Fire Risk Management BS 9997:2019 - how it can help keep people safe

As legislation around building and fire safety continues to change, the management of fire risk remains an essential requirement for those individuals in charge of buildings. A well thought out fire risk management system (FRMS), which highlights an organisation’s approach to fire safety and explains how fire safety risks are managed, is at the centre of good fire safety management.

What is BS 9997:2019

In August 2019, British Standards (BS) 9997:2019 was released to demonstrate that an organisation is taking responsibility for managing fire risk and complying with the law. It was developed to address management system failings which have been identified as contributors to several major fires.

Superseding and building on the requirements of PAS 7:2013, the standard can be used by any organisation regardless of size or type and can be applied to those that operate on multiple sites or at individual premises.

Whilst not currently obligatory, the standard demonstrates a commitment by senior leaders to provide resources, support, and awareness to manage fire risk across the organisation in a consistent way. The standard reinforces the importance of a comprehensive and regularly reviewed Fire Risk Assessment which:

• reviews premises to identify any areas where a fire might start,
• makes recommendations to lower the possibility of fire and keep people safe when a fire occurs,
• identifies the fire safety measures required to make the premises safe for employees or residents, as well as other relevant people for example children, visitors, disabled people.

How can BS 9997:2019 help organisations keep people safe and ensure legal compliance?

By following the requirements outlined in BS 9997:2019, an organisation will be able to create a fire policy and allocate adequate expertise and resources as necessary. Importantly, adherence to BS 9997 proves commitment to an organisation’s customers and stakeholders to fire safety. The standard provides a framework for organisations to manage their approach to fire risk and applies the widely recognized ‘Plan, Do, Check, Act’ test cycle to:

Plan: establish the objectives and processes necessary to deliver results in accordance with the organisation’s fire policy.

Do: implement the processes.

Check: monitor and measure processes against fire policy, strategic objectives, legal and other requirements, and report the results.

Act: take actions to improve fire risk management performance continually.

BS 9997 provides a framework for a documented fire risk management system that can be audited, certificated, and evidenced to all stakeholders, including insurers.

Who is responsible for fire safety?

The Fire Safety Act (2021) revises the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and clarifies responsibility for managing and reducing fire risk in multi-occupied residential buildings. The onus to ensure updated guidance is followed is firmly placed on a ‘Responsible Person’.

“A responsible person may include building owners, leaseholders, or managers”.

Ultimately, the Responsible Person must understand and implement the fire safety measures in an organisation to keep people and buildings safe. A Responsible Person who breaches the legislation will be prosecuted.

You can read more about the Responsible Person here.

 At Pennington Choices, we recommend organisations, regardless of size, use the BS 9997 framework to meet the requirements for all relevant fire safety legislation.