
  • Take reasonable fire precautions for employees and visitors Any Person
s.009

Risk assessment

2 years imprisonment
  • Carry out and keep a fire risk assessment Occupier
  • Carry out and keep up‑to‑date fire risk assessments Employer
  • Carry out and maintain fire risk assessments Any Person
  • Carry out and record a fire risk assessment Responsible Person
  • Conduct and record a fire risk assessment for your premises Responsible Person
s.010

Principles of prevention to be applied

2 years imprisonment
  • Apply fire‑safety principles when implementing protective measures Occupier
  • Apply fire‑safety principles when installing protective measures Any Person
  • Apply principles of prevention when implementing fire safety measures Responsible Person
  • Base fire safety measures on the prescribed prevention principles Any Person
s.011

Fire safety arrangements

2 years imprisonment
  • Develop and keep records of fire safety arrangements Employer
  • Establish and record fire safety management arrangements Responsible Person
  • Establish and record formal fire safety arrangements Responsible Person
  • Plan, implement and record fire safety arrangements Employer
s.012

Elimination or reduction of risks from dangerous substances

2 years imprisonment
  • Eliminate or reduce fire risk from dangerous substances Any Person
  • Eliminate or reduce fire risks from dangerous substances Responsible Person
  • Eliminate or reduce risks from dangerous substances Any Person
  • Eliminate or reduce risks from dangerous substances on your premises Occupier
s.013

Fire-fighting and fire detection

2 years imprisonment
  • Equip premises with fire-fighting and fire detection equipment Responsible Person
  • Equip premises with fire‑fighting gear, detectors and trained staff Any Person
  • Provide appropriate fire‑fighting equipment and appoint competent staff Occupier
  • Provide fire‑fighting equipment, detection and competent staff Occupier
s.014

Emergency routes and exits

2 years imprisonment
  • Keep emergency routes and exits clear and functional Occupier
  • Keep emergency routes and exits clear and properly sign‑posted Occupier
  • Keep emergency routes and exits clear and usable at all times Occupier
  • Maintain clear and safe emergency routes and exits Responsible Person
s.016

Additional emergency measures in respect of dangerous substances

2 years imprisonment
  • Ensure emergency procedures for dangerous substances Occupier
  • Establish emergency measures for dangerous substances Responsible Person
  • Provide emergency info, warnings and escape routes for dangerous substances Employer
  • Provide emergency plans and controls for dangerous substances Any Person
s.017

Maintenance

2 years imprisonment
  • Maintain fire safety equipment and facilities Occupier
  • Maintain fire safety equipment and premises Occupier
  • Maintain fire safety equipment and premises in good repair Responsible Person
s.019

Provision of information to employees

2 years imprisonment
  • Give fire safety information to staff and child workers' parents Any Person
  • Provide employees with fire safety information Responsible Person
  • Provide fire safety information to employees and child workers Employer
  • Provide fire safety information to employees (and child workers' parents) Employer
  • Provide fire‑safety information to staff (and child employees) Employer
s.020

Provision of information to employers and the self-employed from outside undertakings

2 years imprisonment
  • Provide fire‑risk information to external contractors and their employers Any Person
  • Provide fire‑risk information to outside employers and self‑employed workers Any Person
  • Provide fire safety information to external employers and workers Occupier
  • Provide fire safety information to outside employers and workers Responsible Person
  • Provide fire‑risk information to outside workers and their employers Any Person
s.021

Training

2 years imprisonment
  • Provide fire safety training for all employees Employer
  • Provide fire safety training for employees Employer
  • Provide fire safety training to employees Responsible Person
s.022

Co-operation and co-ordination between responsible persons

2 years imprisonment
  • Co‑operate and coordinate fire‑safety duties with other responsible persons Any Person
  • Co‑operate and coordinate with other responsible persons for fire safety Any Person
  • Co-operate and share fire safety information with other responsible persons Responsible Person
  • Co‑operate with other fire‑safety responsible persons Any Person
s.023

General duties of employees at work

2 years imprisonment
  • Take reasonable care for fire safety and cooperate with your employer Employee
  • Take reasonable care and report safety concerns Employee
  • Take reasonable care for safety and report hazards Employee
  • Take reasonable care for safety and report serious dangers Employee
s.co-operation with accountable persons

Co-operation with accountable persons

  • Identify and cooperate with other accountable persons for building safety Occupier
s.provision of information to new responsible person

Provision of information to new responsible person

  • Provide fire safety information to new responsible person Employer
s.provision of information to residents of domestic

Provision of information to residents of domestic premises

2 years imprisonment
  • Provide fire safety information to domestic residents Any Person
  • Provide fire‑safety information to residents and keep records Landlord
  • Provide fire safety information to residents in multi-unit buildings Responsible Person
Browse 3 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement

Part 3 — ENFORCEMENT

Browse 6 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement

Part 4 — OFFENCES AND APPEALS

s.032

Offences

2 years imprisonment
  • Fail to comply with fire‑safety duties or notices that put people at risk Any Person
  • Fail to meet fire safety duties that put people at risk Any Person
  • Fail to meet fire safety duties that risk death or serious injury Any Person
Browse 3 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement

Part 5 — MISCELLANEOUS

s.038

Maintenance of measures provided for protection of fire-fighters

2 years imprisonment
  • Maintain fire‑fighter protection equipment and systems Occupier
  • Maintain fire‑fighter protection equipment in good repair Occupier
  • Maintain fire-fighter safety equipment and facilities Responsible Person
  • Maintain fire safety equipment for firefighters Responsible Person
s.039

Civil liability for breach of statutory duty

  • Avoid breaching fire safety duties to prevent employee civil claims Employer
  • Guard against employee claims by following fire safety duties Employer
  • Prevent fire‑safety breaches that could harm employees Employer
  • Comply with all duties of the Fire Safety Order Employer
  • Employee right to sue for fire safety breaches causing injury Employer
s.046

Other consultation by authorities

Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Government and authorities must consult fire services on proposed changes Crown / Minister / Government department
s.050

Guidance

Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Secretary of State must provide fire safety guidance Crown / Minister / Government department
Browse 11 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement

Schedules

s.001

MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED IN RISK ASSESSMENT IN RESPECT OF DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES

2 years imprisonment
  • Assess and control fire risks from dangerous substances Responsible Person
  • Carry out risk assessments and control dangerous substances Any Person
  • Carry out risk assessments for dangerous substances Employer
  • Include required factors in risk assessments for dangerous substances Occupier
  • Assess and control risks from dangerous substances Occupier
Browse 4 other Schedules — structural / supplementary
Read the full Act on legislation.gov.uk (opens in a new tab)

Official guidance

Authoritative sources published by regulators or government explaining this legislation.

Enforcement and responsible bodies

The regulators that administer or enforce this legislation.

HSE

Primary

Health and Safety Executive

Workplace health, safety, and welfare regulation across all industries. Enforces the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and related regulations. Investigates …

Fire and Rescue Authority

Local Fire and Rescue Authority

Local fire and rescue services enforce the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 in England and Wales. Conduct fire safety inspections of …

Connected legislation

parent Act

These instruments amend, apply, or refer to this Act. They may not all create direct business obligations.

Made under

Regulatory Reform Act 2001 2001 Primary Act

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Regulators

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