In the summer of 1999 the Home Office finally published "An Employer's Guide to Fire Safety", which has three main aims:

• to enable people to escape from the building
• to limit fire spread
• to recognise the associated dangers from fire smoke which may limit escape.

The guide summarises, in plain English, the fire safety actions required from the vast majority of Employers for compliance with existing Fire Legislation and the EU Workplace Directive.

The fundamental requirement is that employers must make a Risk Assessment of their workplaces, identifying all hazards, including the features of the building construction as well as the more predictable process and stock items. This action is required even if the building has previous approval.

The risk assessment process must determine if a hazard (something with the potential to cause harm) is significant, and identify the risk (chance of that harm occurring). The usefulness of the required Risk Assessment is said to be a determining factor in any legal proceedings that may follow a real fire incident.

Others features of the document include the typical Staff Training, and other less predictable demands - for example, a requirement to inform other people who might share the building. Importantly, the findings should not only be recorded and reviewed, but should also include the actions taken as a result of the Risk Assessment.

It should be noted that hazards can arise from all sources of fuel - which will include consumable materials, flammable liquids and gases etc, and the materials used in the construction of the workplace as well. Some examples given are plastics, rubber and foam such as polystyrene and polyurethane.

The Employer's Guide carries recommendations to limit the potential fuel for a fire - by replacing flammable materials with less flammable/ combustible alternatives, ensuring adequate space separation and the removal/ cover or treatment of large areas of combustible wall and ceiling linings. The document also suggests improving the fire resistance of the Workplace construction. Reducing risk levels from a High to Low category can be beneficial to the design of the workplace, by allowing increase in the escape distance / time and greater design flexibility as a result. Employers should note the Criminal liability placed on them to ensure the Risk Assessment process is not diluted by their agents.