Fire Risk Management Statement

Statement of intent

Your Homes Newcastle (YHN) believes that ensuring the health and safety of our staff, visitors, customers and all relevant persons is essential to being first for housing.

YHN takes its responsibility to ensure fire safety across our estate very seriously and will strive to manage the highest standards of fire risk management, as far as reasonably practicable. This document sets out the guiding principles regarding fire risk management within YHN managed properties.

This Policy supports our Health and Safety Policy and sets out the approach to fire risk management. It has been written for all YHN staff, board members, volunteers and contractors who are carrying out services on behalf of YHN, including consultancy and agency staff.

We are strongly committed to fairness and making sure that everyone has the same opportunities to achieve similar outcomes. This policy meets the requirements set out by the Equality Act 2010 and aims to prevent unlawful discrimination on the grounds contained therein. It has been written and approved in-line with our policy and strategy development framework and supports our strategic objective of delivering amazing places where people are proud to live.

YHN’s fire risk management procedure sets out how and what will be done to fulfil the commitments in this policy.

Legislative and Regulatory Context

YHN will put in place arrangements to comply with relevant and extant legislation, primarily The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, as far as is reasonably practicable. The objective will be to protect its employees, contractors, partners, customers and relevant persons from risk and exposure to fires and products of combustion.

There is a range of legislation and regulation relating to fire safety in our buildings and managed estate. This list includes legislation relevant to this policy (not exhaustive):

Statute and Regulations

  • The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 section 3 - general duties of employers and self-employed persons other than their employees
  • The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
  • The Housing Act 2004
  • The Equality Act 2010
  • Building Regulations 2019: Part B: Fire Safety
  • Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998
  • Electrical Equipment (Safety and Use) Regulations 1994
  • Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1998

Approved Codes of Practices

  • Purpose Built Flats – CLG
  • Specialised Housing Guide – LGA
  • BS 9997:2019 – Fire Risk Management Systems, Requirements with guidance for use - BSI

Our commitments

In order to minimise the risk of fire in our premises whilst meeting this policy’s commitments we will aim to:

  • Maintain a robust, credible and reliable Fire Risk Management Procedure (FRMP) that aims to minimise the risk of fire across our premises
  • Clearly define, managerial responsibilities for fire safety within YHN
  • Take reasonable steps to ensure the risks from fire are managed for all YHN’s operations
  • Undertake a fire risk assessment under a regime that is compliant with current legislation, relevant industry standards and best practice, and will reduce the risk within our premises
  • Collaborate with the sector and partners to ensure best use of available resources and promote fire awareness
  • When fires, near misses or causes for concern occur, investigate the root cause, identify lessons to be learnt and act, where reasonably practicable, to remedy deficiencies found by the investigation
  • Provide suitable training for employees involved in managing fire precautions and undertake reviews and checks of their understanding and competence
  • Make this policy available to all interested parties and promote good and safe practice with regards to the FRMP; ensure this policy, and relevant procedures are communicated to all relevant employees
  • Engage and communicate with customers so they are aware of their roles and responsibilities
  • Ensure that appropriate records are kept and audited at planned intervals
  • Resultant actions are monitored, prioritised and acted upon to inform continuous improvement.

Monitoring and Review

The policy will be reviewed every two years unless there are circumstances that require a review, for example a change in legislation or regulation. Where there has been a change in legislation which has an impact on the policy, the policy will be reviewed within three months of any know changes in legislation or regulation coming into effect.

For policy queries or more information, contact the author or the Policy and Innovation Team.

Accountability and Responsibility

Accountability – Assets and Development Director will be accountable for ensuring the policy is implemented in full.

Responsibility – The Assistant Director (Operational Property Services) will be responsible for the management of this policy and for the development and implementation of the associated fire risk management strategy.

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