Fire safety legislation aims to ensure the safety of employees, residents, visitors or customers; it sets out rights and responsibilities in respect of fire safety.
Anyone who has control, to any extent, of any premises will have some responsibilities for ensuring that those occupying the premises are safe from harm caused by fire.
The legislation places a duty on those responsible for fire safety within relevant premises to carry out a fire risk assessment. These people are defined in the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 as Duty Holders.
For the majority of premises, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is the authority responsible for enforcing this legislation. The Service may visit certain premises to ascertain whether the fire precautions are being maintained to a satisfactory standard and that the requirements of the legislation are being met.
Does fire safety legislation apply to you?
Fire safety legislation applies to virtually all premises and covers nearly every type of building and structure. For example:
- Offices and shops
- Premises that provide care
- Community halls and other public buildings
- Houses in multiple occupation
- Pubs, clubs and restaurants
- Schools
- Tents and marquees
- Hotels and hostels
- Factories and warehouses
This is not an exhaustive list, however purely domestic premises occupied by a single family group are excluded.
The Scottish Government has undertaken a public awareness campaign to educate the business community and other relevant organisations about the legislative requirements. To find out more, visit the dedicated Scottish Government website, which contains a wide range of information regarding fire legislation.
