DON’T PANIC!

New Fire Safety regulations come into force on Sunday 1^st October.

These bring churches under statutory provision for the first time (although many churches have already had to comply with regulations as employers or for licensing purposes). The relevant order is The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2005/20051541.htm

The government website http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1162101 provides downloadable copies of the Fire Rise Assessment Guides for small and medium places of assembly (guide 6) – accommodating up to 300 people – and for large places of assembly (guide 7). They are all available in hard copy commercially for £12 (not a bad price compared to the cost and time of downloading and printing 150 pages). The DAC has its own copy of Guide 6 (kept by the Secretary, Steve Parish, on 01925 631781 or at dacsec@ntlworld.com).

[There is an issue of whether a church with pews with a nominal capacity of over 300 but never used for that number of people would be a large place of assembly. Initial thoughts are to assume that this could be regarded as a small place of assembly, and attendees limited to 300, given the proviso (in the Guides under Step 5 Review) that a reason for reviewing the Fire Risk Assessment would be “a significant increase in the number of persons present”.]

Duties are placed at each place on the “responsible person”. If the church is a workplace, the responsible person is the employer. Ignoring the issue of the employment status of the clergy, in most cases this means the PCC and – given that there will always be a PCC – it is probably best that the PCC is regarded as the responsible person whether or not the PCC is an employer.

There is no simple précis of the duties imposed, but the main one (article 8 of the Regs) is that the responsible person must—

(a) take such general fire precautions as will ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety of any of his employees; and

(b) in relation to relevant persons who are not his employees, take such general fire precautions as may reasonably be required in the circumstances of the case to ensure that the premises are safe.

Note the vital word “reasonably”. Unless your church has not for a long time had a visit from a fire officer or other specialist, or the local council’s environmental health officer, or unless you’ve ignored insurer’s guidance, you’re probably already aware of what’s reasonably required – and have implemented reasonable fire precautions.

Nevertheless, the new regulations do impose a duty to make a risk assessment which must take account (e.g.) of particular risks to children or those who may need assistance in evacuating a building. However, unless there are special circumstances, most churches will be classified as “low risk” buildings.

How the “responsible person” fulfils those duties is more than a swift summary can provide, but the responsible person must appoint “one or more competent persons” to carry out the measures required by the Order. “A competent person is someone with with enough training and experience or knowledge and other qualities to be able to implement these measures properly.” An intelligent person following the guides would have “the knowledge and other qualities” required, and it is not necessary to employ a qualified third party. A full professional fire risk assessment (with report) would cost several hundred pounds, and any report should be done by a member of the Institution of Fire Engineers. http://www.ife.org.uk

The main aim of the new Regulations is to protect life, although the identification of fire hazards and removing them or reducing the risks will obviously also protect property. However, the greatest fire risk to churches is from arson while the church is unoccupied, and removing sources of fuel (e.g. petrol in lawnmowers) and combustible material (e.g. rubbish, of which a lot will be old materials that are not fire-resistant) remain the most obvious things to do to minimise damage to the building.

Steve Parish, DAC Secretary, 29/0/06