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

75 compliance obligations, 123 practical guides across 5 topics · 36 journeys

Penalty landscape

6 of 75 obligations carry up to 2 years imprisonment. 69 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 20
  • Responsible Person 17
  • Employer 15
  • Occupier 14
  • 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

18 guides
View all 123 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 2338 other Acts (top 5 shown)
Responsible Persons also bound by 104 other Acts (top 5 shown)
Employers also bound by 694 other Acts (top 5 shown)
Occupiers also bound by 259 other Acts (top 5 shown)
Employees also bound by 182 other Acts (top 5 shown)
Landlords also bound by 216 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

  • 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 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

  • 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

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

Principles of prevention to be applied

  • Apply fire‑safety principles when implementing protective measures Occupier
  • 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

  • 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.013

Fire-fighting and fire detection

  • 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

  • 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

  • Maintain fire safety equipment and premises in good repair Occupier
s.019

Provision of information to employees

  • Provide employees with fire safety information Responsible Person
  • 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

  • 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‑risk information to outside workers and their employers Any Person
s.021

Training

  • Provide fire‑safety training for all employees Employer
s.022

Co-operation and co-ordination between responsible persons

  • 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

  • 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.art021

Provision of information to residents of domestic premises

  • Provide fire safety information to domestic residents Employer
  • Provide fire‑safety information to residents and keep records Landlord
  • Provide fire safety information to residents in multi-unit buildings Responsible Person
s.art022

Provision of information to new responsible person

  • Provide fire safety information to new responsible person Employer
s.art022

Co-operation with accountable persons

  • Identify and cooperate with other accountable persons for building safety Occupier
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

Browse 76 other Schedules — structural / supplementary
s.sch001

In applying measures to control risks the responsible person must,...

s.sch001

The responsible person must ensure that mitigation measures applied in...

s.sch001

The responsible person must— (a) ensure that the premises are...

s.sch002

Celluloid and Cinematograph Film Act 1922

s.sch002

Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975

s.sch002

Greater London Council (General Powers) Act 1975

s.sch002

County of South Glamorgan Act 1976

s.sch002

Rent Act 1977

s.sch002

County of Merseyside Act 1980

s.sch002

West Midlands County Council Act 1980

s.sch002

Cheshire County Council Act 1980

s.sch002

West Yorkshire Act 1980

s.sch002

Isle of Wight Act 1980

s.sch002

South Yorkshire Act 1980

s.sch002

London Building Acts (Amendment) Act 1939

s.sch002

Tyne and Wear Act 1980

s.sch002

Zoo Licensing Act 1981

s.sch002

Greater Manchester Act 1981

s.sch002

County of Kent Act 1981

s.sch002

Derbyshire Act 1981

s.sch002

East Sussex Act 1981

s.sch002

Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982

s.sch002

Humberside Act 1982

s.sch002

County of Avon Act 1982

s.sch002

Cumbria Act 1982

s.sch002

Pet Animals Act 1951

s.sch002

Hampshire Act 1983

s.sch002

Staffordshire Act 1983

s.sch002

Food Act 1984

s.sch002

Building Act 1984

s.sch002

County of Lancashire Act 1984

s.sch002

Cornwall County Council Act 1984

s.sch002

Bournemouth Borough Council Act 1985

s.sch002

Leicestershire Act 1985

s.sch002

Clwyd County Council Act 1985

s.sch002

Worcester City Council Act 1985

s.sch002

East Ham Corporation Act 1957

s.sch002

Poole Borough Council Act 1986

s.sch002

Berkshire Act 1986

s.sch002

Fire Safety and Safety of Places of Sport Act 1987

s.sch002

Plymouth City Council Act 1987

s.sch002

West Glamorgan Act 1987

s.sch002

Dyfed Act 1987

s.sch002

Environment and Safety Information Act 1988

s.sch002

Smoke Detectors Act 1991

s.sch002

London Local Authorities Act 1995

s.sch002

Capital Allowances Act 2001

s.sch002

Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960

s.sch002

Licensing Act 2003

s.sch002

Public Health Act 1961

s.sch002

Gaming Act 1968

s.sch002

Fire Precautions Act 1971

s.sch002

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

s.sch003

The Dangerous Substances in Harbour Areas Regulations 1987

s.sch003

The Private and Voluntary Care (England) Regulations 2001

s.sch003

The Care Homes (Wales) Regulations 2002

s.sch003

The Private and Voluntary Care (Wales) Regulations 2002

s.sch003

The Children's Homes (Wales) Regulations 2002

s.sch003

The Child Minding and Day Care (Wales) Regulations 2002

s.sch003

The Residential Family Centres Regulations 2002

s.sch003

The Residential Family Centres (Wales) Regulations 2003

s.sch003

The Marriages (Approved Premises) Regulations 1995

s.sch003

The Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996

s.sch003

The Housing (Fire Safety in Houses in Multiple Occupation) Order 1997

s.sch003

The Health and Safety (Enforcing Authority) Regulations 1998

s.sch003

The Building Regulations 2000

s.sch003

The Building (Approved Inspectors etc.) Regulations 2000

s.sch003

The Care Homes Regulations 2001

s.sch003

The Children's Homes Regulations 2001

s.schedule/1/part/1/paragraph/wrapper1n2

The matters are— (a) the hazardous properties of the substance;...

s.schedule/1/part/2/paragraph/wrapper2n2

The matters are— (a) the inexperience, lack of awareness of...

s.schedule/1/part/3/paragraph/wrapper3n2

The principles are— (a) avoiding risks; (b) evaluating the risks...

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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