fire??????

Question

under the Fire Precautions Act 1971 what is one of the rules that every workplace or building must have??

Answer 1

a certificate is required from the fire authority.

Houses occupied as single private dwellings are exempt, but the fire authority has powers to make it compulsory for some dwellings to be covered by a fire certificate.

See the health and Safety site below

Answer 2

The Fire Precautions Act 1971
The Act furthers the provisions for the protection of persons from fire risks. If any premises are put to use and are designated a certificate is required from the fire authority. Although classes of use cover the provisions of sleeping accommodation; use as an institution; use for the purposes of entertainment, recreation, instruction, teaching, training or research; use involving access to the premises by members of the public and use as a place of work have been designated.

Houses occupied as single private dwellings are exempt, but the fire authority has powers to make it compulsory for some dwellings to be covered by a fire certificate.

Applications for fire certificate must be made on the prescribed form and the fire authority must be satisfied that the means of escape in case of fire, means the fire fighting and means of giving persons in the premises warning in case of fire are all adequate. Every fire certificate issued shall specify particular use or uses of the premises, its means of escape, details of the means of fire fighting, and of fire warning and, in the case of factories, particulars of any explosive or highly flammable materials which may be stored or used on the premises. The certificate may impose such restrictions as the fire authority considers appropriate and may cover the instruction or training of persons in what to do in case of fire or it may limit the number of persons who may be in the premises at any one time.

In certain circumstances the fire authority may grant exemption from the requirements to have a fire certificate, otherwise a copy of the fire certificate is sent to the occupier and it must be kept on the premises. The owner of the building is also sent a copy of the certificate.

It is an offence not to have or to have applied for a fire certificate for any designated premises. Contravention of any requirement imposed in a fire certificate is also an offence. A person guilty of an offence (with some exceptions) shall be liable to summary convictions to a fine not exceeding level 5 of the standard scale and on conviction or indictment a fine or imprisonment or both.

So long as a certificate is in force, the fire authority may inspect the premises to ascertain whether there has been a change of conditions. Any proposed structural alterations or extensions to the premises, major changes in the layout of the furniture or equipment or, in factories, to begin to use or store or increase the extent of explosive or flammable material shall, before the proposals are begun, be notified to the fire authority.

It is also necessary whilst the certificate is in force, or an exemption has been granted under s.5A, for the occupier to give notice of any proposed material extension or alterations to the premises or its internal arrangement and, in the case of factories, to store or use to materially increase the amount of explosive or highly flammable materials. Within two months of receiving notice, the fire authority must, if they regard the requirements of the relevant fire certificate as becoming inadequate, inform the occupier, or owner, and give such directions as they consider appropriate. If the directions are duly taken the fire authority will amend the certificate of issue a new one. Not giving suitable notice of contravening a direction is an offence that on conviction could lead to a fine or imprisonment, or both. The rights to appeal are detailed in s. 9.

The coming into effect of the Fire Safety and Safety of Places of Sport Act 1987 amended but did not replace the FPA and gave the Fire Authority much wider powers. These include the power to charge a reasonable fee for the initial issue, or the amendment or the issue of a new fire certificate (s. 8B). Even though premises may be exempt from the requirements for a fire certificate there are duties to provide both means of escape and means of fighting fire (s. 9A). In order to assist occupiers to meet these duties the Secretary of State may issue Approved Codes of Practice and the fire authority may serve Improvement Notices if they think a code is not being met (ss. 9A-9F).

Should the fire authority be of the opinion that, in the event of fire, the use of premises involves or will involve so serious a risk to persons on the premises that continuing use ought to be prohibited or restricted, the authority may serve a Prohibition Notice on the occupier. There are rights of appeal against these notices (ss. 10-10B).

The Secretary of State has powers under the Act to make regulations about fire precautions in designated premises other than those in which manufacturing processes are carried on (s.12).

The Act deals with matters pertaining to building regulations (s. 13), the duties of consultation between local authorities (s. 15 et seq.), fire authorities and other authorities such as the HSE, the enforcement of the Act (s.18), the powers of inspectors to enter premises (s. 19) offences, penalties and legal proceedings (ss 22-27) and the amendment of the other Acts (s. 29 et seq.).

Schedule 1 has the effect of making of special provisions for factory, office, railway or shop premises, that do not form part of a mine, in relation to leasing, part ownership, the issue of licences under the Explosives Act 1875 and the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928. It also has an effect on the proposed or actual storage or use of explosives or highly flammable material in factory premises.

Answer 3

A fire extinguisher

Answer 4

u need to check with local fire marshall for fire safety requirements... sprinklers may be big item, also emergency exits

Answer 5

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1971/40