Landlords – do you know your fire plan?

Landlords and tenants in London may well be aware of a new campaign called Know Your Plan. It is the latest publicity campaign from the London Fire Brigade (LFB) aimed at both Landlords and Tenants.

What is the campaign about?

Naturally the campaign is aimed at fire and knowing what to do if a fire breaks out. The campaign is specifically targeting landlords and tenants of flats and maisonettes across London of all sizes – from 3 storey to high rise blocks. Escaping from a fire is different when living in buildings of this type. The LFB want to make sure that everyone is aware of what they need to do in the event of a fire.

Why the campaign matters to landlords

As a landlord or nominated responsible person, it is your responsibility to ensure your tenant is aware of the fire escape plan for their particular flat or maisonette. This includes evacuation routes in the event of fire, fire risk assessments for the property itself and the meaning of the stay put principle as well as safe behaviours.

Keeping your property safe from fire is a legal requirement and forms part of the provisions for Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. It is enforced by the LFB.

Good fire planning starts well before a fire. Tenants are being educated about Know Your Plan and will be aware of what to expect from the landlord or nominated person. Choosing to ignore legal requirements can have penalties without a fire ever starting.

What landlords can do to ensure fire safety

Keeping on the right side of the law and fulfilling your liabilities can be a difficult job without specific fire training or knowledge. Even the right intentions could backfire on you as a landlord, so it will be worth your while consulting fire safety professionals in regard to your risk assessments, fire strategy and fire training. Remember that the LFB does not assist in the formation of risk assessments.

Here at Fulcher Edwards, we have extensive fire safety experience and assist many landlords across London to stay compliant with legislation – known as a Fire Safety Order (FSO). We are delighted to be working alongside a team of fire safety consultants who are ex-fire brigade fire safety officers. Due to their first hand experience, they have in depth knowledge and experience in all aspects of the Fire Safety Order so you can be certain you will be in competent hands here at Fulcher Edwards fire safety services in London.

As well as assisting with fire safety services as part of the Know Your Plan, we can also help with other essential aspects such as fire alarm maintenance in London, fire alarm testing, emergency lighting and fire extinguisher maintenance.

Finding out more

To discover if you have done your job correctly as a landlord, you can visit the Know Your Plan website. There is lots of information there for both tenants and landlords. Here you will see if you have fulfilled your obligations – and just as importantly – made certain that your tenant knows about and fully understands what they need to do in the event of a fire and crucially what they need to do to protect themselves from the dangers of fire. It may save their life.