RRFSO Guidance

[harley]

Is there any laymans guidance available on the RRFSO itself, rather than the premises guides to risk assessment?
A layman's guide to the Articles (and how they are being interpreted by the enforcing authority and the courts) would be very useful.
Thanks in advance.

[Mr. P]

www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1162115

[harley]

Thanks for the reply Mr P, but where exactly is the explanatory guidance to the Articles of the Order rather than than the premises guides?

[Midland Retty]

You might struggle to find what you are looking for to be honest.

Is there anythig specific you are unsure about and would like further guidance with or is it more just a general thing you were looking for?

[harley]

Thanks for getting back Retty. Its a general thing I'm afraid, the translation of legalese to english in words that ordinary punters will understand. Tricky eh?

[Pip]

we are not meant to understand-it is to keep lawyers in business by going to court /advising us.

[jokar]

What is it that is not understood?  There is no interpretation of the Order you just have to do what it states.  If you have a specific query please e mail me and I will respond.

[John Webb]

Harley,
I understand that when the "new" legislation was being sorted out, it was decided that the area-specific guides was a better approach than trying to make an all-inclusive single guide. I am not certain that this approach has worked as well as it could do, partly because each guide still has to cover a very wide range of buildings.

There has therefore been no official commentry written on the RR(FS)O itself. Basically it says "There is a 'Responsible person' for every building/facility/workplace/site open to the public; that person will carry out, or will arrange to have carried out, a Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) and will see that precautions are carried out to reduce the risk of fire as a result of that FRA."
So attention has been concentrated on the FRA and educating people in carrying these out and implementing any findings therefrom. There is plenty of guidance available from people like the Fire Protection Association  www.thefpa.co.uk   www.mid-career-collage.ac.uk etc. either via courses, publications or DVDs.

Once 'case law' starts coming in from court cases it may be that someone will put together something on the RR(FS)O as a legal document.

There has been quite a bit of discussion in this forum about aspects of the Order as well, of course.

[val]

If you can wait until september, the CLG will publish the 'enforcers' guidance'. Whilst this may not be plain English it will help to understand how the government want the fire safety order interpreted. Unfortunately some of the more tricky questions will remain unanswered until, as Colin Todd calls them, strange men in tights and funny wigs get their say.

[jokar]

If it is as unreadable as the drafts have been, I would not bother.  It is the tricky bits that need an answer.

[Pip]

If it is as unreadable as the drafts have been, I would not bother.  It is the tricky bits that need an answer.

exactly-
tricky bits written by lawyers to be understood only by lawyers=lawyers continuous employment

[val]

Jokar

The latest version is much better though the tricky questions cannot be answered by the executive...that is the role of the Courts.
Government write legislation...judges decide what it means!