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You're the responsible person — but what are you actually responsible for?
Being named as the Responsible Person can feel like a significant responsibility — because it is.
But what does the role actually involve?
For many people, particularly those who have responsibility for fire safety alongside wider facilities, property or management duties, it can be difficult to know exactly what is expected of them.
Being the Responsible Person isn’t simply about having a Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) on file. It means taking ownership of fire safety and ensuring that appropriate measures are in place to protect people from fire.
So, what does that mean in practise?
1. understand the fire risks within your building
The first step is understanding what could cause a fire, who could be affected and how people would escape if a fire occurred.
This means considering factors such as:
The risks will vary considerably between a manufacturing facility, care home, office, school or residential building, which is why fire safety arrangements need to be appropriate to the premises.
2. make sure you have a suitable fire risk assessment
A suitable and sufficient Fire Risk Assessment is a fundamental part of managing fire safety.
The assessment should reflect the actual building, its occupants and the risks present, rather than simply being a generic document.
It should identify significant risks, assess the existing fire safety measures and highlight where improvements may be required.
However, receiving the assessment is not the end of the process.
3. act on the findings
This is where fire safety management really matters.
If your FRA identifies issues with fire doors, compartmentation, escape routes, training or other fire safety measures, those findings need to be properly considered and managed.
Not every action will necessarily require an immediate solution, but there should be a clear and proportionate approach to prioritising and addressing identified risks.
A Fire Risk Assessment sitting in a filing cabinet does not make a building safer.
The important question is: what have you done with the information it provides?
4. keep your fire safety measures working
Fire safety arrangements need to be maintained to ensure they remail effective.
Depending on the premises, this could include:
Fire alarm systems
Emergency lighting
fire doors
Fire extinguishers
smoke control systems
Sprinkler systems
Compartmentation
means of escape
The Responsible Person should have appropriate arrangements in place for inspection, testing and maintenance, and should understand what happens when defects are identified.
It is not enough to simply have a maintenance contract in place, problems need to be identified, recorded and appropriately addressed.
5. keep reviewing your fire safety arrangements
Fire safety isn’t static.
Buildings change, occupants change, businesses expand, rooms are repurposed and refurbishment works take place. New equipment or processes can also introduce additional risks.
These changes can affect your existing fire safety arrangements.
For example, altering a wall could affect compartmentation, changing the use of a room could increase the fire load, or introducing new battery charging equipment could create additional hazards.
The Responsible Person should therefore ensure that fire safety arrangements remain appropriate when circumstances change.
can fire safety be delegated?
Yes, but there is an important distinction between delegating a task and transferring responsibility.
A Responsible Person can appoint competent specialists to undertake work such as Fire Risk Assessments, Fire Door Inspections or Compartmentation Surveys.
However, they should still ensure that the appropriate people have been appointed, that the work is suitable for the premises and that any significant findings are acted upon.
You don’t need to be a fire safety expert to be a Responsible Person
You do need to take ownership of the risks.
The Responsible Person's role is ongoing
Effective fire safety management isn’t a one-off exercise. It involves understanding the risks, putting appropriate measures in place, maintaining them and responding when circumstances change.
So rather than asking:
“Do we have a Fire Risk Assessment?”
ask:
That is the responsibility that really matters.
How Assured Fire Safety Consultancy Can help
At Assured Fire Safety Consultancy, we support Responsible Persons, building owners, facilities teams and organisations in understanding and managing fire risk.
Our services include Fire Risk Assessments, Fire Door Inspections, Fire Compartmentation Surveys, Passive Fire Protection Surveys, Fire Engineering, Fire Strategy Planning, DSEAR Assessments and Building Safety Case Reports.
Our approach is practical, proportionate and risk-based, helping clients understand not only what the issues are, but what they mean and what steps may be required next.
looking for fire safety advice?
If you're unsure whether your current fire safety arrangements are suitable, speak to our team to find out how we can help.
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