What is the Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006?

The Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 and The Fire Safety Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010, are the pieces of fire safety legislation Northern Ireland must follow alongside any associated legislation/regulations.

The Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 and The Fire Safety Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010, sets out the important duties the ‘appropriate person’ (e.g. employer/premises manager) must fulfil and continue to maintain.

These include:

• Carrying out a Fire Risk Assessment of the workplace, “for the purpose of identifying any risks to the safety of his [her or their] employees in respect of harm caused by fire in the workplace.”
• Where appropriate, equipping the building with fire fighting equipment (e.g. fire extinguishers and/or fire suppression and extinguishing systems) and fire detectors and fire alarms.
• Providing clear emergency exit routes and where required, any illuminated emergency signage must be “of adequate intensity in the case of failure of their normal lighting.”
• Ensuring any provisions or systems in place “are subject to a suitable system of maintenance and are maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair.”

For more information, view guidance on the Government website or review other UK standards and regulations.

*Please note: The above summary is based on FireAngel’s interpretation of the Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 and Fire Safety Regulations, always refer to the standard for specific guidance.