Fire safety for licensed premises

We are committed to keeping our communities safe and (as an enforcing authority for the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005), we work with businesses to help ensure premises are safe. This includes providing advice and guidance, as well as carrying out fire safety inspections.

A number of tragic fires have occurred in licensed premises. While some high-profile incidents have happened overseas, fires, both serious and less severe, continue to occur in England, including within the communities we serve.

When it comes to fire damage, a staggering 44% of businesses fail to re-open after a fire, emphasising the need for businesses to have a recovery plan in place.

There are degrees to the damage fires in the workplace can cause. Smaller fires may be contained with good fire safety practices, while others will rage through the premises. While life safety is the primary factor, in the aftermath of a fire time is money for organisations, and any downtime will cost a company additional revenue on top of whatever has been damaged.

Licensed premises are assessed according to their level of risk, and those with higher risk are subject to more frequent scrutiny. Where deficiencies are identified, Responsible Persons must take prompt action to address these.

We want to support hospitality businesses across Hampshire and Isle of Wight to help keep customers and staff safe and to improve understanding of fire safety responsibilities.

We’ve developed a handy guide for owners and managers of hospitality premises. For fire safety purposes, these businesses are generally classed as places of assembly, which may be small (up to 60 people) or medium-sized (up to 300 people). This guide provides general guidance on some of your key responsibilities under the Fire Safety Order and practical steps you can take to improve fire safety.  However, please note, it’s not a comprehensive guide to your legal duties.

Download your free guide today

If you have any concerns about the fire safety of a premises, you can raise this with the venue management or report concerns directly to us via our online reporting tool.

If you are a business owner or Responsible Person and you would like support with business fire safety and understanding your legal obligations, you can sign up for one of our free webinars or access more information about fire risk assessments.