What are my responsibilities with regard to fire safety?
If you employ more than two employees you must carry out a fire risk assessment, looking for possible hazards and ways of reducing the risk. You must make sure that a fire will be detected quickly, the building can be evacuated (guidelines suggest within two and a half minutes), fire-fighting equipment is provided and maintained, and staff trained in what to do in the event of a fire. General guidance is that if you employ 20 or more people you must obtain a fire certificate. This is also the case if you own a hotel, a factory where there are explosive or inflammable materials, or if you employ more than 10 people working on any floor other than in ground floor premises.
