Fire safety policy UK – what to include

What is a fire safety policy?

A fire safety policy is a document shared with all employees, and anyone else working for you, to outline potential dangers, how to avoid risks, and what to do if a fire breaks out.

You should also make sure that any staff and contractors are aware of the policy and that everyone is expected to comply with it.

Who’s responsible for the fire safety policy?

Legally you’re required to have a ‘responsible person’ within your business who’ll be liable for compliance under the legislation. They should be someone employed by the business, and not an external consultant or supplier. If you’re a sole trader, then this responsibility will fall to you.

Areas of responsibility include:

• developing and maintaining a fire safety plan
• making sure your premises is a safe place to work for staff and visitors
• regularly carrying out staff training on fire safety
• completing a fire safety risk assessment and keeping it up to date
• making sure staff know the emergency evacuation plan

What should be included in a fire safety policy?

A basic fire safety policy UK template can include:

• what’s covered and who it applies to
• consequences of non-compliance
• name and duties of ‘responsible person’
• potential fire hazards and how to report them
• responsibilities of the fire marshal
• responsibilities and duties of employees

Your fire safety policy should also include how to reduce risks and report any hazards, as well as documenting a clear evacuation plan.

Here’s an idea of what an evacuation plan should show:

• a clear passageway to all escape routes
• clearly marked escape routes
• emergency lighting
• training for all employees
• a safe meeting point for staff

You might also want to mention things like whether you have a paperless office or a clear desk policy.

Your policy should also outline how you’ll manage instances of people not complying.

The government website has more information on building a fire safety plan, including an idea of the sort of things you’ll want to include.

Any fire safety plan must prioritise evacuating people safely over protecting or rescuing equipment or other items, in the event of a fire.

Appointing a fire marshal

You might choose to appoint a fire marshal to carry out certain responsibilities, such as:

• checking exits are clear and usable each working day
• making sure fire fighting equipment is in the right place
• completing the fire risk assessment
• checking and testing the fire alarm

Your fire marshal should also go on a fire safety course.

It’s important to note however, overall responsibility for fire safety is always with the employer and not your fire marshal.

How to use a fire safety policy

Make sure your fire safety policy is as specific to your business as possible. For example, make sure any listed fire marshal duties match your business needs and activities. And when listing potential fire hazards, you might wish to highlight specific hazards to your business environment.

It’s also important that this policy grows as your business does. For example, if you’re a sole director with no employees and therefore no managers, this policy will need to reference when your business changes in size.

Rather than having to keep updating it, we recommend that you maintain any wording to cover your position and to provide you with the right guidance as you grow.

Do you have any questions about creating a fire safety policy UK template? Let us know in the comments.

More small business guides and policies

• Health and safety policy template for small businesses
• How to write a staff handbook
• Do you know about these four legal obligations for your small business?
• How much business insurance do I need?