Posted By Michelle Driscoll I was wondering whether any of you clever folk could answer a couple of questions for me? A. Is there a minimum office size/headcount required before a fire alarm has to be installed? And does it have to be a actual alarm or can a telephone paging system be suitable? B. Whose repsonsibility is it to install one - tenant or landlord? Many thanks Michelle

Posted By Chris Turner A fire risk assessment will need to be undertaken, to determine any control measures needed. The assessment must include; Specific hazards,i.e ignition sources, combustible materials, pepole, etc. Means of raising the alarm and escape, i.e fire detection and warning, means of escape, fire fighting equipment, etc. Control measures such as fire wardens, emergency procedures, etc. Further guidance can be obtained from the publication available from the HSE called, Fire Safety, An Employers Guide. You may need to seek assistance from a competent safety person in compiling the assessment. Hope this of help

Posted By Sean Fraser The question of tenent or landlord is an interesting one - it depends on the lease. Commercial arrangements are not the same as domestic ones, as they are often reviewed and agreed between lawyers rather than through a direct relationship between potential tenent and landlord. Indeed, there may be specific conditions made regarding the nature and extent of any "modifications" as there may be a clause which requires the tenent to return the premises to an "as provided" condition upon surrender of the lease. In terms of health and safety, there is a distinct requirement in Regulation 11 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regs 1999 for co-operation between other employers and/or self-employed persons operating from the same premises, ESPECIALLY regarding fire precautions - but can this be interpreted to cover landlords who provide facilities where only one employer operates from? As an employer, you are legally obliged to ensure the health, safety and welfare of your employees. If you carry out a risk assessment that identifies that a building or office requires specific fire precautions to be in place (alarms, exits, extinguishers) and the landlord objects, then the landlord would be obstructing you in your legal duties and you would have a claim against them. However, who pays for it is another matter! You may also wish to consult with your Employer Liability insurer - they will no doubt have experience of this sort of thing and might give you a better grounding on the legal aspects and how to resolve it amicably. I agree with what the others have said regarding the risk assessment, but I appreciate the difficulties that arise when you are a tenent as opposed to owner-occupier. Leverage on your side will be the Fire Certificate - consult with the local Brigade for advice or perhaps even an inspection. What I fear is that if (when) the Brigades are no longer required by Statute to inspect and provide certificates, that this sort of situation will be more prevalent as the less scrupulous landlords attempt to do as little as possible or even become obstructive in order to keep their costs low and keeping revenue high, and that workplaces may be less well protected as a consequence. Perhaps this is where consistent and effective insurance inspections can be used to ensure that standards are not allowed to deteriorate and nobody is able to shirk their moral as well as legal responsibilities. I do not mean to infer that all or even a majority of landlords are irresponsible or obsessively cost-conscious, and certainly not towards your own landlord. Before doing anything, speak to them first to see what their take is on it and see what they suggest. You may find them very amenable and understanding.