The Scottish Executive has produced a Fire Safety Guidance Booklet to help businesses understand their responsibilities.

Scottish businesses must carry out a fire risk assessment that looks at removing and reducing the risk of fire.

The Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006 were made under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and came in to force on the 1st October 2006, repealing all previus fire safety legislation, and placing a requirement on Scottish businesses to do a fire risk assessment that looks at reducing and removing the risk of fire.

The Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 Part 3

Part 3 of The Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 came in to force on 1st October 2006 and repealed all previous fire safety legislation. 

Under the new law, employers are required to carry out and keep under review, a fire safety risk assessment and implement any fire safety measures which are required to ensure their employees’ safety and that of others in the premises in the event of fire. The assessment also needs to be reviewed regularly. This may seem like another burden on a busy agenda, however compliance will benefit all by reducing the risk from fire and adding to the safety of persons using the premises.  The changes in fire safety legislation under Part 3 of The Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 commenced simultaneously with the changes in legislation also happening in England and Wales under the new Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order.

Work is currently underway by the Scottish Executive on a series of guidance documents containing more comprehensive information relevant to specific sectors. The documents will be available in due course to download from this website. Businesses can register to receive email updates on all issues related to the new regime, such as progress with the sector specific guidance documents.

Scottish Executive Launch Advice Website

The Scottish Executive has launched a new website to help Scottish businesses understand the new fire law.  The new website takes employers through the basics of the new duties and their responsibilities under the new fire safety legislation.

See the new site here: www.infoscotland.com/firelaw