78% of Fire Safety Professionals Unsure About New Fire Law

Firex South 2008 – 11-12 March 2008 – Sandown Park, Surrey

London, 3 December 2007. Findings from a recent poll reveal that 78% of fire safety professionals are unsure about their responsibilities under last year’s Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (RRO). In a poll of visitors to the Firex South 2008 website, when asked “How aware are you of the Regulatory Reform Order and its implications?”, over 3 quarters of respondents answered “I’m unsure about it”.

The RRO was introduced in October 2006, and places the responsibility for fire safety and risk assessment on the building owner or manager. Following the spate of recent fatal fires around the country, the implications of ignoring this legislation are obvious.

A successful prosecution under the RRO has a number of consequences, including a conviction against the responsible person and a penalty fine, and in some instances, imprisonment.

Commenting on the importance of compliance with the RRO, Lancashire's Chief Fire Officer, Peter Holland, states, "Our research tells us that just 32% of firms in Lancashire have carried out a fire risk assessment on their premises, putting themselves, their staff and customers at risk from fire and facing massive bills due to fire losses. I have no reason to suppose that this low figure for compliance is by any means exceptional in the UK."

"The average cost of a fire in commercial property is £44,000, with fires costing the national economy £7.03 billion every year. The RRO has placed the responsibility for fire risk assessments with business owners."

"Commercial financial losses apart, if people are not aware of their responsibilities and in the worst case someone dies, they face the full weight of the law. We want to apply a light touch and educate rather than prosecute defaulters, but with such terrible consequences in prospect, when it comes to raising awareness of the legislation we have no hesitation in promoting high-profile prosecutions as a wake-up call for businesses out there."

Aimed at installers, specifiers, and end-users of fire protection and prevention products, Firex South 2008 takes place from 11-12 March 2008 at Sandown Exhibition Centre, Esher, and is the ideal place to receive independent advice from the leading fire safety experts in the country.

For the first time, Firex South 2008 will feature a high level conference focusing on the implications of the RRO, including presentations from the Building Research Establishment (BRE), AXA Insurance, the Fire Industry Association (FIA) and ADT.

Entry to the show is free and visitors can register online at www.firexroadshows.co.uk, where the latest event information, news and conference programme are available. Companies interested in participating at this year’s event should contact Peter Poole on +44 (0) 207 921 8342 or email ppoole@cmpi.biz.