Ex-firefighter Peter Jolley has set up his own company offering risk assessments to help Oxfordshire businesses to comply with new laws which come into force in October.

Mr Jolley (pictured) started work as a fireman with the Defence Fire Service 18 years ago, and moved to work for services company Serco following privatisation of much civilian defence work.

He said: "I first thought about setting up my own business in 1997, when the Fire Precaution Workplace Regulations came in, but I was not ready to work in the commercial sector.

"When I knew that the Regulatory Reform Order (RRO) was coming in, I was better prepared and had more commercial acumen, because by then I had been working in the private sector for some time."

After he had given up his job, he was offered six days work a month by Serco. He said: "I worked from home to begin with but the business grew beyond my dining room table and I needed better customer presence, so I found premises in Watlington."

So far, he has been kept busy helping businesses to prepare for the change in law. Businesses have had to comply with fire regulations since 1971, said Mr Jolley, but a fundamental change comes into effect in October.

The new law was due to come in earlier, but was delayed by the Government, and the extra few months has given Mr Jolley more time to prepare to meet the new challenge.

"Before, there was an emphasis on saving lives and there were very firm, specific rules about safety equipment. The new legislation is about prevention. Now there is more freedom about what you can and cannot do regarding fire-safety precautions, but you must do a risk assessment of your premises.

"You have to identify ignition sources and remove or reduce them if possible. If you can't remove them, you have to provide safety measures to reduce the risk. I have the expertise to assess the risks."

The advantage to business owners is that they are safeguarding their employees and property, as well as complying with the law, said Mr Jolley. Many self-employed people and sections of the voluntary sector will now need to comply as the new order applies to virtually all premises and covers nearly all types of buildings.

One of the biggest changes owners and managers will see is that, after October, fire certificates will no longer be issued. However, a valid fire certificate is still be required until October 1.

Contact: 01865 890085, or visit the website: www.firesafety advisor.co.uk