You can use this checklist as a high level aid to help identify the areas of statutory compliance you have in place and to any gaps or areas where you need to take further action.

You should also use HSE approved codes of practice and guidance to ensure you are meeting legislative requirements. 

The responsible person

The duty to manage fire safety, primarily falls on the "responsible person," who is usually the employer or person with control of the premises, and involves identifying risks, implementing precautions, and ensuring everyone knows what to do in an emergency.

Key Responsibilities of the Responsible Person:

Fire Risk Assessment: 

• Carry out a fire risk assessment of the premises and review it regularly.
• Identify fire hazards and people at risk.
• Evaluate, remove, reduce, and protect from risks.
• Record the findings of the fire risk assessment.

Fire Safety Measures:

• Put in place and maintain appropriate fire safety measures.
• Ensure there is protection if flammable or explosive materials are used or stored.
• Maintain fire extinguishers and other fire safety equipment.

Emergency Planning:

• Plan for an emergency, including evacuation procedures.
• Ensure those on the premises know what to do in the event of a fire or on hearing an alarm.
• Provide staff with information, instruction, and training.

Competent Persons:

Appoint competent persons to assist in managing fire safety, such as fire wardens or fire marshals.

Record Keeping:

Keep records of fire risk assessments, actions taken to reduce risks, and any tests, maintenance, and safety training.

Review: 

Regularly review the fire risk assessment and make sure it is updated after significant workplace changes.

Managing fire safety

Fire Risk Assessment

If you have control of any part of a building/ premises you are required to carry out a fire risk assessment which must focus on the fire safety of all people who work, live, receive care in or visit the building.

You will need to consider how, who and when the fire risk assessment will be completed and how priorities will be determined in eliminating hazards and reducing risks to people.  The person undertaking or reviewing a fire risk assessment must be competent to do so e.g. have relevant qualifications and experience in fire safety to act on behalf of the employer or a third party company contracted to provide expert advice on behalf of the responsible person.

The risk assessment should pay attention to those at special risk including disabled people, those with specific needs and learning disabilities.  It should also include any hazardous substances.

You must record the details and outcome of the fire risk assessment in writing (even if you employ less than five people).

Fire risk assessments should be reviewed regularly to ensure they remain up-to-date, with an annual review often recommended. There may be specific factors that require the risk assessment to be reviewed including any significant changes to the building including layout, structure or use, changes to the number or type of occupants, any new fire hazards and changes to fire safety legislation.

Any issues or concerns found during the risk assessment should be consolidated into an action plan with clear prioritised actions that must be undertaken.  It is crucial that the actions are reviewed and plans put in place to address actions.  

Fire management plan

You need to develop and regularly review a fire safety management plan.  The plan should outline the arrangements to implement, control, monitor and review fire safety standards and how those standards are maintained. It should describe the arrangements for effectively managing fire safety to prevent fire occurring and what should happen if a fire does start, to prevent the spread of fire and ensure the safety of people and the property.

The plan should specify the fire safety measures and fire safety provisions in the premises in relation to: 

Fire Risk Assessment

The specific arrangements for carrying out a fire risk assessment and the frequency of review.

Roles and Responsibilities

You will need to determine and allocate the specific roles and responsibilities employees have to prevent fires, monitor fire protection and detection measures and during a fire incident.  This information should be included in the fire management plan.

The plan should also include how information will be communicated to employees and detail the provision of suitable information, instruction and training for employees and others.

Controls

The plan should outline the specific controls in place and include:

• A copy of the fire risk assessment
• Housekeeping and fire prevention measures
• Arson prevention
• Maintenance arrangements including regular testing and inspection of fire protection, detection systems and firefighting equipment
• Details of fire doors/protected areas
• An emergency / evacuation plan
• Details of any personal emergency evacuation plans (PEEP)
• Details of fire drills and practice sessions 

Emergency evacuation plan

You need to have a detailed emergency plan so that people in your premises know what to do if there is a fire and you can ensure that people can be evacuated safely.

Your emergency plan should be based on the outcome of your fire risk assessment and be available for your employees, their trade union representatives (where appointed) and the enforcing authority.

Small premises may only require a fire action notice, however in premises that are more complex and where occupants may require support to evacuate, your plan will need to be more detailed and compiled after consultation with others including any shared occupants of the building, employees and their trade union representatives.

Your plan will need to include detailed emergency actions including:

1. How people will be warned if there is a fire– describe the alarm sound or words that will be used 
2. Actions to take to determine if the alarm is a false alarm or real incident
3. What staff should do if they discover a fire including how to contact the emergency services. information to provide to the emergency services, including highlighting particular hazards
4. How the evacuation of the premises should be carried out, for example, will it be a phased horizontal evacuation for residents/ service users, and should all visitors evacuate to outside the building. This should include specific detailed plans relating to the type of evacuation.
5. Identification of key escape routes, how people can gain access to them and escape from them to a place of total safety
6. Arrangements for the safe evacuation of people identified as being especially at risk, such as those with disabilities, lone workers and young persons and anyone with a PEEP
7. The duties and identity of staff who have specific responsibilities if there is a fire e.g. sweep zones, calling the fire service
8. Where should people assemble if they need to leave the premises and procedures for checking whether the premises have been evacuated 
9. Any machines/appliances/processes/power supplies that need to be stopped/isolated if there is a fire
10. Specific arrangements, if necessary, for high-fire-risk areas e.g. oxygen cylinder storage
11. Contingency plans for when life safety systems such as evacuation lifts, fire-detection and warning systems, sprinklers or smoke control systems are out of order
12. How the fire and rescue service and any other necessary services will be called and who will be responsible for doing this
13. Procedures for meeting the fire and rescue service on their arrival and notifying them of the location of the fire, measures taken and any special risks, e.g. people with PEEPs, where oxygen cylinders are located
14. Plans to deal with people once they have left the premises
15. What training employees need and the arrangements for ensuring that this training is provided

As part of your emergency plan it is good practice to prepare post-incident plans for dealing with situations that might arise such as those involving:

1. Inclement weather and keeping people dry and warm
2. people with personal belongings (especially valuables) still in the building contacting concerned relatives, dealing with media enquiries, and informing other relevant parties
3. Getting people away from the building (e.g. to transport)
4. Arranging temporary accommodation

Your local fire and rescue service may have a template you can use to help structure an emergency plan.

Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP)

You will have people in your care who are in need of specialist care due to their age, health conditions or other disabilities including sensory impairments and mobility issues.  This may impact on their ability to leave a building quickly in the event of a fire or make them entirely dependent on others to escape – this may also be the case for some employees.  As a result you may need to consider individual arrangements to assist them to evacuate quickly and safely.  A Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) is a customised plan for individuals who may need assistance evacuating a building during an emergency.  Any PEEP developed for residents may need to be incorporated into the individuals care plan.  Staff should be made familiar with the PEEPs for individuals and they should be kept regularly under review.

Your emergency plan should have a record of where disabled people are located in the building and include a plan of action to assist them in the event of a fire.

Fire Safety Awareness training for staff  

New staff should be provided with fire safety awareness training immediately when starting work as part of their induction.  Fire safety training refreshers should be provided to all staff at a set frequency e.g. annually and when any new fire risks, changes or safety precautions are introduced. You should also consider how you ensure temporary staff e.g. agency staff and student nurses on placement, contractors and other visitors are provided with fire safety information. 

Training should include information on:

• Basic fire prevention
• The importance of good housekeeping
• Risk awareness
• Your smoking policy
• Your emergency plan and details included within it, including:

• what to do on discovering a fire

• how to raise the alarm

• what to do upon hearing an alarm

• arrangements for calling the fire and rescue service

• identification and use of protected areas for horizontal evacuation

• procedures for alerting other staff, residents and visitors and directing them to exits

• evacuation procedures for everyone to reach an assembly point at a total place of safety

• location and where appropriate use of fire fighting equipment

• location of all escape routes

• how to open all emergency exit doors

• where appropriate how to stop machines, appliances and processes and isolate power supplies

• the reason for not using lifts (except those specifically installed./ nominated following a suitable fire risk assessment for the evacuation of people with a disability)

• safe use and risks of storing or working with highly flammable explosive substances or bottled/ piped oxygen)

• the important and a physical walkthrough of evacuation routes, refuges and exits and the assembly point

• The importance of fire doors and why it's important to close all doors

• How to report incidents including 'near miss' events and false alarms. 

Training should take place during working hours.

In simple premises training may be showing new staff the fire exits, assembly points, and giving basic training on what to do if there is an alarm and fire. In larger premises, with a high staff turnover and many shift patterns, the organisation of fire safety training will need to be planned.

All training should be recorded, including the date of the training, names of staff trained, an overview of what was covered during the training session and when their refresher training is due.

Fire drills 

You should carry out at least one fire drill per year and record the results. This may be a simulated drill if it is not feasible to carry out a physical evacuation, but the simulation should take staff through the relevant protocol and actions that would be required in a real incident. You must keep the results as part of your fire safety and evacuation plan.  All staff should have the opportunity to practice a fire drill and you should consider carrying out more than one drill to take into account shift patterns.  You should consider appointing a competent persons(s) to act as a fire warden both during drills and if there is a real fire. 

You should also log any fire alarm activations whether real or false alarms and the cause of activations.

Maintenance and regular checks 

You must keep fire safety measures and equipment in the workplace in effective working order.  Fire protection and detection systems will require servicing, maintenance, regular testing and checks.  Maintenance, servicing and testing may require the services of a competent person e.g. annual testing of emergency lighting, six monthly inspections of the fire alarm system.  There will be a need to carry out more regular testing or visual checks which may be carried out in-house e.g. weekly test of the fire alarm system, visual checks of escape routes.

• fire detection (e.g. smoke/ heat detectors, sprinklers) and fire alarm systems
• emergency lighting
• fire fighting equipment
• fire protection measures e.g. condition checks of fire doors
• escape routes to ensure they are clear and the floor is in good condition
• fire exits to ensure they can be opened easily
• automatic fire doors e.g. that they close correctly
• fire safety signage e.g. is it in the right place

You should record any faults in systems and equipment and ensure action is taken to rectify it.

Checks may also consist of more regular visual checks, in-house tests e.g. weekly test of the fire alarm system, visual checks of escape routes and fire exits.  You should keep a record of checks and maintenance undertaken.  

Monitoring

You will need to monitor the implementation of the plan and assess it for effectiveness.  This may include review after an investigation of any incidents (real or false alarms), checking on preventative measures, monitoring whether maintenance and inspection of protective measures is undertaken and maintaining logs to record compliance.

Your fire management plan will include regular inspections as well as appropriate measures to ensure consistency. If any incidents occur, these must be investigated and if necessary, the plan should be altered.

Review

The final part of your fire safety management plan is to plan a regular review process. This will ensure the plan remains current and up to date.  It may include updates to roles and responsibilities due to staff changes, other changes within the organisation and issues that have been highlighted as a result of drills or incidents.

The HM Government, Fire Safety Assessment in Residential Care  guidance provides more detailed guidance on fire risk assessment and includes useful appendices including a fire safety maintenance checklist and guidance on fire safety in historic buildings. 

UK government

Fire safety in the workplace: Who's responsible - GOV.UK

Fire safety risk assessment: residential care premises - GOV.UK 

NFCC-Specialised-Housing-Guidance.pdf

Firesafe.org.uk

Fire Safety Check List for Industry : Firesafe.org.uk

Fire Emergency Evacuation Plan and the Fire Procedure : Firesafe.org.uk

Example emergency plan template

Northern Ireland

Managing fire safety in the workplace | Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland

If you are responsible for specialised housing (eg. sheltered housing, extra care housing, or supported housing for people with common characteristics, such as learning disabilities and mental health problems), the NFCC Fire Safety in Specialised Housing guide is helpful.

Scotland

Non-domestic fire safety - Fire and rescue - gov.scot 

Wales

Fire Safety guidance for businesses and workplaces | GOV.WALES 

Read our position statement on asbestos in health and social care buildings.

GB

Introduction to asbestos safety: Overview - HSE

Managing and working with asbestos. Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. Approved Code of Practice and guidance

Northern Ireland

Asbestos

The dutyholder is responsible for carrying out a risk assessment to assess the risk of exposure to legionella bacteria from work activities and water systems, and to identify any precautionary measures required. 

A dutyholder may be, the employer, where the risks from the work activities are a risk to employees and others.  It may also be the person in control of premises/ landlord where there is a risk from systems in the buildings e.g. the building is let to tenants, but the landlord keeps responsibility for its maintenance.

The risk assessment should identify and evaluate potential sources of risk and: (a) the particular means of preventing exposure to legionella bacteria; or (b) if prevention is not reasonably practicable, the particular means of controlling the risk from exposure to legionella bacteria.

If the assessment shows that there is a reasonably foreseeable risk and it is reasonably practicable to prevent exposure or control the risk from exposure, you should appoint a competent person(s) to help undertake tasks and duties needed to comply with the requirements in COSHH. They must be properly trained to carry out tasks safely and accurately and receive regular refresher training. It is important that you keep training records.   

Preventing or controlling the risk from exposure to legionella bacteria

You will need to develop and implement a written scheme for controlling the risk of legionella exposure

The written scheme should include:

• an up-to-date schematic plan showing the layout of the plant or water system, including parts temporarily out of use
• a description of the correct and safe operation of the system
• the precautions to take
• checks to carry out to ensure the written scheme is effective
• the remedial action to take if the written scheme is shown to be not effective

You will need to put in place measures to prevent the growth of legionella bacteria in the system and which reduce exposure to water droplets and aerosols. You can get advice on the precautions you need to put in place from a competent adviser.  Precautions should include the following:

• avoiding water temperatures between 20 °C and 45 °C and conditions that favour the growth of legionella bacteria and other microorganisms;
• avoiding water stagnation which may encourage the growth of biofilm;
• avoiding the use of materials that harbour bacteria and other microorganisms, or provide nutrients for microbial growth;
• controlling the release of water spray;
• maintaining the cleanliness of the system and water in it;
• using water treatment techniques;
• taking action to ensure the correct and safe operation and maintenance of the water system.

Water samples should be analysed for legionella periodically to demonstrate that bacteria counts are acceptable. The frequency should be determined by level of risk, in accordance with the risk assessment.

Record keeping

Record keeping is important to show what has been done.  You may wish to keep a record of the appointed responsible person(s) for conducting the risk assessment and managing, and implementing the written scheme; any significant findings of the risk assessment; the written scheme and its implementation; details about the state of operation of the water system, ie in use/not in use; the results of any monitoring inspection, test or check carried out, and the dates.

The HSE publication HSG274 Legionnaires’ disease, Part 2: The control of legionella bacteria in hot and cold water systems provides more information on controlling the risks of legionella bacteria. 

Legionnaires' disease - NHS

GB

Legionnaires’ Disease. The Control of Legionella Bacteria in Water Systems - HSE

Legionnaires’ disease Technical guidance. Part 2: The control of legionella bacteria in hot and cold water systems, HSE

Health and social care - HSE

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (Sixth Edition). Approved Code of Practice and guidance – HSE

Northern Ireland

The control of legionella in water systems within Care Homes

L8 Legionnaires' disease - the control of legionella bacteria in water systems - GB Approved Code of Practice approved for use in NI, HSENI

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)

COSHH(NI): A brief guide to the Regulations What you need to know about the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003 (COSHH(NI)) 

 

Risk Assessment

Electrical hazards in the workplace should be considered in suitable and sufficient risk assessment(s).  You should consider the type of electrical equipment that is used and the environment it is used in.  It is also important to consider anyone who may be harmed.  This may include staff, residents/ service users and others.   For example, is there a risk from unused electrical sockets where someone may try and push something into the socket due to cognitive impairment.

The risk assessment will help you decide what action to take to use and maintain electrical installations and equipment and how often maintenance is needed.

Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICR)

An EICR is a formal document that is produced following an assessment of the electrical installation within a property.  It must be carried out by an experienced qualified electrician or approved contractor.

An EICR is a detailed assessment of a property's electrical system, ensuring it meets current safety standards. The assessment involves examination of various components, including wiring, circuits, switches, and distribution boards. It can help identify potential safety hazards, damage, or deterioration in the electrical installation.

If you are in a rented/ leased building the landlord has a legal duty to ensure the electrical installations in the property are safe.  If your company own the building it is their responsibility to arrange the EICR. It is recommended that commercial properties have an EICR conducted at least every five years to ensure ongoing compliance and maintain electrical safety standards.

Portable electrical equipment 

Portable electrical equipment, including equipment owned by a resident, must be maintained.  The frequency of maintenance will depend on how often the equipment is moved and how likely it is to become damaged.  It is not necessary to test all portable appliances every year.

Users should visually check equipment before use and remove from use if damaged.  Checks should include the plug, cables to look for damage and if there are any scorch marks/ stains.  

NICEIC find a tradesperson

GB

Introduction to electrical safety - HSE

Maintaining portable electric equipment in low-risk environments

Northern Ireland

Electrical safety | Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland 

HSENI: The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999 (PUWER)

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is the UK’s primary expert on radon and radiation protection. UKHSA provides resources and advice about radon.

The UKradon website has more information about radon, including:

• health risks
• maps of radon-affected areas
• the radon measurement services that UKHSA offers

Risk Assessment 

You should assess the risk of radon in the workplace in relation to:

• all below ground workplaces in the UK; and
• all workplaces located in radon Affected Areas.

The UKHSA indicative atlas can help you identify if your workplace is located in a radon Affected Area. There is also an option if you want to be more specific to consult the definitive radon dataset online, for a small fee to identify the Affected Area status of a particular building or buildings.

In above ground workplaces that are located in a radon affected area the risk assessment should include radon measurements in appropriate ground floor rooms.

For workplaces that have below ground areas occupied for more than an average of an hour per week or approximately 50 hours per year or those containing an open water source, the risk assessment should include radon measurements. This applies to all below ground workplaces in the UK (basements, cellars, mines, caves, tunnels, etc), irrespective of the above ground Affected Areas status.

Risk assessments should be kept under review and where any significant changes are made to the fabric of a building or to the work processes carried out within it, then the need to re-measure the radon levels should be considered. It is also good practice to assign a maximum period upon which remeasurement of the radon levels will occur.

Testing for radon

Radon surveys should be conducted in any workplace where its location and characteristics suggest that elevated levels may be found and significant exposures to employees and/or other persons are possible. The UKHSA website has details of validated laboratories capable of supporting this. Inexpensive surveys can be carried out by leaving small plastic passive detectors in rooms or occupied locations of interest.  

You must ensure that any gas appliance (including Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)), installation pipework or flue installed and under your control is maintained in a safe condition to prevent the risk of injury to any person.  This also includes certain mobile and portable appliances.

Maintenance, inspection and remedial work should be undertaken in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions. In the absence of specific manufacturers instructions, effective maintenance should include, as a minimum:

1. examination of the physical condition and safe functioning of appliance(s), installation pipework, ventilation and any flue for deterioration
2. carrying out performance tests
3. taking the necessary remedial action

Gas Safe registered engineers must carry out work to install, maintain or repair gas appliances and pipework.

All rooms with gas appliances must have adequate ventilation and it is important not to block air inlets/ vents to prevent draughts and flues and chimneys must not be obstructed.  

GB

Gas safety for employers - HSE

INDG238 Gas appliances. Get them checked Keep them safe

Safety in the installation and use of gas systems and appliances

Northern Ireland

Gas | Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland 

The regulations are aimed at ensuring that all lifting operations are properly planned, lifting equipment is used in a safer manner and that, where necessary, it is thoroughly examined at suitable intervals by a competent person.

Is it work equipment?

Lifting equipment designed to lift or lower a load does not automatically means that LOLER applies.  The equipment has to be defined as ‘work equipment’ which is defined in the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) as ‘any machinery appliance, apparatus, tool or installation for use at work (whether exclusively or not)’.

Equipment used by an employee at work will be covered by this definition, however in health and social care settings the main exceptions will be:

• where a member of the public (eg a user of care services) purchases equipment for their use at home, as it is not defined as work equipment;
• where equipment has been loaned by an employer or community equipment provider for individuals solely to be used by themselves, family or unpaid carers, as it is not defined as work equipment during the loan period

In these cases LOLER will not apply. However, in the latter case the more general duties under the Health and Safety At Work etc Act 1974 section 3 (to provide safe equipment and maintain it, so far as is reasonably practicable) will apply.

Identifying lifting equipment 

A considerable amount of equipment in health and social care has an element of lifting as part of its operation.  Height adjustability alone does not mean that LOLER applies to the equipment. The HSE has developed an information sheet ‘How LOLER applies to health and social care’ which provides a list of common work equipment and advice on whether it should be considered as lifting equipment.

Equipment Suitability

Lifting equipment must be fit for purpose, appropriate for the task, suitably marked with safe working loads and uniquely identifiable to ensure it can be identified for thorough examination.

Thorough Examinations

Lifting equipment must be thoroughly examined at suitable intervals by a competent person. Lifting equipment and lifting accessories used to lift people should be examined at least every 6 months and all other lifting equipment at least every 12 months, or as specified in a dedicated scheme of examination. The dedicated scheme of examination may often specify periods that are different (longer or shorter) from the ‘periodic’ thorough examination intervals (ie 6 or 12 months). It should also be thoroughly examined each time exceptional circumstances, which are liable to jeopardise the safety of the lifting equipment, have occurred.

A competent person should determine the thorough examination scheme. They should have enough practical and theoretical knowledge and experience of the lifting equipment to enable them to detect defects or weaknesses, and assess how important they are in relation to the safety and continued use of the equipment.

An in-house person may have sufficient expertise to examine simpler, lower risk devices and accessories, but this should not generally be someone who also carries out routine maintenance (as they would be assessing their own work). Competent people should be able to act with impartiality and independence. You should consider independent verification of the in-house competent person’s work.

You should keep records of thorough examinations and instruct staff to check that equipment is within date of examination before use.

Inspections 

Lifting equipment and accessories may need to be inspected at suitable intervals between thorough examinations and this should include visual and functional checks where your risk assessment has identified a significant risk from use of the equipment, eg everyday wear and tear on slings.

If inspections are required a competent person should advise on the scope and frequency of inspection and the details of any inspection should be included in the thorough examination scheme.

Routine maintenance and defects

Routine maintenance should be carried out to check and replace worn or damaged parts, lubricate and make routine adjustments.  The manufacturer’s guidance on maintenance should be followed.  All maintenance should be recorded.  Defects should be reported and equipment removed from use, ensuring it cannot be used, until it is deemed safe to use. 

GB

How the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations apply to health and social care - HSE

Northern Ireland

The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999 (PUWER). HSENI