Note for Guidance

The Fire Safety Advice Centre

Large places of assembly

General

It is important to understand that more than one piece of fire safety legislation and/or fire safety guidance can be applied to any individual premises. For instance take a school the The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 applies and there could be others. Fire Safety guidance documents including Guide 5 - Educational premises, Guide 1 - Offices and shops, Guide 6 - Small and medium places of assembly or Guide 7 - Large places of assembly may apply and if the school is a boarding school then Guide 3 - Sleeping accommodation could apply.

Fire Safety Legislation

New and altered premises are subject to the Building Regulations and the guidance for fire matters are dealt with by Approved Document Part B Fire Safety. Within that document appendix G and H there is a list, of other guidance documents that may be relevant.

When premises are occupied fire precautions are controlled by The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. and this order lays down legal requirements, check them out at the above link.

Fire Safety Guide for England and Wales

Large places of assembly are categorised as (Over 300 persons ) and the appropriate guide is Guide 7 - Large places of assembly and can be downloaded at the Department of Communities and Local Government web site.

This guide is for all employers, managers, occupiers and owners of places of assembly and it tells you what you have to do to comply with fire safety law. It helps you to carry out a fire risk assessment and identify the general fire precautions you need to have in place. These guides are intended for premises where the main use of the building or part of the building is a large (i.e. premises where more than 300 people could gather) place of assembly.

Large Places of Assemble include,

• Sports stadia,
• Exhibition and conference centres,
• Leisure centres,
• Swimming pools,
• Large nightclubs and large pubs,
• Churches, Cathedrals,
• Other places of religious worship or study and associated premises,
• Museums,
• Libraries,
• Common areas of shopping malls,
• Large temporary structures, marquees/ tents, air-supported structures,
• Large community centres,
• Large village halls and similar premises.

These guide do not apply to premises that include, sleeping accommodation, theatres, cinemas, concert halls and similar premises, and/or outdoor facilities, reference should be made to the relevant guides for these premises.

These guides may also be suitable where the premises adjoin other complexes, although co-operation with the other managers will be necessary as part of an integrated risk assessment for the complex. The guide has been written to provide guidance for a responsible person, to help them to carry out a fire risk assessment in less complex premises. If you read the guide and decide that you are unable to apply the guidance, then you should seek expert advice from a competent person. More complex premises will probably need to be assessed by a person who has comprehensive training or experience in fire risk assessment.

Fire safety is only one of many safety issues management must address to minimise the risk of injury or death to staff or the public. Unlike most of the other safety concerns, fire has the potential to injure or kill large numbers of people very quickly. This guidance is concerned only with fire safety, but many of the measures discussed here will impact upon other safety issues, and vice versa. It is recognised that
these differing safety demands can sometimes affect one another and management should consult other interested agencies, such as the Local Authority, where necessary to confirm that they are not contravening other legislation or guidance.

This handout provides a general overview and basic information on this topic. It may not apply to everyone, consequently to find out if this guide applies to you and to get more information on this subject, study all the relevant legislation, guides and British/European Standards. Also you should seek advice from an expert on the subject or your local Fire Safety Officer or Fire Safety Professional.

Merseyside Fire Liaison Panel. Permission is granted to print and photocopy this material for nonprofit educational uses.

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This page was last checked and modified on Monday, 24 March, 2008 22:50