Do you need a fire marshal?

If you’re responsible for fire safety in your workplace, you may have wondered: do I need a fire marshal?

The answer depends on your premises, your fire risk assessment and the arrangements you have in place for dealing with a fire.

There isn’t one fixed number of fire marshals that applies to every business. Instead, you need to make sure you have suitable fire safety arrangements and enough competent people to help implement your fire procedures.

For many workplaces, this means having trained fire wardens or fire marshals who can help with evacuation and other fire safety responsibilities.

At 1st Choice Safety Training & Consultancy, we provide fire safety training for businesses and organisations across the Midlands and throughout the UK.

Here’s what you need to consider when deciding whether your business needs trained fire marshals.

What does a fire marshal do?

A fire marshal, often referred to as a fire warden, is someone who has additional responsibilities for fire safety within a workplace.

Their exact duties will depend on the premises and the arrangements identified through the fire risk assessment.

A fire marshal may help with responsibilities such as:

• Supporting the evacuation of employees and visitors
• Checking designated areas during an evacuation
• Helping make sure escape routes are kept clear
• Reporting fire safety concerns
• Assisting with emergency procedures
• Helping employees understand what to do in the event of a fire
• Supporting the responsible person with workplace fire safety arrangements

Their role is not to replace the emergency services or put themselves at unnecessary risk.

The priority during a fire is always to raise the alarm, evacuate safely and contact the emergency services where appropriate.

Is having a fire marshal a legal requirement?

There is no single rule stating that every business must have a specific number of fire marshals.

However, that doesn’t mean businesses can simply decide that fire safety training isn’t necessary.

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the person responsible for fire safety must carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment, put appropriate fire safety measures in place, plan for emergencies and provide staff with appropriate fire safety information, instruction and training.

Government guidance also states that in staffed premises, a sufficient number of competent people must be nominated to implement fire procedures. Other than in small premises, this will usually involve appointing fire wardens.

So rather than asking whether your business can operate without a fire marshal, the more useful question is:

Do you have enough appropriately trained and competent people to implement your fire safety procedures effectively?

Your fire risk assessment should help answer that.

How does a fire risk assessment determine your needs?

Your fire risk assessment is the starting point for deciding what fire safety arrangements are appropriate for your workplace.

It should consider the risks within your premises and the people who may be affected by a fire.

Factors may include:

• The size and layout of the premises
• The number of employees
• The number of visitors or members of the public
• The type of work carried out
• Fire hazards and sources of ignition
• The number and location of escape routes
• Working hours and shift patterns
• Employees working alone or remotely
• People who may require additional assistance to evacuate
• The number of floors or separate areas
• The level of fire risk within the premises

This is why there isn’t a universal fire marshal-to-employee ratio that works for every business.

A small office with a simple layout may have very different requirements from a warehouse, manufacturing site, school, care setting or large commercial premises.

The findings of your fire risk assessment should determine what arrangements are appropriate.

How many fire marshals does a business need?

The number of fire marshals you need depends on how your business operates.

It’s important to think beyond the total number of employees.

For example, if you have trained one fire marshal but that person works part-time, is regularly away from the workplace or only works certain shifts, you may not have adequate cover when they are unavailable.

You should consider whether trained people are available across your working hours and throughout the areas they may be responsible for.

Your arrangements may need to account for:

• Staff holidays
• Sickness and absence
• Different shifts
• Multiple floors
• Multiple buildings or sites
• Remote or lone workers
• Visitor numbers
• Changes in occupancy
• Employees who may need assistance during evacuation

The aim is to have sufficient competent people available to implement your fire procedures when they are needed.

Does every fire marshal need training?

Anyone given additional fire safety responsibilities should have appropriate information, instruction and training for their role.

General fire safety training helps employees understand what to do if a fire occurs.

Fire marshal or fire warden training goes further by giving nominated employees the knowledge they need to support the workplace’s fire safety arrangements.

Training can cover areas such as:

• The role and responsibilities of a fire marshal
• Common workplace fire hazards
• Fire prevention
• Fire alarm procedures
• Evacuation procedures
• Emergency exits and escape routes
• Supporting vulnerable people during evacuation
• Fire extinguishers and when they may be used
• What to do when a fire is discovered
• The importance of not putting yourself at risk

The exact training required should reflect the responsibilities given to the individual and the risks within the workplace.

What is the difference between a fire marshal and a fire warden?

The terms fire marshal and fire warden are often used interchangeably.

In many workplaces, they refer to employees who have been given additional responsibilities for supporting fire safety and evacuation procedures.

The important thing isn’t necessarily the job title.

What matters is that the business has suitable fire procedures, enough competent people to implement them and appropriate training for the responsibilities those people have been given.

If you’re unsure about the difference between the roles, our guide to fire marshals and fire wardens explains the terminology and responsibilities in more detail.

What if your business is very small?

Small businesses still need to take fire safety seriously.

The level of fire safety provision should be appropriate to the premises and the risks involved.

Government guidance for small non-domestic premises explains that responsible persons still need to carry out a suitable fire risk assessment, provide adequate fire safety measures and have appropriate fire procedures and training in place.

A smaller workplace may have simpler arrangements than a large or higher-risk site.

However, the fact that a business is small does not remove the need to assess fire risks and make sure employees understand what to do in an emergency.

When should you review your fire marshal arrangements?

Your fire safety arrangements should be reviewed when there are significant changes to your workplace or when your existing arrangements may no longer be suitable.

For example, you may need to review your fire marshal provision if:

• You employ more staff
• You move premises
• You open another site
• Your working hours change
• You introduce new processes or equipment
• Your workplace layout changes
• A trained fire marshal leaves the business
• You start operating additional shifts
• Your fire risk assessment identifies new risks
• An incident or evacuation highlights a potential weakness

It’s also important to make sure your nominated fire marshals remain competent and understand their responsibilities.

Why fire marshal training matters

Having someone’s name written down as a fire marshal is not enough.

In an emergency, that person needs to understand what they are expected to do and how to carry out their role safely.

Appropriate fire marshal training can help employees understand workplace fire risks, emergency procedures and their responsibilities during an evacuation.

It also forms part of a wider approach to maintaining suitable fire safety arrangements and supporting legal compliance.

Fire safety isn’t simply about having equipment on the wall or completing a fire risk assessment.

Your employees need to know what to do if something goes wrong.

So, does your business need a fire marshal?

There isn’t a single answer that applies to every business.

Your fire risk assessment should help determine the fire safety arrangements required for your premises, including whether you need fire marshals or fire wardens and how many competent people are required to implement your fire procedures.

For many staffed workplaces, trained fire wardens will form an important part of those arrangements.

The priority is to make sure your business has suitable fire safety measures, clear emergency procedures and appropriately trained people who can help put those procedures into practice.

Make Sure Your Fire Marshals Have the Right Training

At 1st Choice Safety Training & Consultancy, we provide fire marshal and fire warden training for businesses and organisations.

Our training can help your nominated employees understand their responsibilities, recognise workplace fire risks and support your fire safety arrangements.

Whether you’re appointing fire marshals for the first time, reviewing your current arrangements or training new members of your team, we can help you put the right training in place.

Contact our team to discuss your fire safety training requirements and find the right training solution for your business.