Fire Safety Management for Responsible Persons
Fire safety is everyone’s responsibility, but for those with specific duties, the consequences of getting it wrong can be serious for people, property and the organisation. This practical one-day course is designed for anyone with fire safety responsibilities, including Responsible Persons, duty holders, Health & Safety managers, facilities and premises managers, landlords, property teams, fire marshals and others involved in emergency arrangements, inspections or day-to-day fire precautions.
Course Format
Virtual Course – These courses are run using the Zoom platform as a fully interactive course, just as our live courses are. We have had great feedback from delegates on these courses.
Course Overview
The course gives participants the knowledge and confidence to understand their role, recognise common weaknesses and take practical action to improve fire safety standards in the workplace or across a property portfolio. It covers the key duties under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, with a strong focus on real-world application, including fire risk assessment quality, evacuation planning, fire doors, maintenance records, contractor and hot works controls, disabled evacuation arrangements and the common failures often identified during audits and inspections.
Why You Should Attend
Poor fire safety management can lead to serious risks for people, legal consequences, business disruption and reputational damage. This course gives you the practical knowledge and confidence to manage fire safety responsibilities more effectively. Whether you are a Responsible Person, fire marshal, manager, landlord or part of a facilities or property team, you will gain the insight to:
- improve fire safety standards across your workplace or premises
- understand key duties under fire safety legislation
- identify weaknesses in fire risk assessments and day-to-day controls
- strengthen evacuation planning, including PEEPs and disabled evacuation arrangements
- improve inspection, maintenance and record-keeping practices
- manage contractor activities and hot works more safely
- learn from common audit findings and avoid repeat failures
- help build a stronger fire safety culture within your organisation
Who Should Attend
This course is suitable for anyone with fire safety responsibilities, including:
Responsible Persons
Duty holders with fire safety responsibilities
Fire Marshals and Fire Wardens
Health & Safety Managers and Advisors
Facilities Managers
Premises and Building Managers
Landlords and Managing Agents
Property Managers and Property Teams
Estates and Compliance Teams
Operations Managers and Supervisors
Maintenance Managers and Site Leads
Anyone involved in fire risk assessments, inspections, evacuation planning or emergency arrangements
What you'll learn:
On completion of the course, attendees will:
Course Programme:
9:15-9:30am Course Registration
9.30am Welcome, introductions and course objectives
Course aims, participant expectations and overview of the day.
Introduction to Fire Safety Management
Key fire safety management matters: life safety, legal compliance, business continuity and reputational risk. Overview of UK fire safety legislation, the role of the Responsible Person, fire safety in workplaces, common parts, shared premises and managed properties.
Responsible Person Duties Under the Fire Safety Order
Who the Responsible Person is, duties of employers, landlords, building owners, facilities teams and managing agents, shared premises, cooperation between duty holders, competence, delegation, accountability, enforcement and what “reasonable precautions” and “suitable and sufficient” mean in practice.
Fire Risk Assessment Quality Checks
Purpose and structure of a fire risk assessment, identifying fire hazards and people at risk, reviewing ignition, fuel and oxygen sources, evaluating escape routes, warning systems and firefighting equipment.
Fire Precautions and Building Controls
Means of escape, routes, exits, travel distances, final exits, assembly points, fire doors, alarms, emergency lighting, signage, extinguishers, compartmentation, housekeeping and high-risk areas.
Evacuation Strategies and Emergency Planning
Emergency plan requirements, evacuation approaches, alarm response, escalation, fire wardens, drills, communication, out-of-hours arrangements and multi-occupancy coordination.
Lunch Break
Disabled Evacuation, PEEPs and Inclusive Fire Safety
Legal and practical expectations for supporting disabled people and others who may need assistance, PEEPs, generic evacuation plans, visitors, contractors, residents, temporary mobility issues, refuge areas, evacuation chairs, buddy systems, dignity, confidentiality and testing arrangements.
Maintenance, Testing and Record Keeping
Why records matter during audits, inspections and incidents. Fire alarm testing, emergency lighting checks, extinguisher maintenance, fire door inspection records, sprinkler or specialist system records, staff training, induction records, fire drill logs, corrective action tracking and building change records.
Contractor Management and Hot Works
Fire risks created by contractors and maintenance works, permit-to-work systems, fire watches, post-work monitoring, alarm isolation and reinstatement, temporary impairment of fire precautions, contractor competence, site induction and managing works in occupied premises.
Common Failures After Fire Safety Audits
Common failures including risk assessments not reviewed, actions not closed out, damaged or wedged fire doors, missing maintenance evidence, poor housekeeping, weak contractor control, unclear ownership, weak disabled evacuation arrangements and poor coordination in multi-occupied premises.
Building a Fire Safety Compliance Action Plan
Prioritising findings by life-safety risk, creating an improvement plan, assigning ownership and timescales, monitoring and reviewing actions, reporting to senior management and embedding fire safety into routine property and facilities management.
4:00 pm
Review and close
Key learning points, final questions and next steps.
