Fire Safety

Caterers have Compliance Responsibility under the Fire Safety Order

The Fire Safety Order has been law for more than six months but there is still a worrying lack of awareness of the legally enforceable demands it places on those responsible for the ownership and management of workplaces. A primary change in The Order is to shift the onus for inspecting and checking fire safety precautions from the Fire Authorities onto the shoulders of those responsible for the safety of building occupants. Fire Certificates have been abolished and it is now incumbent upon businesses and organisations to appoint a “responsible person or persons” to carry out Fire Risk Assessments and to ensure that all appropriate steps are taken to eliminate, or, at the very least, to minimise any identified fire risks. Often overlooked in the past because ducting runs behind ceilings and walls, grease extract systems have now been identified as high fire risk installations. A recent survey of Fire Authorities concluded that they are probably the greatest risk to building occupants in the majority of commercial buildings with catering operations. As grease from the cooking operation is extracted from the kitchen it is deposited on the internal ducting surfaces to provide a source of combustion requiring only a spark or flame from cookers or fryers for ignition to take place. But just who should be responsible for complying with the Fire Safety Order? The legislation clearly states it can be the employer, if the workplace is under his control, or the person who has control of the premises in connection with carrying on a business or trade. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (now the Communities and Local Government) who were responsible for introducing the legislation have stated:This clearly makes sense, as the kitchen is a workplace. It is therefore essential that the Catering Manager (often a contractor) recognises the legal responsibility by ensuring that the kitchen and the extract ducting system is included in the Fire Risk Assessments.Under the Fire Safety Order, the Fire Authorities have the role of policemen. They can demand to see the Fire Risk Assessments and to check that all appropriate measures have been taken to address risks and safeguard building occupants. They are empowered to issue warning notices, and if necessary prohibition notices. In a recent court case, an Essex restaurateur was fined £10,000 with £15,000 costs for failing to comply. As was pointed out during the trial, had a fire occurred as a result of his failures building occupants would have been put at risk, and in the event of death or injury he could have faced criminal prosecution. The warning for managers of catering operations is clear. Ensure the kitchen, and its grease extract system, are included in the premises Fire Risk Assessments. If fire risk conditions are identified, ensure action is taken to have them eliminated. Do not pass the responsibility for action to others. In the event of a fire the person responsible for catering would be implicated, and it will be no excuse to protest that someone else was given the responsibility to take action.Richard Norman, Managing Director of Indepth Hygiene Services comments “There is no doubt that many Catering Managers, are unaware of their legal responsibilities. More than 80% of the catering operations we surveyed in the last six months were shown to have potential fire risk grease deposits in the extract system, but fewer than 30% have taken action to eliminate the risks. That’s living dangerously for the Catering Manager and the building occupants. To assist caterers to meet their legal obligations my company will carry out surveys of grease extract systems and provide fire status reports quite free of charge. These will show quite clearly what action needs to be taken to eliminate any identified risks to building occupants.To make an appointment for a free survey to be carried out please contact:-Richard Norman, Managing Director, Indepth Hygiene Services LimitedTel: 020 8661 7888 Fax: 020 8661 7506 ductclean@indepthhygiene.co.ukhttp://www.indepthhygiene.co.uk/