How many fire marshals are required in an office environment?
The number of fire marshals required in an office environment will depend on the layout and number of floors the office occupies, as well as the nature of work being carried out, i.e. work processes involving flammable materials may require a higher number of fire marshals. There should always be a minimum of 2 appointed and trained fire marshals, no matter how small the office is (within reason) in case 1 is off sick, on leave or out of the office at the time of an evacuation. For companies who are not able to provide sufficient trained fire marshals, it is acceptable (where practical) to share fire marshals with neighbouring companies, particularly within multi-occupancy buildings. There must, however be a written formal agreement in place documenting this, and all staff should be made aware of who their fire marshals are.
