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The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 became law in October 2006 and introduced significant change to workplace fire safety responsibilities. As well as simplifying the legislative regime by bringing all fire safety legislation together into one Order, it introduced the need for employers, building owners and occupiers as 'responsible persons' to carry out, implement and maintain a fire safety risk assessment.

All non-domestic premises, including the common or shared parts of blocks of flats or houses in multiple occupation are covered by the Order, and may be inspected by their local Fire and Rescue Authority. Under the Order, Fire and Rescue Authorities have a statutory duty to ensure compliance and enforce the requirements where necessary.

The ideal situation is when there are alternative escape routes from all parts of the premises, although this is not always possible.Where only one route is available other compensatory features may be necessary e.g. making escape routes fire resisting or installing automatic fire detection.The stairway and area near the exit should be kept clear of combustibles and obstructions.The escape route should lead to a final exit.Where the stairway is not fire resisting, the final exit should be visible and accessible from the discharge point of the stairway at ground floor level.High-risk rooms do not generally open directly into a fire-resisting stairway.If your fire risk assessment shows that people using any floor would be unaware of a fire you may require additional fire-protection measures, e.g. an automatic fire-detection and warning system.