Part 5: Other provisions about safety standards, etc. Fire safety Section 156: Amendment of Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 Background
Respondents to the call for evidence raised concern about Responsible Person’s compliance with the duty to cooperate and coordinate with other Responsible Persons in multi-occupied premises (as set out in Article 22 of the FSO). Respondents highlighted problems with Responsible Persons being unaware of their duties under the Order and challenges for enforcing authorities in identifying relevant Responsible Persons and establishing whether or not there has been co-operation. It is considered that requiring Responsible Persons to identify themselves to other Responsible Persons in the same premises by informing each other of their name and UK address as well as providing a view on the parts of the premises they consider themselves to be Responsible Person will encourage co-operation and assist enforcing authorities to identify the correct Responsible Persons and to establish whether the duty to co-operate has been complied with.
	The Fire Safety Consultation included a proposal to require all Responsible Persons to record and, as necessary, update who they are, the extent of their responsibility under the Fire Safety Order and their contact information. 92% of respondents to the Fire Safety Consultation agreed with this proposal.
	The consultation also included a proposal to require Responsible Persons to take reasonable steps to identify themselves to all other Responsible Persons. 95% of respondents agreed with this proposal.
	We are therefore amending Article 22 of the Fire Safety Order to require that all Responsible Persons for premises regulated under the Order must establish whether any other Responsible Person in the premises shares, or has, duties in respect of the premises and to inform each other of their name, address and parts of the premises they consider themselves to be Responsible Person for. To inform and support Responsible Persons in discharging this duty, best practice will be provided in guidance.
Example
This is a hypothetical example. In a block of residential flats which is ten storeys high and has a supermarket on the ground floor, there may be one Responsible Person for the supermarket, another for floors 1-5 and another for floors 6-10. While they each have a specific area within the building for which they are Responsible Person, they must work together to ensure any fire safety actions they take complement those of the other two and do not in any way hinder any fire safety actions taken by each other. For example, the Responsible Person in the supermarket must not block entry and exit to the floors above by storing stock in a stairwell. Each Responsible Person must take reasonable steps to identify the other Responsible Persons, provide them their name and address and an explanation of the parts of the premises they consider themselves to be Responsible Person to strengthen co-operation throughout the building.