Introduction

1.1. This policy is designed to assist the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Fire Authority to meet its statutory duty to enforce fire safety legislation and to reduce the risk of fire causing death, serious injury and property related losses in the community.

1.2. It provides a risk-based approach to technical fire safety inspections and audits form a fundamental element of the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Fire Authority fire risk reduction strategy; and outlines how the demand for its services in relation to fire safety is prioritised.

2.0   Policy Statement

2.1. The North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (the Service) carries out fire safety inspection and audit work on behalf of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (the Authority).

2.2. The Authority will meet its duty to enforce the provisions of fire safety legislation. By prioritising the inspection and auditing of premises presenting higher risk, the Authority will ensure resources are targeted where they can be most effective in enhancing fire safety across the county.

2.3. The Authority will consider the generic level of risk presented by occupancy types in order to formulate the inspection/audit programme. Whilst the risk to individual occupants is of concern to the Authority, it is the overall potential for loss of life or serious injury that will be the major determinant of risk for the purposes of the inspection/audit programme.

2.4. The Authority will through the inspection and audit programme complement the generic risk level information with specific findings about each building. This information contributes to the overall evaluation of risk to the community meeting the Authority’s responsibility for developing and maintaining the currency of its Community Risk Profile (CRP).

2.5. The Authority’s assessment of fire risk in a building and its subsequent inclusion within the inspection/audit programme will be influenced by considerations in addition to any legal duty. The RBIP overall integrated approach will be to prioritise visits to those premises that:

• Have the potential for multiple fatalities or injuries if an uncontrolled fire occurs.
• Are less likely to comply with legislation.
• Are more likely to have a severe fire that will have a greater impact on the business and the community.

2.6. The Authority will through the assessment of the structure, contents and standard of fire safety management determine the level of risk in both individual and generic building types. After initial assessment of premises, an inspection/audit frequency will be determined. Subsequent inspections/audits will reappraise that level of risk. This way, the Authority will continue to accurately target resources at those premises presenting a higher risk.

2.7. The Authority will demonstrate that it is meeting its legislative responsibilities at every stage, the processes by which the levels of risk and the resulting inspection activity has been determined will be recorded, transparent and auditable.

2.8. The Authority acknowledges that the risk level grading provides a guide to the priority and frequency of inspections/audits; it cannot be used to dictate enforcement action. Fire safety enforcement decisions will be made on a case by case basis in accordance with the Authority’s Fire Safety Enforcement Policy taking into account the “Regulator’s Compliance Code”, and the “Enforcement Management Model”

published to this website 28 June 2024