Covered Markets

[ST1878]

Does anyone have any suggestions as to where permanent covered markets fall within the RRO?

RRO Guidance identifies that malls in shopping centres are not considered as shops but as 'places of assembly', but I cannot find anywhere direct guidance relating to markets. Is it therefore reasonable to assume that the common parts of a market should be treated as places of assembly, and the individual stalls as shops within a multi-occupied building?

I would also suggest that markets with Royal Charters have been subject to Fire Safety legislation since the introduction of the WP Regs, but that not all enforcing authorities take that view and have left them alone. Does anyone have any experience of this?

[PhilB]

Yes of course they are covered by the fire safety order. It gets a bit complicated with many different individual premises and many persons with varying degrees of control.

[kurnal]

Of course the market does not have to be permanent or covered - even the car boot sale is covered by the RRO. There will be a myriad of responsible persons involved but the car boot promoter will have the overall duty of co-ordination, communication,  planning, common areas risk assessment  etc. If 5 or more are employed then the significant findings of the RA will need to be recorded.

Your assumption is correct ST1878. I dont think that the Royal Charter affects anything- many historic markets have not been inspected because the local fire service has not chosen to make it a priority. Most have been driven by their inspection  schedules and staffing levels that mostly predate the workplace legislation