New Safety Reform
Fire certificates to be replaced in major overhaul
From 1 October 2006, new legislation removes the need for fire certificates and puts tougher requirements in their place.
About the reform
Described by the government as 'the biggest overhaul of fire safety legislation in decades', the new Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order imposes strict requirements on businesses to carry out a fire risk assessment and act on the findings.
Who's affected?
This new legislation applies to all premises (except domestic ones) in England and Wales - from residential care homes to pubs, storage firms, garages and shops.
Similar legislation is on the horizon for Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Changes to our policies
This depends on the type of business.
- For complex commercial business, we'll remove current endorsements making reference to fire certificates at the time of policy renewal.
- For small business policies, we'll be removing the Fire Certificate Condition Precedent from the Pub, Restaurant and Hotel (PRP) policy wording in due course.
Three ways to find out more
- Visit the Department for Communities and Local Government website. Online you'll find a series of useful guidelines for specific industries, which you can either order or download.
Go to: www.communities.gov.uk - Read our article and Hardfacts on our Risk Services website. Visit www.nu-riskservices.co.uk/news for further news and information and for a link to our online Hardfacts, which outline the main requirements of the new legislation.
- Attend our specialist course. We've updated our one-day fire risk assessment course to reflect the new legislation.
The course takes place in: On:
- Bristol 22 November
- Reading 6 December
- Rochdale 13 December
The course is available to brokers at a special rate of £150 + VAT - saving £75 on the usual price. Please quote 'NIB' when booking to qualify for your discount.
For further information on the course or to book your place, either:
- call 0500 55 99 77
- send an email to: riskservices@norwich-union.co.uk
- visit www.nu-riskservices.co.uk
