Fire safety duties of the responsible person (England and Wales)
A list of checks and obligations with their cadence, ready to add to your agenda.
For anyone in control of non-domestic premises in England and Wales: employers, owners, managers and those responsible for the common parts of residential buildings. Covers the fire risk assessment and its review, the mandatory recording duty since 1 October 2023, training and evacuation drills, the weekly alarm test, and the maintenance of alarms, emergency lighting and extinguishers. Does NOT cover the Building Safety Act regime for higher-risk buildings, nor the Scottish (Fire (Scotland) Act 2005) or Northern Irish regimes.
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Ask what is in the manuals, how often the maintenance is due and what it takes to do it.
What it already has at hand
- No manual on this page
- 11 planned checks, the most frequent every month since the last inspection
Planned checks
Informative summary verified on 11/09/2026. It does not replace legal advice: the regulation cited prevails. If you spot an error, report it.
Some checks are only mandatory in certain countries: pick yours and the list follows.
In Italy this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In France this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Germany this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Switzerland this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Austria this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
- 01
Service the fire alarm system every 6 months
The fire detection and alarm system must be serviced periodically by a competent person, at intervals not exceeding six months under BS 5839-1, covering rotational detector testing, batteries, the control panel and alarm transmission. Evidence is the service report signed by the maintainer and recorded in the fire logbook; failing to maintain the system remains a breach of art. 17. Applies to premises with a fire detection and alarm system installed, with shorter intervals where the insurance policy or the system category requires them. Cadence to be confirmed on the cited source.
every 6 months since the last jobRecommendedRegulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (SI 2005/1541) art. 17; BS 5839-1 (periodic inspection and servicing)United Kingdom onlySource - 02
Test the fire alarm every week
The fire detection and alarm system must be tested weekly by operating a different manual call point in rotation, checking the sounders are audible throughout and recording the result and the point tested in the logbook. The legal duty under art. 17 is to keep the system in efficient working order, while the weekly interval comes from BS 5839-1; evidence is the completed fire logbook. Applies to all premises with a fire detection and alarm system, while in small premises with stand-alone detectors testing follows the manufacturer's instructions. Cadence to be confirmed on the cited source.
continuous check, confirm every 1 monthsRecommendedRegulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (SI 2005/1541) art. 17; BS 5839-1 (system testing)United Kingdom onlySource - 03
Run an evacuation drill at least once a year
The responsible person must establish and give effect to procedures for serious and imminent danger and nominate enough competent persons for evacuation; government guidance and enforcement practice require at least one full evacuation drill a year. The record must state the date, evacuation times, problems and corrective actions, and in high-risk premises or with multiple shifts drills must be more frequent. Applies to all premises covered by the Fire Safety Order: with shift working the drill must be repeated for each shift, while premises with guests or patients use progressive or horizontal evacuation scenarios.
every 12 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationRegulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (SI 2005/1541) art. 15United Kingdom onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 04
Review and record the fire risk assessment
The responsible person must make a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment and review it regularly, and in any case where there is reason to suspect it is no longer valid or where the premises, the technical and organisational measures or the organisation of work change significantly. Since 1 October 2023 the findings and measures must always be recorded in writing, whatever the number of employees; evidence is the dated FRA signed by the assessor. Applies to all premises covered by the Fire Safety Order, including the common parts of blocks of flats, with additional assessments for dangerous substances and young workers (Schedule 1 Parts 1 and 2).
continuous check, confirm every 12 monthsLegal obligationRegulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (SI 2005/1541) art. 9, as amended by Building Safety Act 2022 s.156United Kingdom onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 05
Ten-yearly pressure test of CO2 extinguishers
Carbon dioxide extinguishers follow a longer cycle: every ten years the cylinder is pressure tested and recharged, or replaced where it does not pass. This interval too comes from BS 5306-3 rather than from legislation, and it sits alongside the pressure equipment regime: the legal duty remains the maintenance duty in article 17, which rests with the responsible person. The work happens off site, at a centre equipped for hydraulic testing, not in the building.
every 120 months since the last jobRecommendedBS 5306-3 (CO2 extended service with pressure test); Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 art. 17United Kingdom only - 06
Train employees on fire safety procedures
The responsible person must provide adequate fire safety instruction and training on recruitment and on transfer, new duties, new equipment or new technology, repeating it periodically where appropriate and adapting it to new or changed risks. Training must be given during working hours and evidence is the training register with content, date and signature. Applies to all workers in premises covered by the Fire Safety Order, including part-time, agency and night staff; fire wardens and marshals need additional training.
every 12 months since the last jobLegal obligationRegulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (SI 2005/1541) art. 21United Kingdom onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 07
Annual servicing of portable fire extinguishers
Portable fire extinguishers must receive an annual basic service by a competent technician under BS 5306-3, with a monthly visual check by the user. At the longer intervals set by the standard, extended service discharge tests, normally every 5 years for powder and water and every 10 years for CO2, and pressure vessel testing also apply; evidence is the service label with the maintainer's report. Applies to all non-domestic premises with portable extinguishers, whose number, type and siting come from the fire risk assessment and BS 5306-8. Cadence to be confirmed on the cited source.
every 12 months since the last jobRecommendedRegulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (SI 2005/1541) art. 13 and art. 17; BS 5306-3 (commissioning and maintenance)United Kingdom onlySource - 08
Monthly emergency lighting test
Every month the emergency lighting must be function-tested by simulating a mains failure for a short period, checking that all luminaires operate and the escape routes are lit, with the result recorded in the logbook. The legal duty is maintenance in efficient working order, while the monthly interval comes from BS 5266-1 and BS EN 50172; in self-testing installations the record can be generated by the system. Applies to premises with emergency lighting on escape routes, which is required wherever escape would be unsafe without natural or artificial light. Cadence to be confirmed on the cited source.
every month since the last inspectionRecommendedRegulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (SI 2005/1541) art. 14 and art. 17; BS 5266-1 / BS EN 50172United Kingdom onlySource - 09
Check which fire safety regime applies
The United Kingdom has no single fire safety statute: the Fire Safety Order 2005 covers England and Wales, Scotland has the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and Northern Ireland the Fire and Rescue Services (NI) Order 2006, each with its own duties and enforcement powers. The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, the ones behind the quarterly door checks, apply in England alone, and no numbered Welsh equivalent was found. This is a control we set ourselves: once a year, review the list of sites and note which regime applies to each, taking local legal advice before extending to Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland cadences written for England.
continuous check, confirm every 12 monthsCompany ruleUnited Kingdom only - 10
Annual emergency lighting duration test
Once a year the emergency lighting must be tested for its full rated duration, usually three hours, checking that all luminaires stay lit for the whole period and that the batteries recharge correctly, with faulty luminaires replaced. Evidence is the duration test certificate recorded in the logbook, and the test should be scheduled when the building is lightly occupied, because the batteries stay discharged for several hours afterwards. Applies to all emergency lighting installations; the rated duration of 1 or 3 hours depends on the building design. Cadence to be confirmed on the cited source.
every 12 months since the last inspectionRecommendedRegulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (SI 2005/1541) art. 17; BS 5266-1 / BS EN 50172 (annual full duration test)United Kingdom onlySource - 11
Five-yearly extended service of extinguishers
Every five years water, foam and powder extinguishers receive an extended service: full discharge, internal examination of the body, replacement of the extinguishing medium and the seals, recharge and retest. The interval comes from BS 5306-3, a paid standard we have not read and which is not binding in itself: the statutory duty remains the general maintenance duty in article 17, which sits with the responsible person. The work calls for a competent person, typically a technician certified under a scheme such as BAFE ST104.
every 60 months since the last jobRecommendedBS 5306-3 (extended service); Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (SI 2005/1541) art. 17United Kingdom only
In Spain this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Portugal this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In United States this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Other country this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
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