BUSINESSES, the self-employed, voluntary groups and anyone responsible for buildings with public access will soon have to carry out their own fire safety risk assessments.

Under new legislation coming into force on October 1, employers and property owners will have to ensure the safety of everyone who uses their premises.

Until now, Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service has carried out fire safety risk assessment on all businesses in the county, handing out fire certificates for those who pass the grade.

But the new law will do away with these certificates, instead giving employers the responsibility of doing their own risk assessments, which will be audited by firefighters.

This is the biggest overhaul of fire safety legislation since 1971.

Assistant chief fire officer Dave Etheridge assured Oxfordshire businesses that the changes will not cost employers or require staff to be trained. He said: "What the new law has done is any business that employs more than five people now have to have written risk assessments on the hazards in the building.

"It is now about businesses looking at their own risks, coming up with sensible ways forward, and that way forward will be audited by the fire service.

"It is about applying common sense to your work place.

"The vast majority of businesses are safe, all this legislation does is invite them to write down how safe they are."

Ray Jelf, cabinet member for community safety, said: "I would urge businesses of every kind to access the information that has been provided by the Government so that they know what they have to do well before the new legislation takes effect.

"The Government's aim is to save more people from death and injury by reducing the risk of fires and it is keen to support businesses in the changes that will be necessary to do this."

For more information see www.firesafetylaw. communities.gov.uk or e-mail fire.safetyreform@ communities.gov.uk What has changed

  • The responsible person must ensure the safety of everyone who uses their premises
  • Fire safety law will be covered by one piece of legislation
  • The emphasis will be on preventing fires and reducing risk
  • The responsible person must ensure that fire protection equipment (for example, fire extinguishers) and facilities are maintained in good working order
  • Fire certificates will be abolished and there will no longer be the need to pay for one. Responsibility for enforcement will be with the local fire and rescue service authority which will carry out regular inspections with top priority going to those premises presenting most risk to the community.